Body Language Of Accidental Touching
Cue: Accidental Touching
Synonym(s): Touching By Accident, Brushing Up Against Someone Accidentally,Bumping Into Someone.
Description: Touching between two people that seems to happen without meaning.
In One Sentence: Accidental touching can happen between random strangers usually in busy or crowded environments, or alternatively, done out of conscious awareness in order to create bonding and intimacy.
How To Use it: Accidental touching can be used to spark sexual interest or intimacy. This is done simply by lightly brushing up or bumping against another in order to put you on their sexual radar. Likewise, by sharing space that is very tight, friendships can blossom through occasional accidental touches. It may also be used to intimidate by encroaching on the space of others or even colliding directly with them. When used properly, touching, which is seemingly accidental in nature, can be used to create specific outcomes including intimacy, friendship, or to intimidate. The intent of accidental touching and the relative context will define how others interpret accidental touching and how effective it is in achieving your specific goals.
Context: a) General b) Dating c) Business or d) Friendly.
Verbal Translation: a) “Oops, sorry, my mistake”, b) “Hey look at me, I’m right here and looking for attention”, c) “Stay out of my way, I need more space – I exist,” or d) “I’m brushing up against you to bond and share space.”
Variant: See Self Stroking or Auto Contact, Head Touch (by others), Touching or Increase In Touching.
Cue In Action: a) Two people brush up against one another accidentally in a crowded elevator with no meaning at all. b) A woman backs into a man she finds interesting on the dance floor in effort to be noticed. c) Bob “accidentally” bumped up against his boss while walking to his office – he has been making a bid for the bosses’ managerial position for many months and wanted to keep him in his place. d) A husband and wife were washing and drying dishes together after dinner and accidentally brushed up against one another.
Meaning and/or Motivation: a) The cue has no specific intent. b) Feigned in a dating context where the cue signals sexual interest c) Feigned as a power play designed to intimidate. d) Usually meaningless, but can be a source of bonding by sharing intimate space.
Touch is a very powerful force and can be used to manipulate and influence others, but oftentimes, touching happens accidentally. We should be careful to properly assess the motivation of touching.
Cue Cluster: a) The head is down with no eye contact and no acknowledgement of contact is made. b) Eye contact is made with the target with a coy smile coupled with a feigned verbal apology. c) Head is down or up coupled with a forced stress smile or smirk. d) Both parties subconsciously acknowledge touching, but do not show any noticeable body language cues – they carry on with the task at hand while sharing space.
Body Language Category: Courtship Display, Indicator Of Sexual Interest (IOsI), Dominant/Aggressive Body Language, Dislike (nonverbal).
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