I'm honestly curious. (Context: I grew up in northern France and in the Netherlands, I'm 37 and male.) I am really not used to being touched and would never even consider breaking into someone's personal space. Exceptions for my girlfriend or shaking hands, of course. How does your need for physical contact feel? How can you tell whether the other will react well or not? Do people change after you've touched them? What happens in your mind if you have to keep your distances when you'd rather initiate contact?
I always use to touch when I talk to those who I know damn well. So when I know they trust me I touch otherwise I keep distance. I also only do that when I'm talking about something interesting or important to remember it. I was a lot of times fooled, "betrayed" and set up by my so called friends so it's important for me to feel that they are there to help me. I can tell by the first time I did it I asked them if it bothers them or not. My friend a lot of times trusts me more the closer I go to him. My personality also includes me pulling my friends into sibling hugs (male, female doesn't matter) If I wan't to initiate contact but I have to keep distance then I try to steer the topic in a direction until they trust me enough to let me touch them. I respect their pride or personal space as I have friends who don't mind if I touch them but not in public. I also use to apologize if I do it and won't do it again unless they don't mind. I use to touch to get people's attention since I'm*
So apparently I walk really quietly, and when I try to get someone's attention, instead of tapping them I loudly whisper 'hey' and people think I am sneaking up on them.
Not this again