how affectionate are you? openly, i mean. and how was it in your family when you were little?

Me, I can't stand physical affection. In fact, I generally hate to be touched, by anyone, at any time, like, even by accident. Even if you are Bret fucking Anderson, do not touch me when I'm not expecting it. Until I get drunk, and then I am the most affectionate, annoying, huggy, touchy feely, clingy, PDA, shoving my tongue down random strangers of any sex whatsoever, probably because I'm so starved for physical contact the rest of the time.

I know it's odd, and this probably says loads about my fucked up psychological makeup, but I'm too tired to figure out what it means, and quite frankly, I'd rather think about Julian Casablancas' ass. So long as I don't actually have to touch it.

i think this may have more to do with later stuff, rather than how my family was when i was little. my fam was not super-affectionate, but by no means overly repressed

(nb: I like Jess.)

I was waiting outside a lecture theatre when I saw some people I'd met before. As I approached their group (they were sitting on the ground) this girl sitting furthest from me (a huge, hideous behemoth of a thing) squawked "HI! MY NAME'S DAWN! I'D GET UP AND HUG YOU BUT YOU'RE TOO FAR AWAY!"

I felt like screaming at her, "What the fuck is your hug supposed to mean to me, or anyone else for that matter, if you're prepared to hug a total stranger? You don't know me. I could be the most horrible person in the world, and yet you want to hug me. Die!"

*ahem*

In contrast to the above, I'm actually quite an affectionate type. I hug my close female friends, and my closest male friends. I'd actually like to hug a lot of my male friends, but at the moment it still seems a bit weird for them.

I've actually noticed this the most recently because I've been saying a lot of goodbyes as I'm going away for 8 months. Where I feel like hugging them there seems to be this awkward silence and much foot-shuffling abounds.

I suspect the world would be a significantly better place if people were to be more touchy-feely (in the non-creepy way, that is).

The word 'hug' looks very funny to me now.

humanity really is a fucking cesspit.

512 new answers by noon?

My issue with the behemoth is that she doesn't know me, and thus she cannot have any emotional connection with me whatsoever. Why does she want to hug me? I don't know, and I don't really care. To simply hug someone as a form of introduction seems a bit emotionally dishonest to me. (perhaps I'm just weird) This is the kind of behaviour I qualify as 'creepy'.

What I was trying to say is that people who have established a relationship should touch each other more. I see no real benefit for strangers to just go touching each other, because you'd never know whether they think it's appropriate or not, and people might be put in a situation where they think it'd be impolite to refuse a hug that they desperately want to escape.

If you have never met someone before, the only thing you can be attracted to is their looks. Thus, if you find someone aesthetically unattractive, you'll have a hard time being attracted to someone.

If you have met someone before, you may find them attractive even though aesthetically you're not too thrilled by them. Other aspects (ie their personality) can come into play and make you find them quite attractive indeed.

You become attracted to your friends, because you like them. That's why I'm not adverse to being hugged or touched by them.

I am not attracted to strangers that are aesthetically unpleasing to me. That is why I do not want to be hugged by them.

Am I some sort of horrible monster for feeling this way?

I also worry that maybe I am turning into one of those actressy women whose perfume is too strong, lipstick too bright and affections too easy.

[next UK poster to write 'Only turning?' will either be kissed or shot in accordance with which would be more painful.]

*personal bubble*

My parents, erm, I never show any affection to them, and they never show any to me, though my mum makes a valiant attempt at kissing me when I leave for a long time at university.

Tragically Anna is not talking about me.

My parents never kissed or held hands that I saw - and they had a huge bolster (=long pillow, for those unfamiliar with these things) down the middle of their bed, so they didn't accidentally touch each other in their sleep, or something. So I don't initiate hugs and kisses very easily, but I really like both. My new girlfriend and I stretched a ten minute walk to an hour and a half last Friday night with excessive amounts of both, and it was wonderful. A couple of friends tend to initiate such things, and I respond enthusiastically, but I tend to assume people don't want to be hugged by me, so I don't start such things.

Marcello, you suck. If you're going to sit around condemning everyone because they make judgements on people's physical appearance, then you should just grow up. What a waste of time.

I also get to feeling affectionate and demonstrative when I'm drunk. But because I'm so insecure I keep it all bottled inside because I'm afraid that whoever I grab will happen to be repulsed by me. Then because I'm behaving so decorously even though I'm drunk I begin fearing that people think that I'm some sort of snottynosed priss (not true, even if my behavior would suggest that). Then I begin fearing that I AM some sort of snottynosed priss, in spite of my filthy mind and general approval of misbehavior. Then this plus the unrequited lust I tend to be feeling at any given time spirals into total mentalism. Maybe I should just give up everything right now and turn myself in at St. Elizabeth's.

a wee while ago...I was outside and walking around. it was night time. and me and a friend of mine [allyC] were heading to this comedy club. and there was this guy lurking by a piece of grass. and then, suddenly, he said "richard!" and walked towards us, out of the dark. and I realised it was this guy I went to high school with. I liked him, he was a nice guy. I hadn't seen him in almost a year. as he walked towards us he opened his arms and hugged me bigtime. I was a little surprised but only in a surprised way. later on ally said that he thought the guy seemed like a nice one and I said "haha, yeah, he's a nice guy...but I didn't expect that hug!" and ally said "the hug--that's what made me think he was a nice guy!!"