Disruptions of Proximity

The proximity disruption effect is defined as the increased use of references to relatively exciting perceptual qualities between individuals as we approach each other more closely.

Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz’s “Fantastic Composition.” Photo from WikiArt. Public domain.

“By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
Open, locks,
Whoever knocks!”

— Shakespeare, Macbeth (Open Source Shakespeare 2021)

Contents

∘ Inwardness and Mating Behavior
∘ Aesthetic Complexity
∘ Brain Heat
∘ Dance and Proximity
∘ Proximity Bias in Language Using “In,” “Get,” “Take,” “Close” and “Touch”
∘ Cultural Proximity Bias
∘ Works Cited

Inwardness and Mating Behavior

Animals tend to interact using references to exciting qualities such as fluidity, motion, brightness, disorder, upwardness, outwardness, multiplicity, high-pitch, spikiness and length. These can be increased, decreased or replaced with their opposites, and arranged overall in various perceptual combinations to convey different levels and types of excitement. We make subtle, constant references to the directions outward and inward and think of approaching each other as a type of inwardness needing to be offset or compensated…