Being Loved 2

Need a hug? If so, why? What does a hug do for you, to make you want one, or more so, need one?

Being touched by someone is powerful in many ways.  Being touched by restaurant servers increases the tips that customers leave. At two informal restaurants, waitresses had assigned to them customers who were randomly divided into three categories. Some customers were not touched at all, others were touched once on the shoulder for about one and a half seconds, and the rest were touched twice on the palm of the hand for about half a second each. All touches were casually given as the waitress returned change to their customers at the end of the meal. In all cases, eye contact was avoided.

The results at both restaurants were significant. Customers who weren’t touched left an average tip of 12%. Tips increased to 14% from those who were touched on the shoulder, and to 17% from those touched twice on the hand.

In a 2009 study of the NBA, it was found that teams whose players touched the most often (slaps, hugs, taps or bumps) were more cooperative, played better and won more games.

Like anything powerful, influence that is used to control is like witchcraft, and influence that is used to liberate is like Jesus. When you are comforting or encouraging or offering any blessing to someone, touching them will help accomplish the work. When someone is touching you, beware the manipulation and absorb the love.