Social norms are often very strictly enforced and offenders are often ostracized or outright rebuked for their conduct. Also, such norms are more rigorously held to in certain situations than in others. For example, it is a social norm that people should be decently covered in public, but a woman wearing a swimsuit and shorts into McDonald’s is less likely to be ostracized than a woman wearing the same outfit

As I did these things, I feel different, very weird, as if I was doing something totally against the natural order. Such a feeling is useful because it helps to keep us from violating the ways of polite society. Social norms are not just something Martha Stewart or one of her contemporaries set up to make us all polite, well-mannered people, but they serve a useful purpose. They keep hostility levels down and things flowing smoothly. When they are violated, the wheel of progress often grinds to a sickening halt. Personal space helps promote productivity because people just work better when they aren’t cramped or crowded. Also, privacy is important in American society and personal space helps to secure that privacy.

in a Church service or at a funeral. Since, depending upon your personality, violating minor social norms can be fun, and since I was required to do it, I decided to violate the norm of personal space and see what came of it.

Not all cultures are the same. For example, had I done ma

Some topics in this essay:
Social Norms, Martha Stewart, social norms, personal space, personal space helps, space violations, woman wearing, space helps,