Communicate correctly: experts tell about 4 types of distance to keep during a conversation

Professor Edward Hall has identified four types of distance that regulate communication between people: intimate, personal, social, and public.

Intimate distance varies from close touch to 50 cm, and is relevant for personal meetings and handshakes in a business context. During negotiations, it is recommended to maintain a distance of at least 50 cm.

Personal distance ranges from 60 cm to 1 m 20 cm and is used for business discussions, which facilitates constructive communication without feeling inappropriate.

Social distance, from 1.2 m to 2.5 m, is recommended when meeting strangers or in business situations. It allows you to maintain short-term contact without interrupting your work.

Read also: Six universal tips for a successful job interview

Public distance, from 3.5 to 7.5 m, is used, for example, by actors and politicians, allowing them to play roles and maintain distance.

It is important to know that different cultures may have different understandings of distance. For example, the British and Scandinavians are more protective of their personal space, so the social distance in communication with them should be greater. The Japanese, on the other hand, value their personal space and consider touching to be somewhat unacceptable in communication. Arabs, Greeks, Turks, Spaniards, and Italians, on the other hand, actively use physical contact as a manifestation of friendliness and warmth in communication.

As a reminder, we've already written about why you should leave a job interview immediately.

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