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She made it sound like a supportive side hug or a tap on the should over a difficult season in the south pole of the planet would be a no-no. Did I get it wrong

She made it sound like a supportive side hug or a tap on the should over a difficult season in the south pole of the planet would be a no-no. Did I get it wrong? I am not a native speaker of English, for the record.

teh_klev 6y ago
That's what she writes in the article.
jpindar 6y ago
The reason is in the very next sentence. >I couldn’t afford for a simple gesture of empathy, such as a hug or a placed hand on the shoulder, to be misinterpreted as a sign of romantic interest. It's possible she was a little overcautious, but I certainly understand why she chose not to risk that someone might think either that she was attracted to them, or that she was involved with someone else.
- usrusr 6y ago
  Is it really overcautious? I'd imagine a group in extreme isolation to be far more sensitive and prone to misinterpretations than the same set of people working together while surrounded by thousands of others to meet and interact with during off hours.
- lolbrels 6y ago
  I think overcautious is generous, the writing is strange. It seems like a given to me that physical contact in a professional environment would be seen as unwanted or bizarre by most. Yet they make a great deal of it, even going into detail about how others could perceive it with specific thought-out examples. Also we can afford empathy without touching someone. Either she was locked in there with some interesting characters or is an interesting character herself.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
PeterisP 6y ago
It's worth noting that this is a bit of an unusual, even unnatural situation - where you have people who have been in isolation from any relationships for almost a year, may have a natural desire for romantic relationships and it's part of her specific role and duty to ensure that this stays suppressed throughout the team until the expedition is over. In those circumstances a strict "no-touching" policy for the whole team (not just her) may be quite prudent. You need to ensure that even someone who after many months of loneliness desperately wants to notice and misinterpret something as a sign of romantic affection is unable to do so.

teh_klev 6y ago

That's what she writes in the article.

jpindar 6y ago

The reason is in the very next sentence. >I couldn’t afford for a simple gesture of empathy, such as a hug or a placed hand on the shoulder, to be misinterpreted as a sign of romantic interest. It's possible she was a little overcautious, but I certainly understand why she chose not to risk that someone might think either that she was attracted to them, or that she was involved with someone else.

usrusr 6y ago
Is it really overcautious? I'd imagine a group in extreme isolation to be far more sensitive and prone to misinterpretations than the same set of people working together while surrounded by thousands of others to meet and interact with during off hours.
lolbrels 6y ago
I think overcautious is generous, the writing is strange. It seems like a given to me that physical contact in a professional environment would be seen as unwanted or bizarre by most. Yet they make a great deal of it, even going into detail about how others could perceive it with specific thought-out examples. Also we can afford empathy without touching someone. Either she was locked in there with some interesting characters or is an interesting character herself.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

PeterisP 6y ago

It's worth noting that this is a bit of an unusual, even unnatural situation - where you have people who have been in isolation from any relationships for almost a year, may have a natural desire for romantic relationships and it's part of her specific role and duty to ensure that this stays suppressed throughout the team until the expedition is over. In those circumstances a strict "no-touching" policy for the whole team (not just her) may be quite prudent. You need to ensure that even someone who after many months of loneliness desperately wants to notice and misinterpret something as a sign of romantic affection is unable to do so.