Proximity, The Exponential Attractor

Many of us know and might have experienced how the power of distance affects our relationships with other people. It distances us and might convert sisters to complete strangers.

The power of proximity has an adverse effect. I already knew that, yet, I didn’t know how powerful it could be. Proximity causes a phenomenon called “exponential attraction”, where your relationship with another person increases drastically on the bondage level. You like each other more and you communicate seamlessly. It’s interesting to know that 9 out of 10 reasons people become friends is proximity and not common interests, social status, religion or any other reason you can have in the book.

Physical proximity is how close you are to others. Who sits next to you at work? Who is your roommate? Who is living in the room next to yours? Who lives in the next block? Same neighborhood? Who goes to the same lectures? Same Gym?

Proximity allows you to have “spontaneous interactions”, which allows you to bond with others on a more personal level other than that formal agenda you had in mind for the strategy business meeting. Even if you don’t interact at all, neither verbally nor non-verbally, the power of proximity will affect your subconscious judgment on how you perceive the other person as attractive and your likelihood to form a friendship with. The more you see a woman, for example, even if you don’t talk at all, the more you will find her attractive as you see her everyday.

It seems that whether a person is an outcast or well networked, is not entirely based on his choice or personality, but his proximity to others made him a favor. So, next time you question your bondages and why did you especially ‘click’ with that one other person or group of friends, maybe you should think about the power of proximity as well.

Reference: Click by Ori Brafan and Rom Brafman