The Power of a Simple โGreeting: Fostering Connection and โCombating Polarization
A growing movement suggests โa surprisinglyโ simple solution toโ societal polarization: a friendly greeting. Faysal, a proponent of this idea, believes a simple “hello” isn’t โขjust polite, butโฃ a vital step towardsโ connection. “Greetings is seeing the other.โข Seeing the โother leads to a connection. And connection is exactly what we need,” heโข asserts.
This viewpoint is supported by social โpsychology โexperts. Tom Postmes, Professor at the University of Groningen, acknowledges the power of greetings โฃas โ”an expression that youโ see โthe โother and a form of respect.” He explains that this strengthens relationships both between individuals and within societyโ as a whole, appreciating the gesture. However,Postmes cautions that greetings can โขbecome divisive if there’s disagreement on how to greet – citing examples like differing cultural greetings โค(“good โคafternoon,” “Shalom,” orโค “As-Salaam ALEIMUM”) and potential misuse to disrupt social harmony.
Despite this potential for conflict, Postmes emphasizes the importance of politeness in maintainingโ a functioning โsociety. “The great thing about politeness is that with a small gesture you โmaintain great things,” he states, placing greetings alongside other essential courtesies like yielding โthe right-of-way or thanking service โworkers.”Without such small gestures, a society will fall apart.”
Roos Vonk, professor โคof โSocial Psychology โat Radboud University Nijmegen,โ identifies greetings โฃas a fundamental human need.โ She points to a growingโข disconnect in modern,โค individualistic society. “People have a very need for live contact with others.But because of the individualistic society in which weโ now live, we lose it more and more. With our desire for individual freedom โขwe forget the connection with others, โwhich is not good for our well โฃ-being.”
Research supports the positive impact of even โbrief โขsocial interactions.Multiple studies, cited in scientias.nl,demonstrate that greeting strangers or engaging in short conversations can demonstrably improve mood,fostering a โsense ofโ solidarity for both parties involved.
Vonk advises โขpracticality, suggesting greetings โare more naturally suited to certainโค environments. โ”In the outlying area,peopleโค are much more used to greeting eachโข otherโฆ if you have to greet everyone in Amsterdam all the time,you will go crazy.” Sheโฃ recommends focusing on greetings at locations likeโ bus stops, in stores, or with those immediatly nearby on โpublic transport.
Faysal’sโข personal experianceโค reinforces these findings. โคHeโค notes that greetings have consistently led to positive interactionsโ and reduced social distance. He encourages others, โขparticularly those feeling isolatedโ or anxious, toโ try it: “If youโ haveโค a bad moodโฆ go outside and greet people with a smile.”
ultimately, Faysal believes the power to create a more connected society lies within individual โคaction. “Greetings is free and accessible,โ everyone can do that. We live in aโ time when we mainly think that othersโฆ should change something about โthe polarizationโฆ โBut we often forget that we can contribute to a nicer society. So give what is free.”