Theme Day > International Hug Day

Nicholas King said:A hug is something beautiful, something vital, and—let’s be honest—something deeply intimate.

The problem is, if you’re out there hugging everyone you see, you aren't actually hugging anyone at all.

I suppose this obsessive need to quantify every single little thing is just a way to appeal to a massive, mindless audience—people who probably couldn't care less about any actual depth or analysis. I can just picture Brand from St John in The Middle of Nowhere, clutching some self-help book, meticulously logging her daily hug statistics like it's some kind of scientific breakthrough.

I'm gonna have to disagree with that one. Honestly, I live for those spontaneous hugs—even if the person hugging me was a total stranger just five minutes ago and we basically just met. To me, giving a random hug doesn't somehow make the hugs I give to my family or my best friends feel any less special. It’s not an "either-or" situation, you know?

Nicholas King said:A hug is something beautiful, something vital, and—let’s be honest—something deeply intimate.

The problem is, if you’re out there hugging everyone you see, you aren't actually hugging anyone at all.

I suppose this obsessive need to quantify every single little thing is just a way to appeal to a massive, mindless audience—people who probably couldn't care less about any actual depth or analysis. I can just picture Brand from St John in The Middle of Nowhere, clutching some self-help book, meticulously logging her daily hug statistics like it's some kind of scientific breakthrough.

Nice takedown of Brand 🤣
She probably has her own YouTube channel too 😁

I’m not big on people touching me without asking. If you want to know what my favorite kind of hug is, there's only one answer:

Ashley Vaughn79 said:If it matters, I really doubt anyone actually gets four hugs every day. 😁

I'm not saying it's impossible... I just think people who actually have the chance to hug others daily often forget about it.

What is your actual relationship with this girl, and why were you trying to hug her? 😁
Maybe it sounds like a silly question, but it really isn't. 😁

If you aren't hitting that four-times-a-day mark, you might as well not exist.😳.

I mean, I'm sure it happens—especially if you're living with someone. But if you don't live together? Yeah, probably not happening, since most people aren't seeing each other every twenty-four hours.

For me personally, the main hurdle would be not wanting to come off as "too clingy"—plus, I've always been a little awkward when it comes to physical affection.😳

There are a million different ways to show someone you care, just like there are a million types of hugs, right? Personally, I’m all about that move where you just rest your cheek against 😍, but let’s be real—that’s strictly reserved for my inner circle.

Not every hug carries the same weight or hits the same level of intimacy, either. And honestly, our emotions aren't always dialed up to the same intensity every single time...

Let me be useful for once. Since most women don't have the slightest clue how to actually comfort a man, here’s a quick tutorial. Lucky bastard. 🙂 I don't have that kind of luck. 🕺

Take notes, ladies, take notes. 🧐
This deserves the label "female." 🎉

Maybe you're the one who needs to get their act together first. Then, and only then, might you actually see what you're looking for...

Anyway, happy international hug day. 🙂

I am quite fond of hugs. Whenever I encounter those dear to my heart, a warm embrace is often our customary greeting. With my closest loved ones—especially when we haven't seen one another for a while—those hugs tend to be a bit more lingering and firm, and honestly, they leave me feeling completely recharged.

That being said, I also have a great appreciation for dance embraces; Kizomba is such a wonderful example of that, where it feels truly special when your energies just happen to align perfectly. 😍

Duh, I live for hugs from my favorite people 🙂
I'm a total tactile person, honestly

When it comes to 🙂 hugging, this is basically my vibe


Didn't mean to drop such a huge photo, but I refuse to let it look tiny 🕺

I am lowkey obsessed with forehead kisses 🤔

Sam Jones8 said:Maybe you're the one who needs to get their act together first. Then, and only then, might you actually see what you're looking for...

Anyway, happy international hug day. 🙂

Thanks for the concern, but I'm fine with where I am. I'm a Leo, and cats always land on their feet. 🧐 Here's a hug back for worrying about me. 🙂 🙂



My favorite, Mass, you're a lucky bastard, you know that. My ex just can't wrap her head around it. 🙏

Look, I get that hugging is way more intimate than those little air kisses people do to say hi, but honestly? I can’t wrap my head around the kissing thing. I could practically hug anyone... okay, maybe not *anyone*, and definitely not people I can't stand, but generally speaking, I'm all about the hugs. Though, let's be real, I'm probably not going to be the one to initiate things if the vibe feels even slightly awkward.

Obviously, I don't go at it with the same intensity or duration with everyone. It's not a free-for-all.

Back home in the States, we usually only hug when someone is leaving or coming back from a long trip. But when I lived in Germany, it was just different... hugging was the norm there. I'd hug everyone, whether it was coworkers or friends outside of work. It wasn't every single time we crossed paths, obviously, but if we were hanging out or just had a really heartfelt conversation, a hug was pretty much guaranteed. I think it helped that I lived in a tiny town where everybody knew everybody; everyone felt like family, so hugging them just felt natural.

As for my kid, I'm hugging them constantly... and they're doing the same to me. Same goes for my dog whenever he's around.

Sam Jones8 said:There are a million different ways to show someone you care, just like there are a million types of hugs, right? Personally, I’m all about that move where you just rest your cheek against 😍, but let’s be real—that’s strictly reserved for my inner circle.

Not every hug carries the same weight or hits the same level of intimacy, either. And honestly, our emotions aren't always dialed up to the same intensity every single time...

I suppose we’d probably find some "American scientist" somewhere🙄 who has gone ahead and established a definitive link between how someone handles a hug and how they treat people in general.

Look, I am a staunch advocate for hugging—well, pardon me, hugging 😍my 😍inner 😍circle/special ones/loved ones—but when it comes to everyone else, I much prefer (and I say this for everyone's benefit) maintaining a level of distance that is significantly greater than the space occupied by my own intimacy.

That sounds about right coming from you.

Look, everyone’s wired differently. I don’t mind hugging people I care about or even just folks who are cool, even if they aren't my inner circle, you know? It’s not like I’m being fake. Sometimes a moment just hits, people feel like it’s time for a hug, and it just happens. Does that mean I’m taking anything away from my closest friends? Or does it somehow cheapen the deep stuff? Not even close.

It’s like the whole thing with casual hookups versus actual intimacy—some people are totally fine with both. Like I said, they don't see one as making the other any less meaningful, right? They don't think a fling somehow ruins the real deal.
But then you’ve got the people who look at it from the exact opposite perspective.

Sam Jones8 said:That sounds about right coming from you.

Look, everyone’s wired differently. I don’t mind hugging people I care about or even just folks who are cool, even if they aren't my inner circle, you know? It’s not like I’m being fake. Sometimes a moment just hits, people feel like it’s time for a hug, and it just happens. Does that mean I’m taking anything away from my closest friends? Or does it somehow cheapen the deep stuff? Not even close.

It’s like the whole thing with casual hookups versus actual intimacy—some people are totally fine with both. Like I said, they don't see one as making the other any less meaningful, right? They don't think a fling somehow ruins the real deal.
But then you’ve got the people who look at it from the exact opposite perspective.

At the exact same time? Or, you know, side-by-side?

Parallel.

E: I don't really get what you mean by "parallel" in this context—like, in terms of a lifespan? It’s definitely not happening at the exact same time.

Though, I guess there might be cases where it works.

Take those movie tropes, for example, where some guy cheats and tries to play it cool by saying, "She meant nothing to me." 😁
But then, if his girl actually walks away, he ends up totally devastated. I don't know...

Reading through this, I find myself losing count of all these little greetings and hugs. 🤔 If they even count as such, they feel somewhat performative to me; honestly, if I were receiving fifty of them a day, I suspect they would eventually become more of an annoyance than a benefit to my quality of life.

A "real" hug is something entirely different—it’s that moment where you simply let go and surrender, losing yourself in the connection. It’s a lingering embrace where you feel secure enough to close your eyes, a silent reassurance that says, "lean on me, let me carry some of your weight, I’ve got you." 🕺
Having even one of those a day would be an absolute luxury.

Fortunately for me, there are also those lighter, childlike embraces, though I don't think anyone truly hugs with the same purity as a child. Those moments are usually easy and carefree—sometimes offered for comfort, but often just because love is present. Children seem to understand instinctively that you hug the people you care about at every opportunity, without needing a grand reason to do so.

Sam Jones8 said:Parallel.

E: I don't really get what you mean by "parallel" in this context—like, in terms of a lifespan? It’s definitely not happening at the exact same time.

Though, I guess there might be cases where it works.

Take those movie tropes, for example, where some guy cheats and tries to play it cool by saying, "She meant nothing to me." 😁
But then, if his girl actually walks away, he ends up totally devastated. I don't know...

Parallel means—well, exactly that, parallel. Not necessarily perfectly simultaneous 😬.

It's more like... you're having a meaningful relationship with Mary because you love her, but then occasionally you slip up and have something casual—you know, maybe you were drunk, it didn't mean anything, and your heart was still with Mary the whole time...

Ashley Vaughn79 said:If it matters, I really doubt anyone actually gets four hugs every day. 😁

I'm not saying it's impossible... I just think people who actually have the chance to hug others daily often forget about it.

What is your actual relationship with this girl, and why were you trying to hug her? 😁
Maybe it sounds like a silly question, but it really isn't. 😁

Just curious, Taylor Swift. We can get into the details later... over a drink.😁

Nicholas King said:Parallel means—well, exactly that, parallel. Not necessarily perfectly simultaneous 😬.

It's more like... you're having a meaningful relationship with Mary because you love her, but then occasionally you slip up and have something casual—you know, maybe you were drunk, it didn't mean anything, and your heart was still with Mary the whole time...

No, no, no. Look, you claimed that people who hug everyone don't actually hug anyone. Sure, you were exaggerating, but that line of yours kind of implies that if we hug people who aren't super close to us, it somehow cheapens those other 😍 hugs. Right?
So you only hug people who are incredibly close to you, your inner circle, your "people." I’m not even going to ask you—because that would be rude (and honestly not even that relevant to this debate)—if you’ve ever slept with someone who wasn't your person, because, hey, maybe you just weren't feeling it...? 😬
Let's just leave that as a rhetorical question.

Some people only hug their inner circle, some hug people they know slightly better, and some will even give a stranger a hug...
Some people can only sleep with people who are strictly their own, while for others, that isn't even a requirement... Or, they might do both (over the course of their lives, obviously without overlapping).

Anyway, what do you think about this parallel way of doing things? And I'm not just talking about cheating (that would be too easy), but say, something consensual. A couple that's been monogamous for a long time decides they can sleep around, as long as they come home to each other at the end of the day... They feel like they still love each other, maybe even more, because their bond and partnership are actually stronger since they grant each other that freedom.
Supposedly, marriages like Belluca and Cassel, or Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith...

This isn't really what we should be discussing here—honestly, I feel like I’ve seen this exact debate pop up a million times in other threads already. Besides, I’ve probably lost count of how many times lately I’ve found myself quoting Robert Frost regarding the whole matter (basically, if someone wants to show affection, let them—but if they don't, they certainly shouldn't force it on anyone else). Personally, I just can't get behind that kind of behavior.

BTW, I truly don't have an issue with certain people doing whatever they want, however they choose to live their lives. As long as we maintain enough distance from one another, everything is fine—good for them, and good for me.