Emotionally distant people: their 5 typical characteristics
Personal relationships are not always easy to manage, but what is clear is that through them we are expressing and building a part of our personality and way of being. The emotionally distant people they are part of those that call the most attention when interacting with the rest, since their approach to human relationships usually stand out from the first minutes of conversation or non-verbal communication in general.
In this article we will see above what are the characteristics of emotionally distant people, what is the logic behind their behavior style, and what this means when assessing how they perceive the rest of the people around them.
- Related article: "Types of introverted people: these are their defining characteristics"
Characteristics of emotionally distant people
The first thing that must be clear to understand this personality style is that being emotionally distant does not imply hating humanity, or being unable, in any situation and context, to enjoy company or even intimacy with someone.
Practically all the features and differential characteristics that human beings present in our individuality exist not in hermetic categories and with very clear limits, but through a continuum of variations of intensity of variables present in all people. That means that all emotionally distant people have a part of social and open with others, and those who do not stand out from the rest, also they have a portion of emotional distancing .
Thus, it is not correct to take the definitions dogmatically and assume that who has become a person who excels in a certain characteristic, will live anchored to that feature for life, without being able to stop it from defining it.
That said, and assuming that each case is unique and each person has unrepeatable qualities, let's see what they are and how they are expressed.
1. They tend to distrust
The fact that emotionally distant people distrust others relatively easily does not mean that they are hostile. On the contrary, the most common is that they are correct when dealing with others, among other things because the antagonisms make contact with the rest is maintained, to the extent that they create confrontations and desire for revenge.
So, the usual thing is that emotionally distant people facilitate situations in which they do not have to depend on the goodwill of people they do not know well, usually through the adoption of passive attitudes.
2. Avoid physical contact
In comparison to the rest of the people, the emotionally distant ones avoid physical contact. This is so because touching is more than a physical act: It is an act of intimacy . And intimacy is seen as a way of exposing one's own vulnerabilities.
Therefore, and in part to not set precedent, these people make it clear that these gestures are not appreciated unless they arise from someone very special or on their own initiative, although the latter is rare.
3. They see friendship as something formal
In friendship, emotionally distant people show almost no great signs of affection, or they do so less frequently than the rest. That means that in practice, expectations are that friendship is a link in which to explain things, spend leisure time and explain opinions, but it is noted that they are prone to see out of place certain actions if these do not fit with what is typically considered friendship.
4. In love, it's hard for them to open up
Another consequence of this emotional distancing is that it is difficult for them to expose their innermost side, since this implies showing weaknesses from which someone could get to hurt them emotionally, even without realizing it, simply by knowing them.
This is one of the aspects of your personality that can cause more problems, given that love is by definition a link based on mutual trust . Fortunately, over time, they are usually able to make an exception with their partner and show themselves in a more open manner.
- Maybe you're interested: "The 4 types of love: what different kinds of love are there?"
5. They do not like to leave their social comfort zone
Emotionally distant people are not very friendly to communicate excessively with those they know little about, unless doing so has an advantage from an instrumental point of view. Therefore, they usually have a small group of friends.
Bibliographic references:
- Cloninger, S. (2004). Personality theories. Argentina: Pearson.
- Feist, J. (2007). Personality theories. Madrid: Mc Graw - Hill.
- Sollod, R. W. (2009).Introduction to the personality theories. Spain: Mc Graw - Hill.
