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The 8 types of hugs and their function in our lives

The 8 types of hugs and their function in our lives

April 10, 2024

Hugs are one of the most important rituals in our day to day .

They are one of the perfect excuses to maintain a tactile contact with another person, something that helps us to reinforce the emotional bonds that unite us and that provides us with small oasis of intimacy even in the most crowded and busy spaces. Maybe it is a daily gesture that can go unnoticed, but the act of embracing consolidates the values ​​of fraternity and companionship. Anyway, Bear in mind that not all hugs mean the same thing .

The types of embrace, with their meaning

Just like what happens when we look ourselves in the eyes, hugs influence the way in which our body produces hormones, and therefore leave a mark on our way of thinking and perceiving things even if only for a few seconds. or minutes


But, as we have anticipated, not all hugs are the same nor do they have the same meaning and functionality . Below you can see a collection of the main types of hugs thanks to which it will be easier to decipher these expressions of affection or camaraderie and recognize their intention.

1. Classic hug

It is one of the most recognizable and common hugs. At, the two people surround the other with both arms holding her firmly with them and place their heads side by side . The fact that in this type of embrace the two arms are used and the other person is kept "stuck" to one's chest makes these embraces rarely last less than two seconds, which makes it a ritual full of intimacy . It is used a lot in farewells and reunions.


2. Dance hug

It is a hug used to dance slowly music that can be easily associated with romanticism and love . In it, a person causes their hands to gather behind the back of the other person's neck while their arms hang in the space between the two bodies. The other person grabs the sides of the other or joins their hands behind the back of the other.

3. Hug with eye contact

One of the easiest types of hugs and, however, less common, perhaps because of its strong charge of intimacy. In this, the two people stand facing each other and hug each other leaving some space between them at the same time they look each other in the eye. If you have ever experienced this type of hug, you will surely be aware of its strong emotional and emotional involvement.

4. Embrace of companionship

One of the most "light" types of hugs, in the sense that people who do it do not usually know too much . In it, one of the arms is used to embrace the body of the other person while with the free hand is given a gentle pat on the side. The heads do not get together.


5. Asymmetric hug

In this embrace, one of the two people is sitting on a surface, while the other is standing. It has intimate and sexual connotations and they usually practice couples for this same reason.

6. Side hug

A very simple type of hug: consists of surrounding the shoulders of the other person with a single spleen while we stand next to him and we look in the same direction. It can be used in a multitude of situations and, unlike what happens in other kinds of embrace, it allows you to perform another task at the same time.

7. Distant embrace

In this hug both people must lean forward a lot to get to hug each other , since their bodies are relatively far apart and there is a lot of space between their waists. It is a hug given by commitment, as if it were part of a protocol, and in general it tends to hint at a cold relationship between two people who embrace without much desire.

8. Violent hug

It does not receive this name because it is based on aggressiveness or the desire to hurt others, but because the situation of discomfort that is reflected in him . In this type of hug, one of the two people embraces the other, but the other does not do the same or does not involve him with the same degree of intensity. This means that either he "drops" on the other person supporting his weight against his chest or initiates some movements of the hug but does not finish them.

The violent hug is a sign that there is still a certain distrust or insecurity on the part of one of the two people.

More kinds of hugs

It is possible that there may be more kinds of hugs with different meanings. Each culture has its rules unwritten and non-verbal language can be expressed in completely different ways.

If you think there are other ways to embrace a person, we invite you to explain them to us in the comments area or on our social networks.


15 Different Types of Hugs and What They Really Mean (April 2024).


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