Across the board: will fines protect you from tram boors
Violating personal boundaries annoyed Russians the most last year, according to artificial intelligence chats. Boorish behavior on public transport is so harmful to others that some unpleasant habits are punished with rubles. However, even despite such restrictions, rude people do not consider it necessary to limit themselves. Who tends to defiantly annoy others, why sitting cross—legged is harmful to health and how to learn not to react to bad behavior - in the material of Izvestia.
Not alpha males, but egoists.
Minor manifestations of selfishness that spoil other people's lives are being fought at the legislative level. So, the fine for watching video content without headphones has been increased from 100 to 1000 rubles. A passenger will pay the same amount if he puts a bag on the next seat, preventing other passengers from sitting down.
There are always people who put their personal habits and interests above the comfort and tranquility of others, says psychiatrist and sexologist Alexei Vilkov.
— This is due to character traits and personality traits, — explains the expert. — A person exhibits so—called character accentuations (the most striking features) - excessive selfishness, egocentrism, disrespect for the personal boundaries of others. Such people believe that they can do anything, and their understanding of ethics and morality has been erased. They tend to take risks, break the rules, thinking that they will be lucky.
The psychiatrist emphasizes that violators of foreign borders cannot be intimidated by possible punishments and sanctions if the restrictions are not so serious. They will not ignore the rules only if they understand that the punishment is significant, such as a large fine. But this is not typical for everyone.
— High fines will really deter some violators from violating law and order, because they understand that if they get caught, it will affect their wallet. But this is only part of it: it is impossible to keep others from such behavior. A personality trait such as disrespect for the personal boundaries of others has an effect, the psychiatrist warns.
For example, passengers who don't think about others do what they feel comfortable doing: listening to music and audio messages as if they were at home. Egoists don't make the difference between a seat in a subway car and a sofa.
— They do what is convenient for them, not realizing that it causes inconvenience to others. But fair comments about yourself are usually perceived as violating your own boundaries. They are usually very sensitive to this, which leads to irritation and aggressive reactions on their part," says Vilkov.
What is manspreading?
Internet users welcome the new punitive measures, but believe that two more should be added to the list of violations. So, people are annoyed by the habit of crossing their legs on the subway, blocking the passage. Passengers are also outraged by the fact that men sit on public transport with their legs wide apart. In international practice, this feature of behavior is called manspreading (from the English manspreading — "male distribution"). In Spain, special signs are used in public transport with a warning that a fine is possible for such a pose. In the USA, manspreading is an administrative offense. Advocates of those who like to sit in a relaxed position call such men alpha males or refer to the fact that the representatives of the stronger sex are too narrow in standard seats.
However, the habit of sitting with legs wide apart is not directly related to any kind of sexualization or demonstration of oneself, Alexey Vilkov believes. The psychiatrist calls this position a manifestation of egocentrism, nothing more.
— It's just a matter of habit — their usual relaxed state. This is how they behave both at home and in a public place. It doesn't matter to look for any hidden meanings. Egoists take up more space due to an inflated ego and a lack of understanding that other people also have their own interests, their own personal boundaries," explained Alexey Vilkov.
Why is it harmful to sit cross-legged
Alexander Efremov, a chiropractor at the Scandinavian Health Center, believes that from a medical point of view, there is no need to spread your legs wide in public transport. A normal fit usually fits within the boundaries of the seat, he emphasizes. But there is a nuance that makes it really unpleasant for some men to "sit tight".
— When a person tries to keep his knees close, the hips move into a position where, in medical terms, they need to be brought (when the hip goes to the center) and internal rotation (the hip turns inward), — says Yefremov. — On average, men have less hip joint mobility than women, especially when they need to turn their hips inward. Therefore, in the "knees together" position, some of them get a feeling of tightness in the groin or tension in the pelvis faster.
However, according to the chiropractor, saying "it's uncomfortable for me to sit, it's very narrow" is not the same as saying "I have to take the next seat." You can almost always sit comfortably, keep your knees a little wider, but stay within your seat, the expert believes.
There are also critical cases that are not related to poor parenting. Sometimes men sit, violating someone else's space, because of pain and real restrictions on movement.
— The first common option is hip arthrosis, — explains Alexander Efremov. — In this case, internal rotation is one of the first to be limited, and attempts to "assemble" the legs can cause pain in the groin or a feeling that the joint is "biting". In such a situation, a person instinctively opens his legs, because this way there is less pain.
The pose is also affected by various problems inside the hip joint and piriformis syndrome, when the deep muscle in the buttock irritates the sciatic nerve. Here, a person, overcoming pain, is constantly looking for a position where there is less pressure and pulling.
— But even with such problems, it is often possible to sit not perfectly "narrow", but still try not to go beyond the boundaries of your seat, — the chiropractor emphasizes. — The complete inability to control the pose is usually noticeable: a person constantly changes position, takes care of one side, it is obvious that it is physically difficult for him.
Because of someone else's relaxed posture, people who are nearby are forced to stand, shifting their weight on one leg, sitting, turning their body, twisting their lower back, or lifting one shoulder. In this case, the muscles and ligaments work in constant tension mode, the chiropractor warns. Such static distortions lead to fatigue faster and can provoke pain in the lower back, pelvis or neck.
It's not just those who violate the unspoken norms of behavior who suffer. Denis Prokofiev, a general practitioner with the status of "Moscow Doctor," warns that it is unsafe to sit cross—legged - problems may arise related to the femoral nerve. This bundle of nerve fibers runs down the thigh from the lumbar plexus to the foot. It is used for innervation, which is the transmission of signals to the central nervous system. With unwanted compression, the case may result in inflammation or pinching of the femoral nerve.
— Therefore, it is definitely not worth staying in this position for a long time. Otherwise, an appointment with a neurologist is guaranteed. If the femoral nerve, which runs along the left and right legs, becomes inflamed, then an unpleasant diagnosis with severe pain syndrome is inevitable: sciatica, neuritis and directly femoral neuropathy, warns Dr. Prokofiev.
How to stop being annoyed by boors
Failure to follow the general rules of politeness on the part of some people leads to an emotional explosion of those whose interests are hurt by a selfish person. The reaction to the violation of personal boundaries and public order is primarily related to the mental state of a citizen, the psychiatrist believes. A tired, emotionally exhausted person, subject to prolonged stress, reacts acutely to the situation. He can make a loud remark, snap and get into an argument. Calm, restrained, stress-resistant people perceive violations more or less calmly or even do not notice them at all. "A lot depends on the state of the nervous system, the stability of the psyche, the mood of a person and his inner worldview," comments Vilkov.
From the point of view of psychiatry, an emotionally unstable person sometimes reacts sharply to such things that he can do himself when he feels good.
"It is important to increase overall stress tolerance through self—regulation techniques, training, and meditation practices," the psychiatrist suggests. — Take care of your mental ecology in order to perceive such stresses more calmly, unperturbed, and then unpleasant situations will be less painful to endure.
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