I don't always like touching other people because I keep on thinking it might annoy them, even if it's socially acceptable at the time. I think this stems back from when I was a teenager in High School, my ''friend'' wasn't speaking to me suddenly and when I asked her what was wrong she said it was because I kept touching her on the arm. I wish she had of just said so at the time, instead of falling out over it and not talking to me. I think the unnecessary hostility from the situation had set me back, and so even to this day I avoid touching people.
I like being touched myself though. It makes me feel socially connected. Although a few weeks ago I was looking sad (because I felt sad about something), and one of my colleagues reached out her hand and touched me on the shoulder, and I jumped away. Normally I don't react like this when somebody touches me because I like being touched, being touched has never bothered me. Maybe it was because I was feeling emotional that day, and sometimes when I'm holding back tears and somebody shows affection, I burst into tears, and I don't always like crying at work if I can help it. I explained that to her afterwards, and she was just concerned that touching me might of been offensive to me. I told her it wasn't, but I did feel awkward.
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Female