[humanser] Cat Stroking, Not Facebook Poking, Satisfies Needs For RealInteraction

Sun Oct 23 23:27:17 UTC 2011

I'm glad you enjoyed it.  I have two cats also.

Mary Ann Robinson
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Merry C. Schoch" <merrys at verizon.net>
To: "Human Services Mailing List" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2011 2:29 PM
Subject: Re: [humanser] Cat Stroking, Not Facebook Poking, Satisfies Needs 
For RealInteraction

> Mary Ann,
>
> I shared this article with all the cat lovers I know.  They will enjoy it 
> and I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to share it with them.  A 
> little over a year ago, we inherited three cats and love it when they come 
> and perch themselves on or near us purring their little hearts out.
>
> Thanks,
> Merry
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Susan Tabor" <souljourner at sbcglobal.net>
> To: "'Mary Ann Robinson'" <brightsmile1953 at comcast.net>; "'Human Services 
> Mailing List'" <humanser at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2011 11:24 PM
> Subject: Re: [humanser] Cat Stroking, Not Facebook Poking,Satisfies Needs 
> For RealInteraction
>
>
>> Thanks for posting his, Mary Ann! It resonates with me on a number of
>> levels! (smile!) And my cats thank you as well!
>> Warmest Regards,
>> Susan
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:humanser-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf Of Mary Ann Robinson
>> Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2011 8:09 PM
>> To: Human Services Mailing List
>> Subject: [humanser] Cat Stroking, Not Facebook Poking, Satisfies Needs 
>> For
>> RealInteraction
>>
>> Cat Stroking, Not Facebook Poking, Satisfies Needs For Real Interaction
>>  BY Martin Lindstrom
>>  Forget poking on Facebook or IM-ING people, shaking a hand or putting an
>> arm on someone else's shoulder is where social interaction really begins.
>> In Japan, this need for touch has extended to a focus on pets, including
>> cafes for petting cats.
>> Will emphasizing touch be a new trend in the U.S.?
>>  As I made my way up a narrow staircase in Tokyo, I wondered what on 
>> earth
>> I was actually doing.  A few weeks earlier, a friend of a friend had
>> mentioned cat cafes, a new phenomenon sweeping through Japan.  The cat 
>> cafe
>> at the top of the stairs promised an unforgettable lunch, while
>> simultaneously extending human life by years.  Although I'd hardly 
>> consider
>> myself a cat person, I found the temptation of longevity irresistible.
>>  Japan has long been obsessed with pets.  It was here where you could 
>> first
>> take your dog or cat for a pedicure or a spa.
>> Shortly after, gift shops for pets sprung up, followed by restaurants
>> dedicated to feeding your pet specially prepared delicacies.  The animals
>> would be seated, whilst their human caregivers would be left outside.  No
>> joke.  There are many a funeral home and cemetery for cats and dogs.  And
>> now this: cat cafes.
>>  In the finest Japanese tradition, I was asked to perform one of those
>> cleaning rituals that would put sanitary procedures at your average 
>> hospital
>> to shame.  Once cleansed, I was led to the education room, where I was
>> instructed on correct behavior.  Now enlightened, I was ushered into a 
>> large
>> room with a cafe bar in the corner, and hundreds of cats.  They were 
>> curled
>> up on the floor, reclining on armchairs and sofas and padding around the
>> room.
>>  I was not alone.  Many people were there, their focus directed 
>> exclusively
>> to one cat or another.  They held them on their laps, sat beside them,
>> stroked, patted, and murmured sweet nothings in their ears.  All the 
>> while,
>> the cats purred the deep purrs of creatures entirely satisfied with their
>> lots in life.  After a cup of coffee and brief interactions with three
>> separate cats, my time was up, and I could now say I'd had the full cat 
>> cafe
>> experience.
>>  The more affluent, time-poor, and lonely a society becomes, the greater
>> the need for pets.  Not too long ago, I was taken to a home for elderly
>> Japanese people.  At first glance, I noticed people sitting quietly 
>> stroking
>> their little dogs.  I was amused that the dogs all looked remarkably
>> similar.  My amusement turned to astonishment when the staff explained 
>> that
>> the pets were actually robots disguised as fluffy, white poodles.
>>  Japanese research has shown that the more time we spend touching pets, 
>> the
>> longer we live.  So, with the help of a government grant, many such homes 
>> in
>> Japan have invested in expensive robotic pets that breathe, snore, shrug,
>> yelp, and indeed respond to their owner with sounds of recognition when 
>> they
>> see them.
>>  Will this somewhat crazy, yet undeniably thought-provoking, trend be
>> confined to Japan? Or will it find a place in the Western world? France 
>> is a
>> possibility.  It's a nation that has always celebrated dogs.  I will 
>> never
>> forget an incident that occurred at a 2-star Michelin restaurant in 
>> Paris.
>> There, at the table beside me, was a dog sitting on a chair, facing its
>> owner.
>> It ate from a fine china plate, and drank what looked like red wine from 
>> a
>> bowl on the table.
>>  I suspect that the U.S.  might be next in line, simply because we're a
>> nation increasingly deprived of meaningful physical interaction.  "That's
>> ridiculous," you might say.  But think about it: Apart from the 
>> perfunctory
>> handshake, when was the last time you touched another person? We touch 
>> our
>> iPads and Pods, our fingers fly over our BlackBerrys and fold over our
>> mouse, but as for touching humans, well, that's another story entirely.
>> It's not our way.
>>  If you've ever visited countries like Spain, Italy, and Turkey, you'll
>> soon notice boys, men, and even the elderly, touch hands with one another 
>> as
>> they saunter along the street.  At presentations I've conducted in 
>> Thailand
>> and the Philippines, it's quite common for businessmen to drape an arm 
>> over
>> the shoulder of the man beside them.  I'm talking a normal working
>> situation, not an Asian version of a gay Mardi Gras.
>>  We, on the other hand, like to touch before we buy.  We test an 
>> avocado's
>> ripeness by giving it a gentle squeeze, and finger the texture of the 
>> fabric
>> before we try on an outfit.  But when it comes to touching one another, 
>> we
>> tend to shy away.
>>  Which brings me back to the U.S.  During the course of my workshops I 
>> have
>> a tendency to gently rest a hand on someone's shoulders when addressing 
>> them
>> directly.  They often come to me at the close of the day to express their
>> satisfaction.  They say, "I'll never forget your presentation.  It felt 
>> like
>> we established a really clear understanding of one another." I explain 
>> that
>> touch helps facilitate this, and then ask why they don't initiate similar
>> physical connections.  Their answers rarely surprise me as they talk of
>> their fear of what others may think.  They don't want to offend anyone 
>> and
>> are afraid of breaking unspoken codes of behavior.  Some go so far as to
>> express their fear of a potential lawsuit.
>>  As we well know, animals cannot sue.  You also never look stupid or
>> inappropriate petting a dog or a cat.  So, when we do, it satisfies our
>> basic need for touch.  It wakens us to life and living beings and can
>> conjure up warm memories of deep connection with our childhood pets.
>>  Here's my prediction: as our social lives migrate online, so our need 
>> for
>> touch offline will become more apparent.  We have two choices--we can 
>> either
>> normalize touching one another in the same way Italian, Brazilian, Thai, 
>> and
>> Spanish people have been doing for hundreds of years, or another 
>> commercial
>> industry will find itself in our lives.  Make no mistake, the need for 
>> touch
>> is hardwired into our being and if we don't get our share, there'll be an
>> influx of pet cafes, pet gift shops, pet outfitters, and pet podiatrists.
>> On the one hand, it's adorable, fascinating, and appealing.  On the 
>> other,
>> it's the expression of a desperate human need for touch and connection in
>> our increasingly disconnected lives.
>>  Brandwashed Martin Lindstrom is a 2009 recipient of TIME Magazine's
>> "World's 100 Most Influential People" and author of
>>  Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy
>>  (Doubleday, New York), a New York Times and Wall Street Journal
>> best--seller.  His latest book, Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use to
>> Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us to Buy was published in September. 
>> A
>> frequent advisor to heads of numerous Fortune 100 companies, Lindstrom 
>> has
>> also authored 5 best-sellers translated into 30 languages.
>>  Copyright B) 2011 Mansueto Ventures LLC.  All rights reserved.
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