Ming the Mechanic has an interesting post on social status, and how our perception of it affects the way we relate to other people.
Imagine that two strangers are approaching each other along an empty street. It’s straight, hundreds of yards long and with wide pavements. Both strangers are walking at an even pace, and at some point one of them will have to move aside in order to pass. You can see this decision being made 100 yards or more before it has to. In my view the two people scan each other for signs of status, and then the lower one moves aside. If they think they’re equal, both move aside. If they both think they’re dominant (or if one isn’t paying attention) they end up doing the sideways dance and muttering apologies. But this doesn’t happen if you meet a frail or half-blind person: You move aside for them. It’s only when you think the other person is challenging that the dance occurs.
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A bustling crowd is constantly and unconsciously exchanging status signals and challenges, with the more submissive person stepping aside.
Interpersonal dynamics you never think about when you live in the moment. But I wonder if it works both ways, once you realize it (that is, can you make people think you’re “higher social status”, just by walking like you are?
(Slightly related to the old graphology question of “If your handwriting shows your personality, can you change your personality by changing your handwriting?”).
Hmmm….