Australia. You're standing in it!

This Part 1 of a multi–part article.

Some Facts About Australia

The Happy Country           

“How could anyone be depressed when they have Sydney harbour to play on?”

This was said by a director of a major bank, gazing out from his 41^st floor view of the harbour on a glistening January morning.

This same director refused to believe that Australia has one of the highest per capita consumption rates of anti-depressants in the world.

He also refused to accept that we have the largest attempted suicide rates amongst teenagers.

He lived in Wahroonga and drove his 600 SEL Mercedes to his kids’ private school and to the yacht club and golf.

He would not believe that 20% of our under-18’s have a serious depressive episode requiring treatment.

Nor that the suicide rate for young Australian males has doubled in the last 15 years.

We see boys who are feeling the pressure of life, to perform in a job, career, relationships, at school, with money, amongst their peers, at their wits end.

Last year approx nearly 2,000 Australians committed suicide, and whilst this figure has fallen since the late 90’s, over three quarters were males, and suicide is the largest killer of young males aged between 20-34 years – higher than car accidents.

The Lucky Country

"We set ourselves this first goal: by 1990 no Australian child will be living in poverty," Bob Hawke, 1987

4.5 million Australians (22% of the pop.) live under the Henderson poverty line.

Nearly half the population has poor or very poor literacy skills… they experience difficulty reading labels and normal signage.

As for Children…

… a child born in 2010 will live 3 years longer on average than one born 2000

…a child born in 2010 will be considerably more well-educated and qualified than one born in 2000

…a child born in 2010 will be 4 IQ points ahead of a child born in 2000.

…this year there will be about 250,00 reports of child abuse compared with 73,000 in 2000. That’s a 342% increase in child abuse in ten years.

Why Are Adolescents So Difficult?

Surveys today reveal that adults generally find adolescents perplexing, hard to deal with and lacking in respect for adult and parental values.

“The young always have the same problem - how to rebel and conform at the same time.  They have now solved this by defying their parents and copying one another.”  ~Quentin Crisp, 1962

Over 70% of adolescents prefer to spend time with friends over parents and family – in fact, family comes in at #4 behind: friends at #1, flirting at #2 and music at #3.

“It's difficult to decide whether growing pains are something teenagers have - or are.”  ~Author Unknown

But has much changed? Adults seem to have always had problems with adolescents.

“The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.”

Guess who wrote this? Socrates, around 419 BC.

“Adolescence is perhaps nature's way of preparing parents to welcome the empty nest.”  ~Karen Savage and Patricia Adams

There is a very good reason that adolescents are “difficult” – they are trying to find out who they are and where their future will be.

“Mother Nature is providential.  She gives us twelve years to develop a love for our children before turning them into teenagers.”  ~William Galvin

There are dramatic changes to their body, their thought patterns, their brain development and then questions about sexuality, purpose and their ability to understand what is happening to them.

In adolescence such problems as schizophrenia, eating disorders and depression arise.

The emotional insecurity among some adolescents may also tend to cause instances of crime among youth. It is often seen that searching for a distinctive identity is one of the problems that adolescents face.


During adolescence many experiment with alcohol and even drugs.

It is also common for individuals to express their desire to be more like their role models such as athletes, rock or pop stars, and film and television performers.1

“Few things are more satisfying than seeing your children have teenagers of their own.”  ~Doug Larson


Relationships with friends are vital.

Relationship with peers plays an important role in analyzing adolescent psychology. It is seen that 90% of adolescents associate themselves with a peer group. 

Adolescents receiving support from their peers are less probable to fall into depression or face anxiety.

It is also seen that depressed individuals find it difficult to make friends. 

The nature of an adolescent’s behavior is greatly influenced by his friends and companions. 

Adolescent psychology has gained prime importance in the recent past due to increased cases being reported about adolescent depression and anxiety.1

“When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.  But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.”  ~Mark Twain


1 Peter Emerson

Miracles

Topics: Style Shifting; Fashion Amongst Teenagers; Miracles

Miracles occur everywhere in everyday lives.

Ask any oncologist, and they will tell you they have often seen spontaneous remissions in cancer patients. Are these miracles? If so, to what can they be attributed? Why does spontaneous remission occur amongst atheists and believers at the same rate?

Why were those three people who were recipients of a Mary MacKillop miracle chosen? What happened with all the other people who prayed to Mary MacKillop, but who died anyway?

Visit Northmead Children’s Hospital and ask why are four year old children dying from incurable cancer, no matter how much their families pray for them? Why isn't everyone who prays to Mary saved?

Asking devout Catholics elicits a response of horror that there can be any doubt cast upon the issue of miracles, especially any questioning of Saint Mary’s miracles.

Teenage Fashion

If you have ever travelled to large cities around the world, you might have noticed that fashion amongst teenagers is ubiquitous.

In Sydney teenagers seem to wear much the same style of clothing as is worn in Penrith, Wollongong and Newcastle.

Broaden that to Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth and you’ll see the same teenage fashion.

Now, go to summer in Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Rome and even Moscow, and you will see Sydney fashions – almost identical.

There was a time, not so long ago, when parents from Australia would buy up pairs and pairs of Nikes and Adidas shoes when they visited America because we couldn’t get those styles in this country and because they were cheap.. Parents used take traces of their children’s’ feet to select the right hi-tops with a special basketballer’s name branded on them.

Now you can see Quiksilver and Billabong branded fashion all through the big cities of the world. And teenagers are wearing them all through summer.

What does this mean? Probably that teenage fashion in big cities has become so similar because of global expansion of brands, but more significantly, because teenagers seem to desire separation from other generations, but want a visible mark that says hey, I’m a teenager. It’s a declaration of being a part of a global culture – the teenager.

Style Shifting

Think of a waiter who adjusts his or her manner when they are serving you.

The good ones can recognise when it’s important to chat or remain discrete and quiet. They can also tell by the mood of the customer what style they should adopt.

The same sociolinguistics apply to all dealings we have with people. We adjust our speaking voice to fit with the type of person with whom we are dealing, and to test this, would you speak with your boss or client in the same voice you would with your friends in a relaxed environment?

Of course, style shifting does not only apply to voice. It also applies to fashion, style and manner – you dress for each occasion.

Really only people with Autism, psychotics or Asperger’s do not make such style shifts. Psychopaths, on the other hand, often have an acute awareness of the need for style shifting. After all, it is manipulative and self-serving, but it is what most of us do everyday of our lives.

Manipulation is the most significant characteristic of the majority of our dealings with other humans, and we voluntarily adjust that type of manipulation to suit every different scenario.

This should indicate that the word manipulation is not bad, simply the way in which we deal with everyday living. So describing someone as manipulative is unnecessary, because the vast majority of our daily behaviour is just that.

Further Erosion of Trust

Politicians and corporate executives have done little to foster trust within the Australian public over the last two years or so.

An April 2010 Benchmark Research survey (as part of a larger international study) of 5,000 Australian respondents aged 16-70 years has revealed a dramatic fall in confidence for government and corporate leadership since 2007 - with very few exceptions.

Trust
Trust is really just confidence. The opposite is distrust, or rather suspicion.
When you trust people you have confidence in their abilities and integrity. When you distrust them you are suspicious of their integrity,, their agenda, their capabilities.


Broken Promises and Perceived Greed

Of the 5,000 Australians surveyed, using online databases, the number of respondents claiming to have lower trust in government leaders has risen from 29% in April 2007 to 42% in April 2010.

The number of respondents claiming to have lower trust in corporate leaders has also risen from 22% in April 2007 to a massive 53% in April 2010.


Of those surveyed 22% trust the media, 27% trust governments and only 12% trust large companies.


In companies, 51% of employees trust senior management; only 36% believe their leaders act with honesty and integrity, and 76% have observed illegal or unethical conduct by management.

There is a genuine disappointment that regulators have failed to "control" politicians or corporate leaders. There was a belief that governments and corporations were regulated in Australia, thus ensuring that these leaders did not make ruinous decisions.

That belief has all but vanished in 2010 - and has vanished in less than a decade.

The hangover from Britain and America resulting from the global financial crises has tarnished Australians' beliefs so much that they are now more mistrustful of leaders than they are trustful - for the first time since we have been measuring this -  which was in April 2003.

Australians under the age of 30 years are generally convinced that they can change all this, that they can bring some order to what they regard as corporate thuggery and governmental idiocy.

Older Australians are generally fed up with the lies, the cheating, the politics and the greed they witness daily in governments and corporates.

Corporate Leadership Affects Brands

There are now several examples from this research where it is clearly indicated that the style of corporate leadership has negatively affected perception of brands. For instance, the style of management of a CEO, as seen in news clips or news commentary, has seen a downrating of a major national/ international airline by consumers, because they perceived the leadership as arrogant, out-of-touch and greedy. 

Shareholders rejoiced because their dividends rose, but travelling consumers believed the airline was degraded and losing all its lustre.

A major telecommunications corporation in Australia was seen as bungling, blundering and outmoded because of the actions by many of its senior executives and some of its Board members.

At least three major financial institutions were regarded as overly greedy, out-of-touch with Australian consumers, financially irresponsible and morally corrupt - all because their senior executives were seen as highly overpaid but inept managers.

The list goes on. Our surveys reveal that more and more Australians are coming to doubt the values of corporate leaders, and this  doubt bleeds into their brands.

Treading A Wary Path

The recent polls showing a sudden fall in confidence and voting intention for the relatively new Federal labor Government and its leadership reveal just how quixotic and volatile Australians' attitudes are today.

It appears from all the research data we have amassed, that Australians are wary of corporations, governments and  supposed leaders - public and private.

There appear to be very few leaders who have covered themselves in glory. Levels of cynicism about leadership were at an all time high in April this year. 
Comments such as: "You can't trust any of them" or "They're all crooks" or "They haven't given us any reason to believe what they tell us" are repeated frequently in surveys and focus groups when we ask about government or corporate leaders.

So much has happened over the last few years to erode trust - collapsing of major companies; senior executives being paid large sums for apparent failure; bail-outs by governments; losses of personal wealth or value amongst investors; the failure of economists to predict looming financial disasters, and so on - all leading to what people regard as "The little man being hit hard while the big guys get away with blue murder, money and power".

In the Daily Telegraph this week, there was an article about the richest people in Australia. Directly beneath this article is an advertisement for meals for a whole family at under $10 cost. The irony was not lost a group of stay-at-home mums I was interviewing that day.

Their thoughts on the juxtaposition: "The rich just keep on getting richer at our expense" and "..we're struggling to feed our family for ten bucks a meal, and they make billions a year... where's the justice in that?"

The Need for Leadership Is Paramount

In the main, politicians and corporate bosses "...just can't be trusted anymore...".

They are frequently perceived as liars and cheats. Where, once upon a time, Australians had faith that all sorts of institutions were under strict controls, today they see them often as loose cannons; as being run by people who have no greater idea about what to do than does the man-on-the-street.


The need to find leaders is critical to most Australians. Leaders who really know where to go and what to do to get there. Leaders who have the intelligence to plan for success and to prepare for pitfalls and failures along the way. Leaders who can cogently argue their way along a path to what is good and right, without crushing the little men along the way.


Our research shows that Australians are desperate for leaders in politics, government and business.


Sadly, the media is filled with negative stories about the failures of governments and corporations, and with very little good news about leadership.


In following reports I will discuss ways that have been successfully deployed to regain trust.

The Millenials

In this report, we take a look at the group now becoming known as ‘The Millennials’ – the young people who will change our society over the next two decades.

Gone will be the downbeat, depressed, drug-taking, binge-drinking Gen Y views – replaced with upbeat and community-minded optimists.

The rates of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis consumption and binge-drinking have consistently fallen amongst 12 – 17 year olds since 1979.  After hitting record highs in the mid-nineties the rate of serious crime committed by 12 – 17 year olds has dropped to an all time low.  Similarly, rates of pregnancy, abortion and childbirth which sky-rocketed in the early nineties have fallen dramatically to all-time lows.

Even more surprising, support for ‘Zero Tolerance’ or ‘ZT’, which arose in the late eighties in response to rapidly rising rates of drug and alcohol abuse and the out-of-control pop culture, has itself risen. Now approximately 7/10 school children support ZT.

The Gen X slogan was ‘Just Do It’; the Gen Y slogan was ‘Just Done It’.  The Millennial's slogan is ‘Won’t Do It’.  Remember Alex (Michael J Fox) in Family Ties, the archly conservative Republican son of left-wing Democrat parents?  He is here amongst us in huge numbers.  He is the new generation – the Millennials.

Rejection of Previous Morals and Behaviour

“I can’t excuse what the baby boomers did with sex and drugs when they were kids.” Michael 17

“I am not old enough to vote yet, but I am writing this on behalf of my generation of future voters…we are becoming selfish and displaying so much dishonesty.  When kids see the highest authority in the country lying about detention centers and many other things, who can you trust?  And, if we cannot trust the government our parents voted in, can we really trust our parents?” Chris, 15

A Recent Survey of 1,100 teenagers revealed:

Wait Until Married To have Sex?

Very Important: 53%

Somewhat Important: 23%

Not Important: 22%

Today’s teens are confident, even cocky, about how they can improve things when their turn comes.  Surveys within schools show that with a two-to-one majority they expect that the government will run better when they are in control.  They think the economy will be better by a three-to-one majority.

Millennials believe in positive change, but that’s less the belief that things are getting better than the belief that things can get better.  They seek some new forms of order and stability – not a return to the 1950’s, but forging a new national consensus.

There has been a significant shift in game enemies; from facing down demons who attack for no reason other than they’re evil, to fighting terrorists and other modern foes for a cause, and a good one, human freedom, liberty and so on.  Strategy games used to be about conquering the world, tearing down a society.  Now there’s been a shift games in which the goal is to build a civilization and to defend it against barbarian hordes and the forces of chaos.

Like the Power Rangers they idolized as children, Millennials believe they can magically transform themselves into a massive force against evil by simply working together.

Millennials are developing an amazing optimism and conviction that the future will indeed be better for all.

“We are not going to let the world down.” Charlie, 16

“We can reach our destiny.  We will feast in harmony as one.” “N Sync.

In 1980 the rate of overdose with illicit drugs was less than 1 per 100,000 teens and adults alike.  In 1996 it was still at 1 in 100,000 for teens but had jumped to 12 in 100,000 amongst adults.  What does this tell us?  That Gen Xers and Yers went through a grungy phase.  Millennials are more ‘preppy’ to coin an American phrase.  They don’t feel the pessimism of the past generations.   They look at what their parents did and think it wasn’t so great.  They now work harder at school than any previous generation has; they socialize less often than the three previous generations; they consume significantly less alcohol, tobacco and cannabis as well.  What is likely to affect our society is that they have much stronger beliefs in marriage than the last two generations.

Even movies and TV shows are starting to reflect this growing shift in morals.  “In fact, for all the naughty talk and edgy sound tracks, most teen movies offer up archetypes that seem closer to the 50’s and 00’s.  There is nothing more than playful subversiveness in most teen movies today.” MacLean’s

The thesis is that the Millennials will bring dramatic changes to the social, moral, ethical and cultural landscape of Australia.

“You and I are capable of infinite futures.” Di. 13

In this report, we take a look at the group now becoming known as ‘The Millennials’ – the young people who will change our society over the next decade.

Gone will be the downbeat, depressed, drug-taking, binge-drinking Gen Y views – replaced with upbeat and community-minded optimists.

The rates of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis consumption and binge-drinking have consistently fallen amongst 12 – 17 year olds since 1979.  After hitting record highs in the mid-nineties the rate of serious crime committed by 12 – 17 year olds has dropped to an all time low.  Similarly, rates of pregnancy, abortion and childbirth which sky-rocketed in the early nineties have fallen dramatically to all-time lows.

Even more surprising, support for ‘Zero Tolerance’ or ‘ZT’, which arose in the late eighties in response to rapidly rising rates of drug and alcohol abuse and the out-of-control pop culture, has itself risen. Now approximately 7/10 school children support ZT.

The Gen X slogan was ‘Just Do It’; the Gen Y slogan was ‘Just Done It’.  The Millennial's slogan is ‘Won’t Do It’.  Remember Alex (Michael J Fox) in Family Ties, the archly conservative Republican son of left-wing Democrat parents?  He is here amongst us in huge numbers.  He is the new generation – the Millennials.

Rejection of Pervious Morals and Behaviour

“I can’t excuse what the baby boomers did with sex and drugs when they were kids.” 

Michael 17

“I am not old enough to vote yet, but I am writing this on behalf of my generation of future voters…we are becoming selfish and displaying so much dishonesty.  When kids see the highest authority in the country lying about detention centers and many other things, who can you trust?  And, if we cannot trust the government our parents voted in, can we really trust our parents?” Chris, 15

Survey Question: Wait Until Married To have Sex?

Very Important: 53%

Somewhat Important: 23%

Not Important: 22%

Today’s teens are confident, even cocky, about how they can improve things when their turn comes.  Surveys within schools show that with a two-to-one majority they expect that the government will run better when they are in control.  They think the economy will be better by a three-to-one majority.

Millennials believe in positive change, but that’s less the belief that things are getting better than the belief that things can get better.  They seek some new form of order and stability – not a return to the 1950’s, but forging a new national consensus.

There has been a significant shift in game enemies; from facing down demons who attack for no reason other than they’re evil, to fighting terrorists and other modern foes for a cause, and a good one, human freedom, liberty and so on.  Strategy games used to be about conquering the world, tearing down a society.  Now there’s been a shift to games in which the goal is to build a civilization and to defend it against barbarian hordes and the forces of chaos.

Like the Power Rangers they idolized as children, Millennials believe they can magically transform themselves into a massive force against evil by simply working together.

Millennials are developing an amazing optimism and conviction that the future will indeed be better for all.

“We are not going to let the world down.” Charlie, 16

“We can reach our destiny.  We will feast in harmony as one.” 'N Sync.

In the 1980 the rate of overdose with illicit drugs was less than 1 per 100,000 teens and adults alike.  In 1996 it was still at 1 in 100,000 for teens but had jumped to 12 in 100,000 amongst adults.  What does this tell us?  That Gen Xers and Yers went through a grungy phase.  

Millennials are more ‘preppy’ to coin an American phrase.  They don’t feel the pessimism of the past generations.   They look at what their parents did and think it wasn’t so great.  They now work harder at school than any previous generation has; they socialize less often than the three previous generations; they consume significantly less alcohol, tobacco and cannabis as well.  What is likely to affect our society is that they have much stronger beliefs in marriage than the last two generations.

Even movies and TV shows are starting to reflect this growing shift in morals.  “In fact, for all the naughty talk and edgy sound tracks, most teen movies offer up archetypes that seem closer to the 50’s and 00’s.  There is nothing more than playful subversiveness in most teen movies today.” MacLean’s

The thesis is that the Millennials will bring dramatic changes to the social, moral, ethical and cultural landscape of Australia.

The one major concern of Millenials is the environment. They are concerned about global warming, man's contribution to this, and the possibility that they will have to make the changes that previous generations have failed to do (in their eyes).

“You and I are capable of infinite futures.” Di. 13

Being ‘young’ today in Australia brings with it a great deal of pressure to perform, conform, be different, rage-against-the-machine, socialise and be successful - all at considerable cost both physically and emotionally.

Last month we conducted a survey of 1,200 respondents aged between 25 and 60 years of age. Asked whether they thought young people today were better off, worse off or about the same as they were when they were growing up, only 11% said better off; 61% said worse off; 12% said the same; 16% didn’t know.

This is quite surprising in view of the relative affluence in which these young people are now growing up. When we looked at this 61% saying ‘worse off’ qualitatively we found that what most of these respondents were referring to was not financially related - they were referring to social, political and emotional factors. In fact, it was to the social and political issues that they were mostly referring.

The sorts of issues that even some as young as 25 years believed are being faced by young people were the expectations of Australian society to perform - in career; in relationships; in community; in a society that these older people saw as increasingly hostile to the young. Why? For one reason, they saw that today’s pace of living is far greater than when they were growing up. They saw that Australia (like the rest of the world) is infected with a type of ‘hurry’ sickness. We now spend our lives rushing from task to task; meeting to meeting; appointment to appointment. 

So, it seems, the answer by 61% that young people growing up today have it worse off than  in earlier times could be a reflection of just how anxious and rushed the respondents saw their own lives. When we ask people in our focus groups to tell us (apart from money) what do they want more of in their lives, the response is ‘time’ in over 90% of cases.

Did you know that the elevator button needing replacement most often is the ‘Door Close’? We are so impatient that new elevators can come fitted with a ‘psychological waiting time’ application whereby when you press the call button a program determines the closest car to you and then lights up the appropriate signal to let you know which one will be there.

Young people suffer performance anxiety at a rate far greater than ever before.

Although it can be argued that we Australians have always placed great importance upon career; relationships; education; health and so on, why now do so many people think it’s tougher these days? 


Answer: lack of time. Instead of helping better manage time, technology has caused the need to multi-task; forced the need for instant responses to SMS and emails; taken us to a point of never-ending, seamless communication.

This accelerated pace is clearly visible in the big cities - young people are literally rushing off their feet to get things done - work, study, friendships, sex, drugs, parties, drinking and so on it goes. 


They feel the need to ‘perform’ at all these things far more acutely than ever before because there is so much more to do and get done. They rarely get time or take time to stop and smell the roses. This could be partly the reason that one in five suffer an emotional disorder requiring treatment before the age of 20 years of age. It could also account for the dramatic increase in the use of anti-depressants amongst the young over the past five years. It could account for the rise and rise of binge drinking and illicit drug use amongst teenagers (one in every three teens has ‘tried’ a form of illicit drug; many as young as 12 years old) - surely a sign that they are having difficulty coping.

It’s hard to imagine that the pace of life is  going to slow, so we need to be teaching our kids ways of coping without necessarily resorting to drugs or alcohol.


Parents are vital to this issue - really they are the determining factor in the ways in which their children will cope.

‘I’m going to kill myself. I should go to Paris and jump off the Eiffel Tower. You know, if I get the Concorde I could be dead three hours earlier. Wait a minute, with the time change I could be alive for six hours in New York but dead for three hours in Paris. I could get things done and also be dead.’ Woody Allen.

Proxemics

An anthropologist researcher named E. T. Hall developed a theory about the ways we utilise space between people to communicate non-verbally. Its name is proxemics. He developed this theory in 1963, and it is as useful today as it was then.

What is “Proxemics”? 

It is the study of space between humans and how we use this space to say certain things to others.

Proxemics is used today to assist in the design of retail outlets, restaurants, offices and even public seating areas.

Given that almost 90% of all human communication is non-verbal, being attuned to proxemics allows us to learn a great deal about our relationships with others without saying a single word.

How does proxemics help us? 

Proxemics allows us to determine spatial layouts or designs for all types of areas.

Proxemics also needs to adjust with cultural differences.

Anyone designing a public area, seating area, meeting area, retail zone or eating zone must be aware of proxemics - poor design will lead to poor spatial usage and lack of business. 

1. The Intimate Space 

Consider this, in western civilisation  a “comfortable” distance between people in an intimate or private situation is generally 15-45 centimetres - a “zone” for whispering, embracing or whatever else people do when they are so close. 

2. The Personal Space 

This zone is the comfortable distance when have a conversation with friends, family or close colleagues. This zone has a distance of between 45cms to 1.2 metres.

This space is also used to separate people waiting in queues at ATMs, bank tellers, or indeed anywhere that requires each of us to reasonably make personal contact with man or machine.

We have all experienced the discomfort of a person invading this space when we wait in a queue for some sort of service. 

3. Social Space  

This space is comfortable for conversations with work colleagues and acquaintances where it would be impolite to get any closer (Jerry Seinfeld’s “close talker” episode). This distance is between 1.2 metres and 3.5 metres.

This space also separates strangers, and designers will find that areas that do not allow for this distance will rarely attract users or patrons or customers. 

4. Public Space 

This is the polite and comfortable distance between say, a public speaker and an audience. This distance is 3.5 metres and beyond.

In his book Hidden Dimension, E.T. Hall illustrates that perceived spatial violations can lead to clashes between cultures - for example Western and Middle Eastern civilisations (where the distances between speakers is generally much smaller) can feel threatened when they communicate using different cultural distances.

In Saudi Arabia, for example, you might find yourself nose-to-nose with a business associate because their social space equates to our intimate space. you will probably find yourself backing away trying to regain your social space while your associate peruses you across the floor trying to maintain his. finally, you would come away from the encounter thinking he was “pushy”, and he thinking you were “stand-offish”.

If, on the other hand, you were visiting a friend in the Netherlands, you would find the roles reversed, you would be doing the chasing because their personal space equates to our social space.

Knowledge of proxemics within different cultures is vital for any space. One size does not fit all.

If you would like any more information, or wish to discuss this matter please contact me:

Mark de Teliga 0410 463 643/ markdeteliga@gmail.com

When you go into a building - it might be your home, or your office, a shop, restaurant or any other space - how does it enhance your feelings? What is is about its form or location or the objects within it that you like or dislike? What attracts you to want go back, or never go back?

Do this simple test when you are about to enter a building for the very first time:

What do I expect will be in the entrance or foyer? Will it be grand? Overwhelming? Is it attempting to make me feel small and insignificant? Will it be a reflection of a style I loathe? Or will I feel immediately comfortable and maybe even excited being there? Will it help me understand what this place is all about? Will it be a reflection of what I want from a place like this?

The big test is: would I want to live like this?

Endless research projects we have conducted into the impact upon the psyche of the built environment have shown that, over and over again, most people yearn for an upgraded version of their own living environment. They see their own as passé, they do not want a reflection of their current life, they generally want a better one.

It’s as simple as: “Oh I’d really like that in my home!”

We found that when people desired an object or finish or even a feature that they wanted in their home, this was the greatest accolade they could give.

When you look around you in a space or place do you feel as though you belong?

Do you feel happy to be there? Are you comfortable with the lighting, the furniture, the noise levels, the decor? I have spent a bit of time in the new Westpac building in Sydney - it is a masterpiece for visitors and staff. It is comfortable but at the same time rather exotic. Staff are somewhat blasé about their surroundings, but admit it’s a great place to work. However, first time visitors are amazed by the art, the number of beautiful meeting rooms, the outlook (almost every room has a view of Darling Harbour and the ANZAC Bridge). There are over 5,000 people in the building - not counting visitors - and they enjoy levels of comfort I have rarely seen before in an office building. Yet it’s not over-the-top at all.

Winston Churchill said “We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.”

The interiors and exteriors of places convey messages. We sense instantly if the vision for the place is mean or grand (not necessarily grand in size).

We sense instantly if the place is true to the vision or just to the bottom-line. 

Most of all, the design of places tells us everything about how the owners want to be perceived by the public. All my research has shown that when corners are cut the public somehow senses it and “marks down” the place.

Negative examples of the power of design

Another way of looking at the power of design is to study its negative impact upon the psyche. In his book Architecture of Authority, Richard Ross has shown a huge variety of very disturbing images described as “authority, tyranny...and morality”. They range from pictures of the segregation cells at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq; the wooden “booking bench” in an LAPD holding centre (a long trestle with 20 or so sets of handcuffs fixed to it); shower stalls at Camp X-Ray and the like. These places issue threats and hideous consequences simply through their design. They were specifically designed to terrify and intimidate.

The double meanings of design

In a recent interview, Richard Ross said “I find it deliciously obvious that an interrogation room at LAPD Parker Center where O.J. Simpson was questioned (in the infamous 1990s murder case) is about the same dimensions as the confessional at a catholic church in Santa Barbara. But then, why not? Both seek to gain a confession for some form of absolution or mitigation of sentence. Both are intimate spaces designed to gain trust and allow secrets to be revealed.”