Sunday, October 01, 2006

Free Hugs Campaign

With life so consumed by professionalism, busy schedules, firm hand shakes and an affirming nod, I have noticed increasingly less social interaction between myself and those I encounter in my every day life.

It is easy to ignore one’s lack human contact especially in a big city that surrounds you with similar unaffectionate people.



Free Hugs is a real story of Juan Mann, whose sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives. Instead of offering money or advice, Mann targeted those in need of affection. Such unsolicited affections may be prejudged and misunderstood in a society full of paranoia and mistrust.

Many, including myself, would fall to scheptism upon the idea of welcoming the arms some a stranger on the street. Who is this guy? What does he expect in return? Who else besides some “sicko” would spend their time donating hugs to people they have never seen before and may never see again? I think that for this reason, the callous and mistrust of society, free hugs were banned.

Featuring music by the Sick Puppies (sort of ironic that the band would be called this), Mann proves that a hug can be a sign of affection, welcome, or the willingness to accept people for their similarities and differences. The campaign for Free Hugs has become popular on several user-generated sites to become the most watched videos currently on the web.

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