I don’t think men like hugging other skinny men very much.
A bold claim, I know, so let me explain. I’m talking to the guys here.
As a male, if and when I hug another guy, I personally don’t enjoy hugging skinny guys. In fact, the last thing I want to feel in the midst of a friendly embrace is some dude’s rib cage. Or, if you can wrap your arms around a man, and then touch your own back…now come on, this is just plain wrong. No one likes this: it’s like hugging a telephone pole (minus the splinters, of course).
I’d much rather put my arms around some big, rotund, warm bear of a guy than a spindly, bony whisp of a man. Wouldn’t you? Come on, be honest: if you really think about it (guys), when you hug other guys, you discriminate on the basis of weight. You go for the substantial ones. It’s OK, you can admit it…I know I do. Yessir, I like ‘em large.
I think this is why no one likes hugging me. People always prefer to hug my overweight friends over me; but since I perpetuate this issue via my own hugging choices, I can’t really get too upset. Plus I’m Swedish, and we prefer not to hug anyway. Nope, only the plumpest of Swedes engage in such girly displays of affection.
But, there are certain social situations where a hug is unavoidable, like when a lot of Peruvian men are around. If you really must hug a skinny man but are revolted by the very idea of it, try having him stuff pillows or blankets in his shirt. This creates an illusion of girth that may help you get through the hug. Or, if no bedding is available, try getting two skinny guys to stand right next to each other, and then hug them both at the same time. While two skinny guys does not equal one portly guy, it helps.
If the aforementioned methods are just too big of steps to start with, try hugging an obese man while maintaining eye contact with a skinny man. You will find that—if you do this enough—you may eventually be able to associate the warm fuzziness of the fat man with the skinny man.
So you see, there are options available to you when hugging a skinny man is inevitable. You don’t need to make the poor guy feel bad by declining to hug him on the basis of his scrawniness. But, if you simply cannot bring yourself to hug your skeletal friends, try to make up an excuse, like you have to pee, or there’s a good buffet you have to get to. At least try not to make him think you won’t hug him because he doesn’t even weigh triple digits.
But most importantly, don’t beat yourself up because you’d rather hug a fat guy…millions of men every day suffer from this same complex—you’re not alone!
