I have this compulsion to SAY HELLO TO EVERYONE I PASS

in the office or on the street. This strikes me (and everyone else) as a little much, but I can’t seem to stop. How weird is this?

Maybe you come f rom a friendly place. Psychologist Ruan lived for a while in a city where people were very friendly and chatty, even from the next stall in the public toilet. “One woman started talking to me,” says Ruan, “and I was like, ‘We’re supposed to pretend we can’t see each other’s feet! You’re ruining the social norms here!’ But that’s the way they were – super friendly.”

If your goal is to tone down your greeting, try simply acknowledging others with a friendly smile as you pass each other. On the other hand, “not everything has to be analysed,” says Dr Aaron Pinkhasov, a specialist in behavioural health. The problem really is not how you greet passers-by; it’s whether you’re becoming so self-conscious about it that you are starting to avoid encounters entirely, by taking circuitous routes or staying at your desk, for example.

If that’s happening, remember that being friendly is no crime. N or N Rating: 1 All you need is a good greeting strategy.