07/21/2026
“Human beings are spending week after week without being touched by another human being, and we have become so accustomed to this
reality that we rarely stop to consider how biologically absurd it is.”
For almost all of human history, people lived in close-knit communities. Families slept near one another, worked together, carried children, embraced in grief, celebrated together, cared for the sick, and experienced regular physical contact.
Touch wasn’t considered a therapy, it was simply part of being human.
Our nervous systems evolved in that
environment.
Healthy, consensual touch can influence stress hormones, heart rate, blood pressure, oxytocin release, and feelings of safety and connection.
Infants literally fail to thrive without sufficient nurturing touch.
Adults don’t stop needing it just because we grow up.