Results of the Barefoot Experiment (See Previous Post for the Setting)

My experiment on the challenge of social norms went very well and I was able to gather several interesting reactions and some conclusions. Here are some of the things that I discovered as I walked around.

First, let me set the scene. I walked around campus, outside, and around all the buildings for most of the day barefoot. In addition to this, it happened to be an exceptionally cold day that day as well, making my behaviour appear that much stranger. I got a variety of reactions from people as I walked by, including some strange looks, some smiles, and even some odd comments. However as I went through my day, I did notice some interesting patterns.

1. The people that didn't now me usually gave me interesting looks or smiles, but didn't ask me what I was doing. (When asked what I was doing, I would tell them the truth)

2. The some people that knew me thought my behaviour was strange, but thought I was probably doing it for a good reason and didn't ask. (One friend gave me some really good feedback about this through facebook)

3. Only the people that knew me very well made a point to ask me what I was doing. Many of the thought that what I was doing was strange, but they always made a point to ask me what the point was.

4. Last of all, I noticed I got a lot fewer strange looks when I was walking around inside as opposed to when I was outside. It even came to the point that I even forgot sometimes that I wasn't wearing shoes and that I was just like everyone else.

This experiment was just meant to explore the realm of social norms, but as I pondered these results I thought more about how this may relate to the relationships that we have with other people. Only the people that knew me were willing to really ask what was going on rather than just giving me strange looks and alienating me from them. In the same way, it kind of emphasized to me how important it is to be in a place where people really care about you and care to ask why things might not be right and wonder how they can help you. Without that, we are left to either be surrounded by strange looks, or forget that there is a problem unless we get negative reinforcement. Do a social experiement yourself and see what comes from it!