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You get into the elevator. One, two, maybe five other people are already inside. Without consciously realizing it, you take your seat - pretty much the same way millions of other people would. Because there are unspoken rules in the elevator. If you know them, you move with confidence. If you break them, you upset the fragile balance of elevator etiquette.
1 person: The mirror view
Alone in the elevator? Then that means: look at the door. Unless, of course, the elevator has a mirror, in which case you can look at yourself. A quick check: Hair? Face? Quite okay. Mood? Better than in front of the mirror.
2 people: Maximum distance
Two of you? You both stand facing the door - as far away from each other as possible. Communication? Rarely. The mirror becomes either an alibi for eye contact or a silent duel: who looks at whom first?
3 people: The triangular arrangement
It gets exciting when there are three or more people. This is where the classic "two in the back, one in the front" formation comes into play: two passengers in the rear corners, the third in the middle at the front - all facing the door. The arrangement is almost like a minimalist play. Everyone knows their role. No improvisation desired.
4 people: Escape into the room
Four people in the elevator? Now the available space is divided up geometrically and fairly. Aim: maximum distance from the others, with a continuous view of the door. The mirror becomes less relevant - the social space more important.
5 people: The new person in the middle
When there are five people in the elevator, positioning becomes almost political: the person who got on last stands in the middle. This means they tacitly take the seat with the highest potential for conflict - but don't let anyone suddenly stand with their back to the door. This is considered a serious breach of the rules. Why? It's quite simple:
Eye contact with fellow passengers is more unpleasant than looking at the door.
6 people: Molecular precision
Six people in an elevator? Welcome to the world of social density physics. Here we instinctively orient ourselves to the intimate distance zone - around 60 cm per person. To ensure this, a second row is often formed. The group forms like molecules - almost artfully, but without agreement.
Why all this?
Psychologist Rebekah Rousi (2013) andsocial researcher Solomon Asch (1962) have observed how deeply anchored our behavior is in such everyday situations. It is about safety, intimacy and unconscious social norms. The elevator is therefore a fascinating mirror of our social dynamics - in the truest sense of the word.
