Personal boundaries exist for a reason.

What would you do if you politely declined a hug at a party and someone kept pushing anyway? Would you give them a hug to make them go away? Or would you stand firm regardless of how others will perceive you?

In the following story, one woman finds herself in this predicament and stands her ground. Here’s what happened.

AITA for not wanting people to hug me

So I don’t really like people touching me in general, really only my partner. I only ever feel comfortable being physical with my significant other.

Like even hugging, I don’t really hug my family much. If I do, it’s a side hug and only cause they really need it.

My inner family understands this and respects this for the most part (though my little sister likes to hang onto me sometimes as a joke, which I find funny, but she’ll let go when I tell her seriously to let me go).

The girl started asking lots of questions.

Well, recently I went to a party, and I had an encounter where someone got offended that I didn’t want to be hugged.

She kinda tried to pressure me into it, saying, “Oh come on, it’s just a hug,” and I politely said, “No, thank you, I just don’t really like the feeling of being hugged by people unless it’s my partner.”

She started asking me questions on why I felt that way, and I basically just said that I feel like hugging is a very intimate action, and I don’t really like that feeling unless it’s with my partner.

Then, she went and badmouthed her to other people.

She kinda left after that, but my friend came up to me later asking me what happened because apparently she started badmouthing me to people at the party, saying I was being a jerk and rude, and that it was weird that I think hugs are weird.

To me, this was crazy cause imo I never said that. I said they are intimate, which to me they are.

I don’t like feeling someone else’s body on mine, so when I decide to let someone do that, it’s because I love them a lot and I want to be intimate with them.

Her boyfriend reassured her that she’s not wrong.

I ended up feeling really uncomfortable after this, so I said bye to everyone 20 minutes later and left with my BF.

My BF said I wasn’t wrong at all and different people have different boundaries, and that’s okay.

But I’m worried people may think I’m weird or trying to be rude or a jerk, and that wasn’t my intention.

AITA?

Yikes! It sounds like it took a pretty bad turn at the party.

Let’s see how the folks over at Reddit feel about hugging random people.

Here’s how this person would shorten it.

This is an excellent idea for her.

This teacher believes you are in charge of your own body.

According to this comment, there’s no context needed.

This is her right! If she’s not a hugger, the other woman should respect them and move on.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.