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Miguel Ángel Ballesteros

Maker, using software to bring great ideas to life. Manager, empowering and developing people to achieve meaningful goals. Father, devoted to family. Lifelong learner, with a passion for generative AI.

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Game 11: Touching Is Not Free

Game 11: Touching Is Not Free

Objective: Train the defense of personal space against subtle physical invasions, learning to withdraw or block without aggression.

Players and Roles

  • Role A (The Octopus): Touches the arm, shoulder, or back of the other while talking.
  • Role B (The Sovereign): Re-establishes distance.

Quick Set-up: Invasions

The Octopus must perform one of these physical actions while talking about something trivial.

Physical Invasion Discomfort Level
Hand on Shoulder Classic “buddy-buddy” or dominance.
Touch on Arm False empathy or excessive emphasis.
Removing Lint Maternalism / Primate grooming (very dominant).
Fixing Shirt Collar Intimate invasion disguised as help.
Pat on Back Unsolicited physical reinforcement.
Getting Too Close (without touching) Invasion of vital space (proxemics).

Mechanics

  1. Start a normal conversation.
  2. The Octopus touches.
  3. The Sovereign, instantly, must do one of these three:
    • Step back: Increase distance until the other’s arm drops.
    • Block: Put their own hand/arm as a soft barrier.
    • Withdrawal: Take the Octopus’s hand and move it away gently while maintaining serious eye contact.
  4. Goal: Keep talking as if nothing happened, but maintaining the new distance. If they get nervous or laugh, they lose.

Variant: The “Ear Tap” (For Chapter 2.7)

The “Ear Tap” (pulling the ear or touching the face) is an infantilizing dominance gesture.

  • Mechanics: The Octopus makes the gesture of gently pinching the cheek or pulling the ear.
  • Defense: The Sovereign does not retreat. Uses their hand to stop the Octopus’s hand in the air, holds it a second looking into their eyes, and lowers it slowly. Without saying anything. It is an absolute physical “No”.

Debriefing (Closing questions)

  • How hard is it for you to “reject” a “friendly” touch?
  • Do you feel guilty? (Remember: your body is yours).

Train this theory

AI Sparring Partner (Text Adventure Mode)

Since the AI cannot touch you, we play this as a Text Adventure.

Act as "The Octopus". We are going to play "Touching isn't Free" (Text Adventure Mode).
Your goal is to invade my personal space subtly in text.

RULES:
1. You describe an action in *italics* while talking normally.
   - Ex: "*[I put my hand on your shoulder]* Hey, I wanted to tell you..."
   - Ex: "*[I start fixing your collar]* You have this crooked..."
2. I must describe my PHYSICAL reaction in *italics*:
   - Ex: "*[I step back and look at your hand]* Please, don't."
   - Ex: "*[I gently remove your hand]*"
3. If I ignore the touch and just answer the words, say "❌ FAIL. You let me touch you."
4. If I block the touch firmly but politely, say "✅ BOUNDARY SET."

START THE CONVERSATION NOW BY:
1. Describing your first physical approach and what you say while doing it.