This week I thought I would change it up and tell you guys about something that fascinated me. So who has ever heard of elevator behavior? It is a great phenomenon we are all guilty of. If you aren't familiar with it, it is how people demonstrate this specific protocol and behavior when riding in an elevator.

Last semester, I had the privilege of taking a beginner sociology class at my university. My professor was an excellent lecturer. He brought up this point on how people will act differently in an elevator.

He also mentioned how unique it is that everyone in an elevator will either have their eyes glued to their phone or stand still until their floor reaches. This made me consider how most of us are clear on this behavior and abide by this phenomenon. Not many of us experience elevator rides where people are chatting with one another and are comfortable.

There are always the exceptions, however, most times, people comply with this normalization of staying quiet and standing still. Sometimes it is so quiet that you are stuck listening to the music and hoping the elevator doesn't break.

I did encounter one experience where this individual was singing really loudly and dancing. This made everyone in the elevator super uncomfortable. I personally didn't mind. It was a tight space and most of us don't like our personal space being invaded like that. But who am I to judge this person who was just having some fun?

The reason why I brought up this point is that it shows us how our society is. We are a bunch of individuals who are quick to judge and evaluate. We constantly distinguish individuals who demonstrate behavior that isn't considered normal in the proper location.

Next time you are in an elevator, make sure you get off your phone and try being friendly. It is completely OK to not be dead silent and awkward. It is OK to go outside the norm and not follow typical "elevator behavior."