It only takes Juan Mann to change the world!
In the modern world, it is not unusual for people to feel depressed or isolated. It can be hard to make meaningful connections with others. That was certainly how the mysterious Juan Mann (One man) felt until the day he decided to start giving free hugs to strangers. What started as a desperate attempt to change his own life subsequently transformed him into an international star.
On returning to Sydney, Australia, in early 2004, after travelling in Europe, Mann (who has always kept his true identity secret) had a miserable year. His parents had divorced and he found himself lonely and unemployed. It was a depressing time as many of his friends were no longer around and his family was also elsewhere. After spending months hiding away from the world, feeling sad and sorry for himself, he decided to change his life and do something completely different.
And something different is exactly what he did! Mann went to one of Sydneys main shopping districts holding a cardboard sign saying Free Hugs and waited. He expected to last an hour at the most and had even asked a friend to come along to protect him. He also very deliberately left his wallet at home.
After fifteen minutes, however, a woman approached him and said that her dog had died that morning and on top of that it was the first anniversary of her daughters death, so she could really use a hug. Mann was happy to help!
His Free Hugs campaign continued quietly for a couple of years until a songwriter he knew filmed him in action. This friend then added a song by his own band Sick Puppies and posted the video on YouTube, where it has now had over 75 million hits. Mann quickly became something of a celebrity, was interviewed by legendary American chat show host Oprah Winfrey and saw Free Hugs go global, with similar groups appearing all over the world.
Mann seemed to find the success of his project funny as he had been told at school that he lacked the social skills to work with people in need, yet had ended up as a kind of therapist for a whole city. His explanation was that many people needed someone to listen to their problems, but were too embarrassed to call a helpline or seek counselling.
To some, the growth of the Free Hugs movement is a sign that acts of kindness are becoming more socially acceptable. In an age when nobody expects to get something for nothing and where economic competition and greed have become the norm, perhaps the movement offers a different, softer approach to life. Also, shared experiences in the real world may be more important to us now that we spend so much time in virtual online worlds. However, the most incredible aspect of Juan Manns story has not been the effect it has had on those he shared hugs with or even on those inspired by his story, but actually the effect it has had on himself.
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