When was the last time you hugged someone—not just a quick pat, but the kind of huge that feels like you really care about one another and are sending and receiving love? A great embrace not only makes us feel calmer and reassured, but it also has physical effects.

We can be good neighbors or we can attempt to opt out by building good fences. Our lives do take effort to maintain; we can take advantage of the magic bonds we make over the course of a lifetime produce, or we can attempt to opt out. Either way, the law of proximity on and [...]