Animal boundaries

Across the animal kingdom, boundaries are tied to social order. The lower a baboon is in its group’s hierarchy, the more often its boundaries will be crossed.

Same thing for us humans. That new person at work may not be aware they’ve crossed a boundary until everyone stares at them as if to say, “It’s not your place to say or do what you did.”

When someone crosses a boundary, we get a physical response. Our heart rate goes up. Our palms may sweat.

Lower-ranking baboons have more illness, reduced reproductive success, and a shorter life span.

Same thing for us humans. What happens when you don’t protect yourself from being taken advantage of? We absorb a lot of stress by not setting boundaries.

If you step into a hummingbird’s feeding area, you’ll get buzzed. The bird is lowering its stress by communicating its boundaries up front.

If you don’t leave the feeding area, it will get more aggressive. The bird is incrementally escalating warnings.

Stick around, and you’ll get attacked. The bird is now engaging in punishment. It’s on you now, as you didn’t heed its warnings.

One thing’s for sure, animals are consistent.

Psychologist Jennifer Verdolin says that animals don’t pretend to not have boundaries then retaliate when their boundary is unwittingly crossed. She says that’s madness.