While I was in college, I spent most of a summer in Nigeria in a program sponsored by Experiment in International Living. It was my first experience in a culture vastly different from my own. The summer was a rich one with many new insights. I became aware of a much broader world than my own. It was the first time that I recognized the meaning of social distance and the boundary issues that it involves. At a party with a mixture of Nigerians and American students I observed the difference between the Nigerians and the Americans and the necessary physical space that was comfortable for each. I was on a balcony overlooking the large room below. It looked almost like a dance. The Nigerians were moving closer and the Americans were backing up. I have observed this sort of thing between cultures many times since. All cultures know that there needs to be boundaries, but often those boundaries vary with the culture. Much of this is unconscious behavior. Even within a culture there are often differences about boundary issues. Boundaries involve more than just physical space. For example, our personal integrity provides a kind of boundary as does our religious commitments. “Treating others as we wish to be treated” provides another example of boundaries for our behavior. It is helpful and necessary to have good personal boundaries. They can keep us safe and healthy. We need to respect our own and others’ boundaries if we expect to live together in peace and harmony.