Why do we behave in a particular manner in a lift?

If the elevator is crowded, everybody stands still, stares at the ceiling, at the floor or the button panel as if never seen before. If two strangers are together in the elevator, they stand as far as possible from each other, don’t face each other directly, don’t make eye contact and don’t make any sudden movements or noises. Much of people’s behavior in elevators is not the result of rational thinking. It’s an automatic, instinctive response to the situation. There is an artificial threat of aggression, and yet mind responds as if it is, and produces behaviors meant to protect ourselves.

Imagine two Paleolithic cavemen who follow the tracks of a large bear into the same small, dark cave. There is no bear in there, only the other hungry caveman ominously waving his club: clearly an awkward situation that requires an exit strategy. In those Paleolithic days, murder was an acceptable way to get out of socially awkward situations. In the cave, one of the cavemen whacks the other over the head with his club and the party is over. Similarly, when male chimpanzees in Uganda encounter a male from another group, they slash his throat and rip his testicles off — just in case he survives and has any future ambitions for reproduction.

Our minds have evolved from the minds of the cavemen, and their minds, in turn, evolved from the minds of their primate ancestors — apes that looked lot like chimpanzees. Some of our mental abilities like our ability for abstract reasoning, language, love or spirituality make us different. But the way primate minds respond to potentially dangerous social situations hasn’t changed in millions of years.

When two rhesus macaques are trapped together in a small cage, they try everything they can to avoid fighting. Moving with caution, acting indifferent and suppressing all the behaviors that could trigger aggression are good short-term solutions to the problem. The monkeys sit in a corner and avoid any random movements that might inadvertently cause a collision, because even a brief touch could be interpreted as the beginning of hostile action. Mutual eye contact must also be avoided because, in monkey language, staring is a threat.

The monkeys look up in the air, or at the ground, or stare at some imaginary point outside the cage. To avoid immediate aggression, and also to reduce stress, an act of communication is needed to break the ice and make it clear to the other monkey that no harm is intended or expected. Macaque monkeys bare their teeth to communicate fear and friendly similarly humans smile

 However people react very differently in a glass elevator. They tend to look out at the view rather than face the doors. They also tend to use the fact that there is a view to break the ice and act more casually. They even speak sometimes which is highly unusual in mundane elevators because people don't like the idea of being overheard by strangers. The presence of a young child in the elevator also serves as an ice breaker. Virtually everyone will smile at child who wants to push the button and who makes a comment about the sensation of movement.