A very entertaining question (well done). My short answer to 'approaching strangers' is this: It is soley dependent upon what part of the world you live in. Here in the Philippines, I rarely feel threatened by friendly and warm Filipinos, while growing up in Chicago, you would always be on the defensive. Now, to expound even more... do you present yourself with confidence or do display yourself as a target at 100 meters? Personality, attitude, and instinctiveness all play an important role in how one will react in any given situation. Then again, the Golden Rule should always apply.