Bonobos, one of our closest primate relatives, could teach some humans a thing or two about helping others before being asked. [Full Story: Here's Another Reason Bonobo 'Hippie Chimps' Are Awesome]

Feelings of rejection can be common — you may feel ostracized at work, rejected by a partner or even snubbed by friends — but a new study from England shows how a gentle touch can curb these feelings of being excluded from social interactions.

In the study, researchers examined the negative effects of feeling socially excluded, and then how a slow, affectionate touch versus a fast, neutral touch can help reduce a person's emotional pain after being rejected by his or her peers.

"As our social world is becoming increasingly visual and digital, it is easy to forget the power of touch in human relations," lead study author Mariana von Mohr, a doctoral student in psychoanalytical studies at University College London, said in a statement. "Yet we've shown for the first time that mere slow, gentle stroking by a stranger can reduce feelings of social exclusion after social rejection."