Why is a charged body not affected by its own charge?

Suppose that you rubbed a balloon with a sample of animal fur such as a wool sweater or even your own hair. The balloon would likely become charged and its charge would exert a strange influence upon other objects in its vicinity. If some small bits of paper were placed upon a table and the balloon were brought near and held above the paper bits, then the presence of the charged balloon might create a sufficient attraction for the paper bits to raise them off the table. This influence - known as an electric force - occurs even when the charged balloon is held some distance away from the paper bits. The electric force is a non-contact force. Any charged object can exert this force upon other objects - both charged and uncharged objects.