Hand shaking is so stupid

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hand shaking spreads germs.
it's part of some primitive custom
it's a stupid way for men to judge each other "you can always tell about a man by the way he shakes hands"

one thing i like about japan is they nod or bow to each other instead of the stupid fking handshaking. tonight my grandpa introduced me to a friend of his who's visiting and he grabbed my hand and shook it for what felt like 5 mins while crushing it. my grandpa was amazed i let him do that instead of jerking my hand away, but i think it was just that i was frozen in shock. i felt violated tbh

Eddie Izzard has the most genius solution for this. As he puts it, when someone shakes your hand too hard, simply go limp, fall to the floor, and scream as you can. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh My hand! You're crushing it!" It will certainly get their attention.

We agree, hand shaking serves no purpose, and appears to have nothing but negative detriments. However, it is a custom that is still used highly in business, and so one must put up with it.

I just ignore it.

Impolite? Maybe.

I am however not at all outgoing or social, and am prone to dark moods most of the time. I'm well aware I come off as abrasive to most people, even friends.

Frankly, I'd rather project that fact in an honest way rather than interact falsely in a manner that would never naturally occur to me.

Though it's very rare that I stand close enough to anyone for this to even be an issue, and even more rare that I'm in a situation where it could possibly happen. I cant remember the last time it did. So that works out well enough.

I like hand shaking, not so much as a greeting but because it makes me feel manly, which is rare considering I'm not straight.

I only opt to shake hands with people I like, that I know to be hygienic. Of course, if I'm forced to greet someone with it, I have to accept as to not be rude.

As for the quote 'You can always tell about a man by the way he shakes hands', I actually like it. A strong firm handshake feels like confidence (probably because my grandad rubbed that in to me).

Also you made me laugh with this:

LOL

Last edited by Norny on 29 May 2014, 3:53 am, edited 1 time in total.

If this is actually true, then I would say Esra's grandpa's friend was a little bit overconfident lol.

one of those old family friends i don't know. "OH JIM'S BOY!" *grab crush throttle* "GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN! *throttle crush* YOU'VE GROWN SINCE I SAW YOU LAST! *crush throttle* HAHAHAHA!!" at least he didn't man handle me more by slapping me on the back or ruffling my hair. he's a really nice guy, but hands off if you please.

how about i walk up and kick a man in the shin to show my confidence instead?

LOL sorry can't help but laugh. So typical of grandparents HAHAHAHAAH

I never initiate hand shaking and only do it if other people put their hand out and expect me to. I'd rather not but I don't really know how to get out of it.

A firm handshake is very much an American custom.

I'm an old-fashioned guy. I believe the firmness of a handshake conveys firmness in people.

I don't like limp handshakes.

I have to get used to the "fist bumps" that people use nowadays so as not to spread disease.

Overdoing it, though, is ridiculous.

If a person doesn't want to shake hands, that's all right, too. To me, though, when a person doesn't want to shake your hand, it means he/she doesn't like you.

yeah!

i like the thumbs up. it is healthy alternative.

I don't hate handshaking, but I don't have germ phobias. I do prefer fist bumps, but I don't expect to see a lot of them as I get better-paying jobs. I see shaking hands with someone as a sign of respect, so I don't have to like it more than anything else I do to show sincere respect.

I don't really find hand shaking that bad most of the time, but it would be nice if we didn't have to do it.

The worst handshake I've ever experienced was from a funeral director my mom and I had to talk to after her aunt died. It seriously felt like he rubbed the bones in my hand together and then snapped them in half.

The limp kind of handshakes are weird too, it's like are you supposed to try to shake their hand anyway, or are you just supposed to briefly hold hands with the person? I usually just try to copy what they do.

Last edited by Quill on 29 May 2014, 10:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

I think we probably should steer clear from calling people's perfectly socially appropriate and harmless behaviour 'stupid'. Especially if we don't want to be called stupid ourselves.

Germs spread around just fine with or without shaking hands. Vilifying things we don't like or find pointless is ... well. Morally repugnant? Hypocritical? Socially dysfunctional? Disruptive? Some of those things...

I must be in the minority on here, because I have no problem with shaking hands. And over the years, I learned how to give firm handshakes that people respect. I reached a point where I'll think higher of a person giving a good, firm handshake, even when that person is a woman (who generally, although not always, give lighter handshakes). Of course, the opposite is equally bad. When someone almost crushes my hand, I can't help but think: "Overcompensating much?".

I really like the history behind shaking hands. It's believed to have originated in ancient Greece. Back then, you generally trusted no one, and most men always had a weapon ready. Since most people are right-handed, they carried it in their right hand. So when two strangers met, it was expected that they were both armed. But when you extended your bare hand to a new person, you were demonstrating that you were not holding a weapon because you trusted him. He was expected to do the same in return. 5,000 years later, people still shake hands, even though almost no one carries a gun in their hand at all times.

It's an annoying custom I put up with.

But it's not a huge health risk if you just wash your hands before touching your face. It's very hard to catch anything just by touching something; you have to touch your nose or eyes to actually get the cold or flu or whatever it is.

It's a bit silly, but it's a tradition, people do it, it's not the end of the world... so I don't mind too much.

My take on this angle....

American men (traditionally) are not socially allowed to express emotion or fondness for one another. Where in some nations hugging and kissing are acceptable expressions of mutual (non sexual) affection, it's not so in the US.

The handshake is about the most intimate physical contact a man can have with another man in public. How he commits to shaking your hand can be seen as a reflection of how he feels towards you. A "limp wrist" indicates disinterest, disdain, repulsion, etc.