I've never been a big fan of it to begin with so fine with me.
What say you?
What say you?
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Should society get rid of the handshake?
- Thread starter manmythlegend
- Start date
epcotisbest
Well-Known Member
Yes, it is a long outdated, silly tradition.
InnKpr
Well-Known Member
Absolutely get rid of it.
You can still display mutual respect and appreciation for one another without this method.
Let a smile, friendly wave, or most importantly, your words demonstrate professionalism and decency toward others... not this dated tradition of rubbing flesh with strangers.
You can still display mutual respect and appreciation for one another without this method.
Let a smile, friendly wave, or most importantly, your words demonstrate professionalism and decency toward others... not this dated tradition of rubbing flesh with strangers.
Ricky Spanish
Well-Known Member
Nope.
Hugs from everyone. Yes.
Hugs from everyone. Yes.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
And as fear moves us to eliminate yet another way of making innocent contact with other human beings. Ah, what the hell, that will just move us one step closer to mating with our i-Phones. So we have a virus once every 100 years or so, we should just all live in caves and come out only long enough to kill a mastodon or saber tooth tiger for super bowl snack food. S ex is going to get real complicated as well. Home of the brave is definitely past tense.
ajrwdwgirl
Premium Member
Yes, I hate handshakes and hugs from people who aren't my family members. Even high fives and fist bumps I could do without.
StarWarsGirl
Well-Known Member
We should have gone to this greeting a long time ago. So much more sanitary.
MinnieM123
Premium Member
Hey, keep you paws to yourself!
I think it might be difficult for many of us who have extended a handshake all our lives, to just suddenly not do it. But, at this point, it makes sense.
And just an fyi: long before COVID-19, during the "regular" flu season, our health officials and church clergy would tell us to not shake hands, so that affected people would not pass along flu germs to others. So there's that -- again, long before the current global crisis.
Goofyernmost
Well-Known Member
At this point, I agree, but that isn't the question here. The question is should it be completely done away with and I think that puts us just a couple movements away from become droids ourselves. For the nano seconds in earthly time that this virus is going to survive to erase many centuries of physical human contact forever is overreaction at it's fullest. Handshakes are more then gestures they are measuring devices. They measure warmth, honesty and trust or in many cases the lack thereof. Human contact is necessary in our judgement process and never should be done away with simply because something happened one year. And even then it wasn't caused by a handshake. We have already given up so many of our rights that we will never get back due to the overreaction of people. Is it a matter of life and death on a constant basis or is it like water. It's very bad to stick your hand in when it is boiling, but when it is warm it is quite good. To use and old phrase, let's not throw the baby out with the bath water. Thousands upon thousands of people have died due to guns, but we have not even tried to control that. Thousands and thousands of people have died in cars, but they are still allowed to be on the road. We, as a nation, have become more an more dependent on personal behavior laws and almost nothing when it comes to common sense.Hey, keep you paws to yourself!
I think it might be difficult for many of us who have extended a handshake all our lives, to just suddenly not do it. But, at this point, it makes sense.
And just an fyi: long before COVID-19, during the "regular" flu season, our health officials and church clergy would tell us to not shake hands, so that affected people would not pass along flu germs to others. So there's that -- again, long before the current global crisis.
InnKpr
Well-Known Member
If your sole reason is to avoid germs, then abstaining from a handshake is useless if someone is within six feet of you and talking at your face spraying invisible micro-droplets into the air with every breath they take and every vow they make, they'll be spraying you.
Additionally, if they have any infection on their hand, then it's also on the door, on the phone, on the pen, on the stapler, on the desk, and the chair's back and handrest, on the elevator buttons, etc... If you touch those, then your face, you've infected yourself.
If you have a cold and you go to work/school/gatherings and refuse to shakes hands to protect people 'from a cold,' then you better be wearing a mask and immediately spraying everything you touch with a disinfectant. You're not protecting anyone by not shaking their hands if you're sick and still near them. And you're not protecting yourself if you get within 6 feet of people to talk and go around willy-nilly touching all the normal things you're expected to touch... if you don't wash your hands before touching your face. The lack of handshake didn't protect you.
If there's one thing I hope COVID-19 taught us is that the enemy isn't the hand-shake. When the first pleas to social distancing started, people stopped shaking hands. Weeks later, it still spreads without handshakes.
Additionally, if they have any infection on their hand, then it's also on the door, on the phone, on the pen, on the stapler, on the desk, and the chair's back and handrest, on the elevator buttons, etc... If you touch those, then your face, you've infected yourself.
If you have a cold and you go to work/school/gatherings and refuse to shakes hands to protect people 'from a cold,' then you better be wearing a mask and immediately spraying everything you touch with a disinfectant. You're not protecting anyone by not shaking their hands if you're sick and still near them. And you're not protecting yourself if you get within 6 feet of people to talk and go around willy-nilly touching all the normal things you're expected to touch... if you don't wash your hands before touching your face. The lack of handshake didn't protect you.
If there's one thing I hope COVID-19 taught us is that the enemy isn't the hand-shake. When the first pleas to social distancing started, people stopped shaking hands. Weeks later, it still spreads without handshakes.
InnKpr
Well-Known Member
In all seriousness, it doesn't come down to society's decision. It's up to YOU and you alone to do what's comfortable. If you're a hand-shaker... go for it. If you're not a fan of physical touch to display appreciation/agreement... there's no rule that says you have to accept an extended hand.
There are plenty of ways to reject a handshake offering without being rude or making it personal against the other individual. Smile and say you've been fighting a cold and don't want to risk getting the other person sick, but you certainly appreciate them, etc, etc. Make it about caring for them, rather than coming right out and saying "I don't want to touch you." Make sure to throw in a compliment or words of gratitude at the very end. "I can't shake right now because (whatever reason), but I sure had a great time discussing (whatever) with you, and look forward to meeting again..." Smiles and compliments go much further than the cliched handshake, as long as you're sincere.
So make it a personal decision, not society's decision. There's no law that states you have to touch anyone, and contrary to my "Absolutely, get rid of it" comment earlier on the matter, I really don't think there's a right or wrong answer.
There are plenty of ways to reject a handshake offering without being rude or making it personal against the other individual. Smile and say you've been fighting a cold and don't want to risk getting the other person sick, but you certainly appreciate them, etc, etc. Make it about caring for them, rather than coming right out and saying "I don't want to touch you." Make sure to throw in a compliment or words of gratitude at the very end. "I can't shake right now because (whatever reason), but I sure had a great time discussing (whatever) with you, and look forward to meeting again..." Smiles and compliments go much further than the cliched handshake, as long as you're sincere.
So make it a personal decision, not society's decision. There's no law that states you have to touch anyone, and contrary to my "Absolutely, get rid of it" comment earlier on the matter, I really don't think there's a right or wrong answer.
It will be odd without a world without handshakes. Handshakes are used to make deals, make peace, greetings and goodbyes for all parts of society. First impressions, trust, negotiation, connections are all important in a firm but not weak handshake. Nodding with respect and looking the person directly in their eyes can be substituted but nothing is like a firm handshake especially in the business and political world.
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You delivered, I'll give ya that, but what type of jerk doesn't stand up to shake another man's hand?