Gone are the days of the Handshake
This pandemic has changed a lot in this world. Human contact being one of the most obvious. The simple handshake is now a thing of the past, giving way to the fist bump or elbow rub. Shaking someone's hand and staring them in the eye when you meet has long been the standard for and in many cases the measure of a man. Strong, firm handshake equals strong, confident man. If you've ever reached out to shake someones hand, only to be met with a limp fish of a hand, you know exactly what I mean.
Reaching all the way back in history to around 5th century B.C., the handshake was a symbol of peace. When greeting someone, showing open empty palms showed that neither party was armed with any weapons. However, the shaking part of the "handshake" is said to have originated in Medieval Europe. Along the same premise of avoiding attack, Knights would shake the hand and arm of another in an effort to release any hidden weaponry. In that aspect, I guess times hadn't changed all that much.
Much later in history, the handshake became more of an etiquette thing and less a concern of attack, but still a sign of peace. A Father teaching his son how to shake hands was almost like a right of passage on their way to becoming a man. When Dad introduces his Son to his friends and he gives them a firm handshake, Dad was proud.
It seems to me, the handshake would be a useful tactic these days, considering all the violence in the world. Perhaps we need to find a better alternative than the fist bump and elbow rub. A closed fist and a bent elbow can easily conceal any number of weapons. It's a shame to see that kind of tradition fall by the wayside. Hopefully it will find it's way back in my lifetime. Until then...happy fist bumping everyone! Please post any comments, I'd love to see how others feel about this topic.
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I learned something new. That the handshake was originally a way to check your enemy for weaponry. Who would've known. Interesting
Anything we can to to facilitate and restore human social relationships is of value. The less humanity we experience, the more prone to negative thinking and crime follows. We were made to be social creatures. We need ways to interract positively with each other. For now, we can do the fist/elbow bump, and add in a smile or two. Thank you Facilityguy. We need this cognizance.
Shirley1
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I still prefer the handshake, Michael, so do do many of my customers! Nothing changed in that respect during the plandemic!
I feel like sooner or later even more people will be returning to this age-old form of greeting, IMHO!
Interesting information about the handshake, btW1
Jeff