The history (and uncertain future) of the handshake
Humans have used physical greeting rituals for longer than you might realize. But in the wake of CoVid-19, will the most universal of those rituals — the handshake — be gone for good?
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Humans have used physical greeting rituals for longer than you might realize. But in the wake of CoVid-19, will the most universal of those rituals — the handshake — be gone for good?
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I will say that handshaking is common because of its intimacy while at the same time respecting boundaries. The hug extends into closer boundaries lanes and is somewhat reserves for special intimacy. Of course, beyond its boundary comes sexual intimacy.
Handshaking during an epidemic or pandemic can expose itself as dangerous. However, the exposure points out to the 'participants' experiencing the challenging times, just how unessential the handshake can be. The handshake, when left out for a time, is exposed as a truly unremarkable and nasty physical practice.
Hugs on the other hand are what I miss now and will miss most in the future. Hugs are deep, meaningful, and convey human intense feeling across one body to another.
After this pandemic, I am seriously thinking of giving up handshaking. Do so as a solid way to avoid or mitigate the common cold, flu, or some other person to person transferable diseases.
The handshake grew out of a defensive movement for two persons greeting each other in a way to prevent them from reaching for a weapon, so its history is hardly a peaceful one. For me, i would prefer to see something like this:
Sawasdee, the traditional Thai greeting.
From a sheer technical point of view this would be close to a handshake as both people's hands are in plain sight and not on or close to a weapon. Guess it amounts to a matter of perspective.
Ed, I doubt that the history of the two methods is the same. Buddhist monks use the same, adding a little bow.
I would be shocked if the handshake is gone for good. It will be gone until the covid vaccine is created and used.
If we are in such permanent dire straits that the handshake has to be forever ended, we are in a lot more trouble as a human race than we care to admit right now.
Damn - twice in one day
I have to agree, too.
Agreed
This is the first time in my life that this "question" of the hand-shaking convention has faced a possible 'reset' scrutiny. Quietly, individually, we all know in our hearts and minds that handshaking is a nasty and uncertain exercise. We extend 'faith' (trust) that the other person will not deliberately offend, injure, or worse poison us with the extension of their right hand.
We never have a guarantee, however. We simply roll with the convention and pass it along to the next generation. It is a 'germy' custom and it can be unlearned. What will we use in its place, I don't know. But.
Let's be clear. We now have had it put to the test and factually stated that our hands can be a danger to our own "T-zones" on our very faces! Certainly, that makes hands a danger to others.
I'm very serious. If I continue to shake hands with people after this it will be an act of surrender to the convention and not one to following science.
This is the first time in my life that this "question" of the hand-shaking convention has faced a possible 'reset' scrutiny. Quietly, individually, we all know in our hearts and minds that handshaking is a nasty and uncertain exercise. We extend 'faith' (trust) that the other person will not deliberately offend, injure, or worse poison us with the extension of their right hand.
We never have a guarantee, however. We simply roll with the convention and pass it along to the next generation. It is a 'germy' custom and it can be unlearned. What will we use in its place, I don't know. But.
Let's be clear. We now have had it put to the test and factually stated that our hands can be a danger to our own "T-zones" on our very faces! Certainly, that makes hands a danger to others.
I'm very serious. If I continue to shake hands with people after this it will be an act of surrender to the convention and not one to following science.
One more thing: This virus points out to me that I really did not have an understanding of the microbe world and how microbes can languish on hard surfaces and our body surfaces. "Fatty proteins" which need more than a casual washing to break down is not something the rank and file are exposed to daily. So we run to and fro touching and "dapping" our hands in water, or soap and water, and moving back out into the stream of life. Moreover, most of us do not bother to read the directions which expressly define how long a certain product takes to destroy or deactivate a certain germ. We 'brush' the germicidal on and relatively fast wipe it down and away. None the wiser, that we did not meet the sufficiency specified by the manufacturers. Thus, these germs multiplies to the touch.
It strikes me that people are disease spreaders extraordinaire with their hands—especially viruses! The known (cold/flu) and the yet to be discovered next novel one.
Even rituals can change over the millenia.
I agree with John. It’ll be gone for a while but return when things become more normal. Until then the fist bump will do🤜🤛
Fist bumps involve the 'filthy' back of the hands. Science dictates one should scrub in a twenty seconds process those 'back-sides' too! Elbows anyone?
Nah, ankles....
Speaking of things that have hit a 'snag,' Ed-NavDoc can you SEE ME in your Private Notes section of NT?
Nope, nothing there.