There’s a handshake for nearly every personality type out there. Phyllis Wilson talks about the most common handshakes she’s observed in her handshake surveillance.
The saying goes, “Ninety percent of what we think about a person is determined in the first ninety seconds we meet them.”
Communication is the exchange of thoughts and feelings. Language permits us to communicate with one or more people who share our language. Communication also encompasses non-verbal gestures and facial expressions; glances, which can mean many things, from seductive to deadly; and touches, like handshakes, hits or hugs.
I love the act of touching, especially handshakes. Have you ever judged a person by the way they shake your hand? Is there a correlation between a handshake and the character of a person? Is there etiquette for shaking hands? I am an observer of handshakes and I want to share with you some of the handshakes that I have seen:
– The standard handshake: This is where hands are engaged and eye contact is made; smiles are exchanged, and two to four shakes occur.
– The dead fish: Heaven forbid you should experience this cold, sometimes wet, unemotional shaking of hands.
– The lingering hand shake: I like this one. It’s a standard hand shake with an extra few shakes, and it involves holding on for just a few seconds. I find this often happens when old friends meet or during a good-bye to someone dear. Between business people, it gives a bit of a chance to communicate positive thoughts.
– The bone cruncher: Also called the finger cruncher, this handshake features a vice-like grip around the hand. The person typically grasps across your palm, and crushes or squeezes your fingers. It can be painful. The person who does the crunching normally doesn’t know their own strength.
– The knuckle bump (also known as the fist bump or the young folk’s handshake). This is a great way to avoid the bone cruncher. It involves each party making a fist and, upon meeting and greeting, touching the fist of the other party, knuckles to knuckles.
– The hand in hand: This is the politician’s favorite. Typically, you meet someone who will offer a hand palm up and before shaking starts, uses their second hand to sandwich yours. It is sometimes given to show empathy or concern, or to convey that the hand-in-hander is a caring individual.
– The high five: We can’t forget this one! A mid-five fanning of the hand will be offered from the right side and will wave in almost as if to clap your hand, and then end in a traditional shake.
I’ll shake to that, but make mine dry and with a smile!
Recent Phyllis Wilson Articles:
- Dear Wayne
- What Is Your Greatest Strength?
- The Purpose of Life is a Life of Purpose
- Have You Checked In With The Person In The Mirror Lately?
- Soul Food
Yep – know all of these after a career in recruitment. Not sure if this is a good thing or not but I am now fully trained to work someone out in 90 seconds or so and I have only been wrong a few times in 10 years. Eye contact is another one. You can tell a lot from the way someone looks at you – or cant do eye contact.
I personally love handshakes. I think they are a great way to meet someone – especially as I don’t really like kissing people.
Don’t forget the “Transaction Confirmation hand shake.” This shake is quick and usually only consists of two motions after hands meet, up and then firmly down. It is used to endorse an agreement or confirm a bet and is understood as a gesture of to certify ones honor!