Should the handshake be phased out?
I noticed, that after I stopped giving handshakes at the office, I became sick much less often.
For reasons of hygiene and public health, should the handshake be discarded, and instead be replaced, for example by a simple wave, or a bow?
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Maybe we could just text one another. While wearing an air filter and using gloves, of course.
Yah.
I recommend brofist. It’s like handshake, but we don’t have to deal with each other’s sweat and bacteria.
Wash your hands more. Simple. Problem solved.
Handshakes are too ingrained for thousands of years, because they have deep meta-meaning. They will never go away.
Yes!
I know everyone was upset Trump didn’t shake hands with Merkel, but the first thing I asked was, “was she sick?” Trump is well known for hating shaking hands, especially if he knows the person is sick. Of course, that wasn’t the case, and Trump was just being an idiot! He should have shook her hand no matter what. But, this is one place I agree with Trump, the handshake in general sucks.
@mhd14 It’s not just while eating. You can’t rub your eyes, or touch your nose either. If you touch your phone, and then wash your hands, and then touch your phone again, you pick up the germ again. You need to go right from handshake to washing your hands, or you are at risk.
Don’t touch your face.
OH jeez! Let’s stop having sex too because of STDs.
@janbb Many people are more careful about sex because of STD’s. I guess we could shake hands with rubber gloves on.
@JLeslie you mean only touching can cause hygiene problems?
@mhd14 No, of course not. However touch is a significant way that colds and flu are spread.
Hands also can spread Hep A, but luckily we don’t have much of that in the US. Also, common stomach viruses.
I like to hug friends I haven’t seen in a long time. My husband thinks it’s just odd. Lol.
@BellaB Exactly!
Don’t stop shaking hands. Do wash your hands and don’t touch your mouth/nose/eyes/ears after shaking hands until you’ve washed them. And/or use gloves.
If you don’t want to shake hands, hug!
Physical contact between humans is more important than getting sick sometimes.
No. If you are getting sick less often @ragingloli, it’s probably not because you don’t shake hands. It’s because you’ve gotten all the common viruses and have developed an immunity to them. That’s why toddlers are sick all the time, and the older the person, the less often they get sick with a virus.
Just being in the same room as someone who is sick is a guarantee that you’ll pick up the virus, whether you shake their hand or not.
Yes, please. I’ve never liked this custom, or the weird dominance display it becomes with certain people (not just Trump).
I agree with you there. Some people are assholes, even when shaking hands.
I understood it began on the battle field, when two combatants met, and shook hands with their right (weapon) hand as a gesture of good faith that they are unarmed and the moment. Bet they weren’t worried about viruses!
Feel free to abstain doing it yourself yourself if you’re all that concerned about germs and don’t care about succeeding in the business world.
By the way, not breathing would also protect you from germs but I doubt you’ll convince anybody THAT should be phased out. ;-)
I actually often bow to people. I do a tongue-in-cheek kung-fu bow (fist in open hand with a half bow).
I’m finally reading some of the other responses, and am surprised to see that an “I don’t like handshaking” is interpreted as not liking human touch, etc. That’s not how I feel about it at all. I live in a culture where it’s actually more common to kiss someone than shake their hand. I find this more friendly, more hygienic, and less manipulative.
In America you usually shake hands the first time you meet someone. If someone I didn’t know tried to kiss me I’d just freak out!
And how on earth could kissing someone be more hygienic than shaking hands? If someone sneezes it comes out of their mouth and nose. When someone kisses you you are in much closer proximity to the body fluids that carry the germs. They’re more likely to still be alive and people don’t wash their mouths often. If they kiss you on the cheek, there are germs OMG on your cheek. Do you then go to wash your face?
@Dutchess_III In a handshake, you’re touching your hand (which you’ve been using to handle god knows what) to someone else’s hand (which they’ve been using to handle god knows what). When you kiss someone hello or goodbye, you’re not pressing your lips to anyone’s skin, you sort of line up your cheeks and kiss the air beside it. The cheek is far less likely to have come into contact with anything nasty than the hand.
Here’s a handy tutorial!
Yes. You can switch to the fist bump.
If handshaking was phased out you would still be left with the glaring problems of door handles, lift buttons, guard rails, computer keyboards, light switches, photo copiers and phones. I would stop going to the office entirely.
No, I worked from home latterly anyway. I retired so I could see the world and be exposed to a whole new range of exotic bugs and bacteria.
@flutherother Have you been snogging Panda bears again? I told you abou tthat!
In a way, the traditional handshake is being phased out.
It has been replaced, in many circumstances, by the “fist bump.” I actually read an article about this. It stated that the knuckle to knuckle greating had indeed cut down on the spread of disease.
It’s an interesting example of how cultural trends can affect the spreading of something detrimental.
In an unrelated article, I read that “crabs” have been almost eliminated because many women now shave their pubic hair. Without the hair,they cannot hold onto the person, so, in countries where women shave, or wax their vaginas, the cases of “crabs” are exponentially fewer than the countries where women don’t.
An unexpected consequence from a simple change in how humans behave, due to cultural changes.
Being subjected to all kinds of nasty bacteria and other bugs is what makes us healthy. Can we shake on that?? Thanks!
I like how the Japanese greet. I would prefer that as I dislike physical contact with others, even if I know them. Has nothing to do with bacteria or wtv, not a fan of getting touched.
Have you seen that series Legion @Berserker? Maybe you have secret super powers.
I have not. How might I have secret powers lol?
For the record though, if a pillow wanted to shake hands with me, I would not hesitate.
I do believe that is true of you. Pillow touching is fine. There is a character who cannot bear to touch anyone because of what happens when she does. It’s very weird, science fiction thing about a group of people who have mutated in different ways.
I think my roomate told me about it but she watches so much stuff and tells me about it, it’s hard to remember. About the only shows I watch are Vikings, Black Sails and Simpsons. :/
I only use handshakes in my professional life, rest of the time it’s fist bumps, high fives & hugs depending on the closeness of the relationships, touching don’t bother me at all unless you stink :D
@Berserker In the glorious event of us ever meeting in person i’d respect your non touch policy, but I have to say i’d be severely tempted to hug the shit right outta ya :D
@elbanditoroso You can’t go from the handshake immediately to the bathroom. Not usually anyway. You just met the person and you’re running off to wash your hands?
Of course, it depends on what you’re shaking hands with…
@ucme You’re probably too awesome not to hug anyway. :D And if you’re carrying a pillow it’s guaranteed lol.
@Rarebear What if you did that to an actual Shaolin monk, then he thought you wanted to spar and kicked your ass lol.
@Berserker Speaking of which, it’s properly late here & my head is about to hit the pillow, I shall think of you as I enter slumberland ;-}
I’ll make it in your dreams if I can. :D I won’t bring monsters. XD
♫ ucme and Berserker, sittin’ in a tree…! ♪
Nah fuck that we chop that tree down with a blood stained axe & yell “HOORAH!!!” as we do it
Aye, that’s more our style I do believe. And if there ARE monsters well, we have those axes. Fuckin things ain’t bloodstained for nothing.
Blood stained, that’s a proper wet dream :D
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