The Visor

Seven aspects of handshaking are crucial to any formal interaction

March 11, 2010

Ben Edwards

The Handshake – the simple grasp between two people’s hands complemented with an up and down movement. Often used when first meeting, saying hello or goodbye, a sign of congratulations, a demonstration of sportsmanship, completing an agreement and a staple of the business world, this simple action did not pop up overnight.

Archaeological ruins and ancient texts show that handshaking was practiced as far back as the 2nd century BC and a depiction exists of two soldiers shaking hands on a segment of a 5th century BC tomb on display in the Pergamum Museum in Berlin. The handshake is believed to have originated as a motion of peace by showing that the hand holds no weapon. In most recent history, the handshake is believed to have been brought to the western world by Sir Walter Raleigh, the founder of Roanoke Island in early American history. While the time and location has changed, the handshake has proven the test of time and is still vastly used today.

Today, the handshake permeates American life and achieving the perfect handshake is required to survive in today’s world, or at least America. The perfect handshake entails many parts such as the perfect timing of initiation, the suave reach for the other’s hand, superior eye contact, a firm but not compressing grip, good finger placement around the other hand, a non-sweaty but well moisturized palm and perhaps the most difficult aspect, an appropriate motion of shake.

What would happen, though, if someone would purposely mess up the aspects of the perfect shake for the sake of social experimentation? The seven aspects of the handshake are unwritten guidelines of being a functioning member of society. While no one may have the perfect handshake no one would purposely give a bad handshake, until now.
I took on the mission of uncovering people’s reactions when they are offered the bad shake, with each one focused on one of the seven aspects and here are the results:

It was once said, timing is everything and this is true when giving a good hand shake. Once the initial timing is messed up the whole handshake falls apart… too soon and you will end up having your hand extended and exposed for several seconds while the handshake receiver stares at you with an awkward gawk and then finally comes in for a weak shake.

It is essential to have a James Bond reach after obtaining the perfect timing. A swift and suave movement is needed, with your elbow cocked at a 90 degree angle until the forearm explodes up into the other person’s hand. These are the movements that scream swagger but other movements will weaken your shake: a sloppy fling from a hand stuck in a tight pocket will only end up in failure, even if the fling is timed well. Doing this incorrectly results with the other person compensating your failure of swagger by giving a crushing grip on the hand indicating they have the upper hand.

A firm grip is the hardest to master in handshaking. Too little and it’s weak and too much, you’re a jerk. Too much pressure and one will look like a roid-raging business man who gets big on lunch breaks, and too less a wet blanket, either way the result of this failure is a quick hand withdraw from the other person.

Nobody likes to engage in a shake to find their hand just took a bath. A good way to avoid this is a pre-shake hand-on-pants wipe. On the other hand, literally, if your hand is dryer then a desert it is also not a good shake. Both result in the person touching a unwanted hand texture and a face gag, followed by a resulting hand withdraw.
The perfect handshake is something to strive for as it can never be achieved but keeping these guidelines in mind will keep you from an awkward situation.

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