Handshaking is a very common part of our daily lives. There is not perhaps a single day when we don’t shake hands with our friends and acquaintances. Handshake has largely become an integral part of our daily lives. Do you know how did this practice of shaking hands start and fro where? Well, it seems that handshake has a very distant past attached to it. Whenever the primitive tribes met in friendly situations, they would hold their arms out with their palms exposed to show that no weapons were being held or obscured. During the age of the Romans, the custom of bearing a concealed dagger in the sleeve was common so for protection the Romans developed the Lower-Arm-Grasp as a common greeting. In modern times, handshakes have been categorized into various types, each having its own meaning. The next time you shake hand with someone, you will need to recall the 10 handshaking styles and their meaning we are going to show you.
- Double handed handshake
This handshake although increases the amount of physical contact given by the initiator, but it can backfire heavily on the person giving this type of handshake. It gives control over the receiver by restricting his right hand. However, the initiator of the Double-Hander tries to give the impression he is upright and honest, but in case it’s used on an individual he/she has just met, it bears the risk of having the inverse effect sending off to the receiver feelings of suspicion about the initiator’s intentions.
- The Submissive Handshake
If you want to depict yourself as submissive to a person, you need to give him/her a submissive handshake. In this case, you offer your hand with your palm facing upwards symbolically giving the other person the upper hand. It equates the case of an inferior dog exposing its throat to a superior dog. This type of handshake is generally not preferred as it makes you look inferior to the other person.
- The Wet Fish handshake
This is one of the worst handshakes, which also seems uninviting. Have you ever touched a wet fish in your hands? And if yes, did you like the feeling? The soft, placid feel of the Wet Fish handshake makes it universally unpopular and most people associate it with a lack of commitment to the encounter. Avoid such a handshake at all costs.
- The Vice handshake
This is a handshake that most bosses use to exert dominance over their employees. The palm is presented in the down position with one sharp downward pump followed by two or three vigorous return strokes and a grip. Such a handshake signifies early control over a relationship and dominance.
- The Bone-crusher handshake
This type of handshake is the trademark of arrogant people. Remember that this handshake impresses none other than the initiator. Don’t use this type of handshake pr else if the recipient points out, you will be judged as an overly aggressive personality. Appalling enough, isn’t it?
- The Finger-Tip grab
Has it ever happened that a girl extends her arm to shake hand and you just mistakenly hold and shake the girl’s finger? Must have happened sometime in your life? This type of handshake is a common phenomenon in handshakes between people of opposite genders. The initiator may be enthusiastic about greeting the person before him but lacks confidence in himself. Anyways, it is a handshake technique that ought to be avoided.
- The Stiff-Arm thrust
If someone gives you such a handshake, try to understand that the person is not in a mood to allow you into his personal space. It is a technique used by aggressive people who are too much concerned about protecting their territory. So be cautious before approaching the personal space of these people.
- The Socket-Wrencher
This is a popular choice of handshake with power-players and among those who try to exert excessive dominance over people. This involves forcefully gripping the receiver’s extended palm, then instantaneously applying a severe reverse thrust. It appears as if the initiator is trying to drag the receiver into the initiator’s territory. This can mean that the initiator wants to gain control over the recipient or is too much insecure and feels secure only in his personal space.
- The Pump handle
Beware of such a handshake! The initiator, once getting your hand, will grip it firmly and will continue to vibrate it so vigorously as if your hand is the handle of a hand-pump. The cease of vibrations is followed by the forceful retention of your palm in the hand of the initiator. It is most common among the rural folks and is a big no-no in formal meetings.
- The Dutch Treat
This type of handshake occurs when one of the persons involved in the handshake does not hold the palm of the other, but rather keeps his fingers straight. This can signal disinterest on the part of the person giving this abnormal type of handshake. One of the worst types of handshakes, it is a sure game-spoiler.