http://flickr.com/photos/discoverfun/1445018386/
A real man needs to know how to shake a hand. Presence is one thing, but if a tough-looking guy shakes a hand like he’s rubbing a lucky rabbit’s foot, his gruffness is all for not.
One of the first things real men do when approaching one another is size each other up; try and figure out what to do if something goes down… Generally the handshake is the best way to find out what the other guy is made of. If one of them blows it with a notorious dead-fish handshake, he’s got a lot of ground to make up.
It is thought that the handshake originated as a sign of peace, as each participant showed they held no weapons (the free hand was used to pat the other person down, a practice no longer encouraged… in fact it’s looked down upon by manhood). While a man may show he’s packing no weapons by shaking hands, through a strong handshake he can prove he’s packing some muscles.
Old-English etiquitte demands that gloves be taken off when shaking another person’s hand, unless the shake is being shook at the opera or a ball. Then it would be fine to leave any gloves on.
A real man should never worry about the condition of the hand he’s about to shake. If he’s approaching another man, who at the time is changing the oil in their car, he should still barehanded shake–without hesitation. Same goes with a man who’s approaching a guy who just gutted a deer. Manhood etiquitte does say that the guy gutting the dear should at least wipe his hands on his trousers before shaking.
The conditions above are meant to prepare men for the ultimate handshake: the spit-on it. Real men spit on their hands before a shake to show trust in one another. Plus the spit acts as a sealant to help seal the deal when an agreement is made.
Remember, while a handshake may be a breif exchange lasting only a few pumps, if it is done with strength and purpose it can go a long way in preserving manhood.
Ross! I had no idea you started this till today. Awesome. I love it.
Speaking as a woman in the professional world and just as myself…I love a firm handshake with solid eye contact.
And a word of advice for “real men” when shaking a woman’s hand (especially in a professional situation) don’t force us to give the lame-o softy-fish-hand-shake! I hate that and I see it as demeaning.
p.s. how you liking wordpress? i like it…i chose to use it for utah loves cupcakes blog and have loved experimenting with it.
take care and happy weekend.