The Power Of Handshakes

History Behind

The handshake goes as far as Ancient Greece 5th century BC. Why did people shake hands? As a gesture of peace and to make sure the other person was not holding a weapon. Extending your right hand out made the other person feel safe. Why the right hand? Not only because most of us are right dominant but some cultures use their left hand to wipe their butts. The images of soldiers shaking hands can be seen on Ancient Greece texts and stone slabs. Unlike the handshake it is said that the Romans had forearm handshakes but there is no proof. You have probably seen the forearm shake in a couple of movies. Today the handshake can either make or break a first impression.

Shake To Agree

Before all legal paperwork and fine prints came around, a deal would be closed with a simple handshake. You could rest assure that whatever was promised was going to be done. A man’s word and handshake was worth more than a thousand page signed agreement. A gentleman’s agreement as it is called relies on the pure honor of the men involved. A lot of the times the gentleman’s agreement was done to close an underground agreement with no trace of paperwork. These types of the agreements are rarely done today.

Good Sportsmanship

Handshakes are also used to show good sportsmanship. You often see players shaking hands after a football, basketball, soccer and even tennis games. In hockey the handshake line can be traced back to over 100 years. It is a tradition as big as the hockey sport itself. Some people will say that this is an antiquated tradition but other find it as a sign of respect for the other team. At the end of the day the handshake symbolizes having a “good game”. It shows your opponent no hard feelings.

Secret Societies

Specific handshakes have been used to show membership to a secret society. The most famous secret society being the freemasons. Depending on the level of the mason you can identify yourself with handshake. By doing a specific handshake you show the other person or test the other person to see if they belong to the secret society. If you didn’t know most secret societies require you to help a fellow member before your own blood.