why do we shake hands with people?

Answer 1

It is believed that handshaking originated during the Roman Empire, when people would grasp eachother at the elbow rather than the hand as a gesture of trust, showing that they are not carrying any weapons beneath their sleeves.

Answer 2

A handshake is a short ritual in which two people grasp their right or left hands, often accompanied by a brief shake of the grasped hands. It is commonly done upon meeting, departing, offering congratulations, or completing an agreement. Its purpose is to demonstrate good will, and possibly originated as a gesture showing that the hand holds no weapon. Men are more likely to shake hands than women, however in business situations it is considered the standard greeting for both sexes.

Answer 3

Back in the oooold days it was a way of proving you were unarmed. That's why you offer the right hand, because most people are right-handed. So if you were going to whip out a dagger and stab someone you'd have your hands full!
Mind you, on that logic all left-handed assassins would be rolling in contract money...
Traditionally British barristers don't shake hands when they meet, since it is assumed they are both men of honour.

Answer 4

It evolved from an ancient roman custom that checked you were not holding a weapon. Only they grasped their elbows.
The reason why people drive on the left in England is down to jousting, where your horse rode on the left hand side, so that the sword in your right hand faced the enemy.
Other customs have similar reasons. The Chinese give and receive things with both hands to show that they are not going to strike each other with the free hand.
The army salute came from medieval knights raising their visors so that their face could be seen.

Answer 5

It's all body language. Just like closed arms kind of is subconscious of closing yourself off from other people, extending an arm is a sign of opening yourself to someone else, especially with an open palm.

A handshake is somewhat intimate, it's firm and you kind of become vulnerable to the other person. Our hands are one of the most sensitive parts of our body (besides our reproducitve organs, but it's not polite to greet each other with those), so we really feel the connection when we do it.

It's a really weird custom I never really thought about (like, why don't we butt heads instead...it seems just as arbitrary..)

Answer 6

The same way the Japanese bow before and after they have a conversation with someone; common courtesy.
Mostly, it's a way to seal a deal like in business. Could be a handshake among friends, a sign to congratulate after a victory.

Answer 7

It is a form of greeting that goes back to the middle ages. An extended hand shows that a weapon is not carried.

Answer 8

This actually goes back hundreds of years - it is meant to be very vigorous so that if the other person is hiding a knife under their shirt sleeve it will pop out. Not having the knife pop out meant you could trust them not to stab you with one... at least that was the theory. This goes back to the days of knights in armor, but there may be other origins as well.

Answer 9

We shake with our weapon hand to show that we are empty handed therefor not a threat.

Answer 10

As a near-universal gesture of "accommodation" handshaking is a relatively new cultural behavior. Its original purpose was to prove to others you were coming "open-handed" and unarmed.