Why do we shake hands when we meet people?

Answer 1

its considered to be polite. and u are meant to be able to tell alot about a person from their handshake.

always have a firm grip and look the person in the eye.

Answer 2

In its oldest form the handshake signified the handing of power from a god to an early ruler. This is reflected in the Egyptian verb “to give,” the hieroglyph for which is an extended hand. Then a ritual in Babylonia around 1800 BC required that the king grasp the hands of a statue every year during a New Years festival, transferring authority for another year. The ceremony was so popular that when the Assyrians defeated and occupied Babylonia, the subsequent Assyrian kings adopted the ritual in case they offended the gods. It is this aspect of the handshake that Michelangelo so magnificently painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Folklore offers another explanation – if a villager met a man he didn’t recognise and reacted by reaching for his dagger. The stranger did likewise and they cautiously circled each other. When it was decided that the meeting would not be a fight to the death, daggers were reinserted and the weapon hands were extended as a token of goodwill. This also explains why women, not traditionally allowed to carry weapons, never developed the custom of shaking hands.

Answer 3

Sign of friendship, courtesy and regard. In some measure, you get the vibes about the other person thro' touch, and your 'computer' tells you in a highly coded message if the other person is compatible or likeable from your perspective. When you shake hands, you could send positive signals about your personality by means of a 'trained' hand-shake!

Answer 4

It's just very good manners, you should always use a firm handshake, look the person in the eye, never a half hearted one or look elsewhere, very bad mannered that and if your going for an interview or meeting someone your hoping to impress, that type of handshake gets you nil points.

Answer 5

Touching someone shows them that you are not a threatening person is some weird way. It's shows respect because you are willing to submit your will by touching them. Of course what I just told you is utter bulls-h-i-t. I think there isnt a reason why we do it. Not a tangible one anyway. A simple handshake can be interpreted in many ways by many people. You are going to get different answers.

Answer 6

Its an old tradition dating back to medieval times, men would shake hands with their right or weapons hand to show that they came in peace.

Answer 7

It come from the days when people used to fight with swords. Basically a handshake is you saying "I have no sword in my hand, so I am showing it to you so you see that I dont & that I'm not being agressive"
That's why it's always the right hand too as most sword fighters would've used their right hand.

Answer 8

I don't shake hands. People already know me for that! A polite smile and a slight bow is enough for me(and healthier too! You'll never know where people's hands have been!)!

Answer 9

in civilian life you shake hands to show that you dont have a weapon and in the army you salute for the same reason and to show respect

Answer 10

Traditionally people carried their swords in their right hand and when they met someone they shook with their right hand (thats why you always shake with your right hand and not with your left). It showed you were unarmed and not holding a weapon.

Answer 11

A sign of greeting and of friendship that relates to most peoples understanding from around the globe.