A statement in a newscast the other day got me to thinking about the whole ritual of the handshake. It seems a veteran on Remembrance Day refused to shake hands with embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, presumably because he doesn’t respect Mr. Ford. I suppose the idea of touching the hand of someone who has, shudders, smoked dope and chugged copious amounts of alcohol is just too revolting for some.
But it’s a wonder that the handshake still exists as a ritual or even became a ritual at all. I mean, think about the bare facts, about what the hand you are shaking touches on a regular basis on both functional and self-serving sensual levels, perhaps just moments before in the washroom. Then there is the germ factor, i.e. flu bugs and cold viruses.
I’m not suggesting that people stop shaking hands, but I have to wonder why shaking the hand of Rob Ford might be any different than shaking the hand of, say, a stranger introduced to you by a friend.
Just sayin’ . . .
Jillian
Jillian Page 
I think that the shaking of hand gives you a physical connection to the person. The actual shaking of the hand transfers a lot of information about that person, the way the hand is shook, the feel, the pressure, whether it soft or hard. A dry hard hand would give you the information that the person works with their hands. Someone with leathery finger tips would give you the information that they could be a writer or musician. Someone with sweaty hand shake could give the indication they are very nervous or even unwell. So much information is transferred in that one brief act, information we do not even realise is being transferred to our brain.
As for not wanting to shake someones hand that is another ball game altogether.
LikeLike
Thanks, Richard! Welcome aboard here.
Jillian
LikeLike
Thanks Jillian
LikeLike
Like most things Toronto, Torontonians heap far too much importance upon themselves. All the wailing and civic self pity is about a man, not particularly sophisticated nor politically correct, who has a drug/alcohol dependency problem. A lot of people think he has been a really good mayor and so still support him through this debacle. The guy just needs help. That’s all.
As for the handshake. Our hands are the way by which we interact with our environment, with each other, and with ourselves. The veteran that denied him a handshake is simply shunning Mayor Ford. The denial of human contact is simply ostracization in it’s basic form.
LikeLike
I think it was originally supposed to show that you did not have a weapon in your hand…
I have heard that people share their germs in a most interesting range of ways, certainly not hygienic to shake hands especially with winter colds on the rise…
LikeLike
There a few, very few people I’ll never shake hands with. I don’t like Mr Ford either but not because of his recent problems but because he’s the mayor of Toronto who’s refused to do the pride parade. Our local MP is another because he didn’t vote for adding gender identity and gender expression to the Canadian human rights code.
LikeLike
Reminds me of the time when I was working in China. As I entered the factory my host blew his nose into his hand, wiped his hand onto his shop coat and then extended it to shake hands with me. With arms firmly by my side I bowed in Japanese style and introduced myself. Even with all the precautions that I took during that trip I got one mother of a sinus infection and exposed to TB. Time to ban the ritual of the handshake. On a other note I thank you for inspiring me to finally address my GID issues and join the Crossroads programme. Your column in the Gazette hit home!
LikeLike