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| Sunday, 27 February 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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It's all in the handshake by Lionel Wijesiri In its oldest form, the handshake signified the handing of power from a god to an early ruler. 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.
According to historian Charles Panati, folklore places the handshake even earlier and speculates that because the right hand is the weapon hand, presenting it open and without a sword came to be seen as a sign of peace and acceptance. According to another anthropologist, the handshake evolved in medieval Europe, during the times of knights. It seems not all were laudable Lancelets. More than a few would approach opponents with concealed weapons and when within striking distance do the needful, driving dagger or striking sword into the unguarded paladin. To fend off the fear of a foe's foul foil, knights took to offering their open and visibly empty hand to each other. It was a kind of surety, a gesture of trust, which said, "Look, I am unarmed, so you may safely let me approach". As the story goes, soon the gesture itself took on meaning and the less noble, less lethal man on the street adopted the handshake as the proper way to greet others. Though archaic in origin, the handshake is still the accepted form of greeting in our society in modern times. In both social and business situations, the handshake is important. Gestures In much of the world today, people do not shake hands when they meet. They may hug formally or kiss one another on the cheek, as in Eastern Europe and Arab states. They may bow softly, eyes turned to the ground, as in Japan and China. The Hawaiian greeting, termed 'honi', consists of placing the nostril gently beside that of the person greeted, a kind of sharing of breath, which is life. For, Sri Lankans, of course, the traditional greeting of choice is 'Ayubowan', (May you live longer) the two hands pressed together and held near the heart with the head gently bowed. I believe it is both a spoken greeting and a gesture, a mantra and a mudra. This gesture has become a veritable icon of what is Sri Lanka. Indeed, there must be an unwritten law which requires every travel brochure and poster to include an image of someone with palms pressed together, conveying to the world Sri Lanka's hospitality, spirituality and graceful consciousness. Regular handshake Coming back to handshakes, what puzzles me most about it is why there is so much variation in what is such a simple act. In my teens, I learned to shake another's hand when it was extended to me. The method I learned, I choose to classify as the 'regular' handshake. It involved aligning the fingers of ones right hand vertically, one above the other, while extending the thumb in an erect position while keeping the hand, wrist, and forearm in relatively straight alignment. Palms should be touching during the 'regular' handshake. For years, I thought this was the way everyone shook hands. During the last half of the last century, I began to notice not everyone shook hands the way I did. I don't pretend to believe my way is the best way, but for me it is the best way and is that which I consider to be traditional. For example we have the left handshake. In the foreword for the book 'The Left Handshake' by Hilary St. George Saunders, the Chief Scout of the British Commonwealth and Empire says: "When Colonel Baden-Powell entered the capital city of the Ashanti people in 1890 he was met by one of the chiefs who came to him holding out his left hand. BP held out his right in return but the chief said: "No, in my country the bravest of the brave shake with the left hand". So began the 'left handshake' of the worldwide brotherhood of Scouts". Perhaps these days, people need a manual to decode some of those weird handshakes. I see kids twiddling, slapping, clicking, and dancing with their fingers, and they actually consider these handshakes. If you've watched much television, seen many movies, or watched very many athletic and social events, you've probably seen a number of variations on the 'regular' handshake, everything from 'high fives' and 'low fives' (really just a hand-slap exchange) to the 'bro' which involves raising the right hand roughly chest high followed by clasping the thumb of the other person and wrapping ones fingers over the back of the hand of that individual. There are numerous other variations of the handshake including nuances involving the elbow and other joints being bumped that all play an important role in the brotherhood. Types I have counted five basic handshake types. Perhaps you can think of others. First, there is the knuckle crunch handshake. The person who practises this type is earnest but nervous. While meaning to convey warmth through a tight grip of your hand, he or she only succeeds in causing you pain. The impression created is definitely that of a person who lacks sensitivity. (The situation becomes worse if you're wearing a ring on your right hand). Then there is the opposite problem - the Dead fish handshake Where he or she places a limp, lifeless hand in yours. While the Knuckle crunch hurts you, at least you feel there is some desire to express a real feeling. But this person is sending only a negative message. He or she gives the impression of having a lacklustre personality. This handshake usually doesn't get the second interview, much less the job. Another type is the Hand pump handshake Where the person is overly eager but also insecure. He or she doesn't know when to quit, almost as if stalling because of not being sure of what to do next. So he or she just keeps on vigorously shaking your hand up and down - and, along with it, your entire arm. You may not feel pain but you certainly feel foolish. How about the Sanitary handshake? In this case a person will barely put three or four fingers in your hand - and then withdraw them quickly, almost as if afraid of catching a dreaded disease. Such people appear timid and sheepish, to put it mildly. Finally, there is the Condolence handshake. Where the person who comes across is too familiar, clasping your right arm or hand with his or her left hand - and perhaps attempting to hug or even kiss you. This behaviour maybe appreciated at a funeral, but in the world of business, it comes across as condescending and very inappropriate. To recap the issue, why is the handshake so important in the modern world? Why are most meetings, between diplomats ended with a handshake? Why do secret orders, fraternities, and sororities include handshakes among their secret rituals? I believe the handshake represents an expression of equality. Take, for example, the meeting of diplomats to discuss a peace initiative for two warring countries. With the handshake giving a sense of equality to the meeting, the playing field is levelled and the proceedings can occur, unhindered by feelings of inequality.To some the handshake may appear little more than a formality, but to others it is a complete view into the personality of the person on the other end of the handshake. My advice is: Just make sure you firmly shake the person's hand and look at him straight in the eye. It is just as simple as that. |
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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.
