Do you have a Terrible Handshake?
I’m sure you’ll agree that there’s nothing worse than a limp handshake. Actually, there is: a limp handshake from a chap who has not washed his hands.
New research has revealed that just 38 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women wash their hands after visiting the lavatory. Add that to a flaccid grip, and… ick.
Little wonder, then, that scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, have discovered that people tend to unconsciously smell their hands after shaking, “just like rats”.
There can be little doubt that shaking hands well is a skill. Getting it wrong can spell disastrous consequences. Research published this week suggests that a lacklustre shake is one of the biggest mistakes people make during job interviews. A poor handshake really can damage your career prospects, it seems.
Yet – as the compilation of handshake fails below demonstrates – getting it right is hard.
So why do we bother? An American campaign called Stop Handshaking suggests that we develop an alternative – such as the Japanese-style bow, the “fist-bump”, or the Indian prayer gesture – and communicate this decision via a lapel pin.
It’s kooky but I can see the appeal. For years, I have avoided meeting a particular friend because of his dead-cod hands. Not only do I dread the tactile experience, but it actually makes me doubt the substance of his character.
Am I being excessively judgmental? I don’t know. But if handshakes were banned, the problem wouldn’t arise.
A limp grip, however, is far from the only way to fail at handshaking. Until such time as we arrive at a handshake-free utopia, here are the seven worst offenders. Can we cut these out, people? Please?
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