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I suspect - with zero evidence - that handshakes are a male way of greeting, and women got included in it, because what else would you do, but it doesn't work w
by BurningFrog 5y ago
I suspect - with zero evidence - that handshakes are a male way of greeting, and women got included in it, because what else would you do, but it doesn't work well for them.
- esyir 5y agoInterestingly enough, handshakes started as a "I'm not carrying a weapon", and that war/combat is essentially a male field. In reality though, it's very much a male tendency to pursue and display their physical strength; that handshakes also become an avenue for this is unsurprising.
- User23 5y agoThis is consistent with my experience. I can’t recall the last time I saw a woman shake hands where it wasn’t basically obligatory. Men on the other hand do. The difference in behaviors is most noticeable in informal settings where personal preference can dictate behavior.
- klyrs 5y agoIt's also a standard greeting in north American business culture. Failing to fit culture is a "legitimate" reason to be excluded. And yes, lots of men have expressed that handshakes are a men's club. I know guys do the crushing handshake thing as a dominance game. I'd love to be left out of that garbage without being deprived of equal opportunity.
- BurningFrog 5y agoI can understand the crushing handshake as some kind of game between men. Doing it to a woman seems more like a form of assault.
- klyrs 5y agoNo. Just like ass-slapping, it's assault if it's unwanted, regardless of gender.
- 5040 5y agoLike everything, it depends on the context. Ass-slapping athletes are different than Ass-slapping construction workers.
- 3729426s73 5y agoNo. Consent is the only thing that matters. Gender and profession is completely irrelevant. It should be obvious that you don't touch people without their consent.
- ska 5y ago> I know guys do the crushing handshake thing as a dominance game. It's ironic how an attempt to show dominance is actually such a clear demonstration of (psychological) weakness.
- commandlinefan 5y agoNot sure if it's urban legend or not, but I read somewhere that handshakes started in feudal times: you shook each others arms to make sure nobody was hiding a knife underneath their armor. But that might be another "railroad tracks are the width they are because of roman war horses" story.
- DeWilde 5y agoMaybe, I've noticed that most females prefer the hug greet over a handshake greet.
- 3729426s73 5y agoI don't think it has anything to do with gender. I'm a man and have the same complaints about handshaking as klyrs, and the person who crushed my hand the hardest was a woman.