Slow day at work today?

I usually give a firm, but not crushing handshake. What gives me the creeps are people who violate Newton's Third Law, offer no equal and opposite reaction. You wind up crushing their hand and shaking their entire arm like it was a string.

no, not slow day. i actually thought about this last night.

but you can see how there are options though, right?

i think soft, droopy handshakes are gross. no limp shakes for me. I think that a firm handshake conveys confidence. No crushing though. that's just rude.

i agree with christina. unfortunately, i have lots of uncontrollable facial expressions, and when someone shakes my hand with a soft, limp shake they get a look of utter repulsiveness. a great way to insinuate...nice to meet you.

Options not only in firmness of grip but also in type of shake. Some people prefer the whole, thumb grip/standard shake/finger grip routine.

this happened to me today - what happens if your hand is kinda clammy and you have to unexpectedly shake someone's hand? i didn't do a wipe-on-pants and shook her fingers (not whole hand) and did it kinda soft. it was less than desirable, i have to say.

i like a firm, not hard handshake with a sincere smile.

shannan, i understand your problem with facial ticks, it seems to be a problem quite serious. personally, my instinctual reaction when encountering a limp shake, is to squeeze harder, therefore trying to encourage some sort of response. (ya know, fight to keep the fragile bones in your hand from being crushed by my he-man like strength.) I've found though, that this seems to only result in the facial ticks that you are talking about.

another fun one, is to skip right past the handshake and go right for a big hug. who doesnt like a hug?

Men are the ones who usually convey concepts like 'strength' and other unresolved remnants of what they learned about masculinity during puberty into bone-crushing handshakes that they learned in beer commercials and John Wayne movies. For me, it's about sincerity. When I shake someone's hand, I'm saying "I'm really pleased to meet you." in a physical way. If I REALLY liked meeting you, it takes everything in my power not to extend it into a soul shake; the choreography of which confuses most people who are not Black.

christina, i just think if someone cant grip a hand....... what else cant they grip? well you know, for hug sake.
but if someone shakes my hand, with a limp shake, one of my thoughts is to grab their hand tightly and wildly shake their arm up and down into a wave like movement to resemble the 80's dance move.

Shannan AND Donald - it takes a person with a lot of self control to not turn a giddy greeting into a whole new dance/soul/full out of body experience.
there's nothing worse than someone who has the limp shake (insinuating limp other things), and then gives you a look of confusion and horror when you try to really give it to them.

i try to go for a firm handshake without too much up and down motion in business situations, but i prefer a more complex handshake for personal encounters- like one of those things where you grab the hand, the clasp, then snap, which always freaks people out. then i wink at them!

i'm not good at snapping. from handshake to regular snapping.

i think there is a fine line in a handshake. firm, but not overbearing.

I have a genetically strong grip, so I have to be careful to hold back a bit. If I DO find myself in (what I perceive to be) a testosterone poisoned environement, I squeeze until I detect a slight wince on the face of my opponent, and then back off.

I generally try to circumvent the whole thing by wiggling my middle finger against their palm mid-shake, third-grade humor style.

Do some of you people think before you shake hands? Do you ever think the person could have arthritis or have a problem with their hand? Or, they are a musician & may play the guitar or something? That's my case here. I encountered a man today that tried crushing my hand when I went to see about his Pop-Up Camper. I haven't been doing much lately & my body deals with arthritis. I feel weak most of the time. I have always given a light, but, firm handshake to men & a lighter & sometime different handshake to ladies. I am only 5'10" with small arms & forearms & I get tired of these guys who think they are macho & cocky when they shake your hand. They don't impress me & don't intimidate me. If worse comes to worse I can call on my friends Smith & Wesson hehhehhehhehhehheh! Lighten up the grip, keep it a little firm but, think before you shake!

I was recently at a function were money was not the object. It was an office party at a country club for accountants and their spouses. I was introduced to a gentleman who had his right arm in a sling. He reached to me to shake my hand with his left hand faced down reaching for my right hand. I met him with my left hand to his left hand in a reverse handshake. What is the acctual protocol for a right arm in a sling???