Body language: What's in a handshake?

Throughout the world, people greet differently. This is determined by different cultures. Even up to yesterday's primitive tribal groups use these greetings to show respect and recognition of meeting.

Primitives to show their hands as a gesture that is at peace. A salute to the time of Julius Caesar is made with the right hand to fist to his chest and clearly drawn. Seizing another forearm to the hand, is also practiced since. In the Western world, young people greet each other with a high five (sometimes with both hands). Soldiers salute their superiors with a snappy salute. The traditional handshake at the general public is done with their palms joints.

If you travel to different places, is still best to check first that the local custom is for the correct procedure of greeting. It 'better to do it properly than to be sorry later. There is a saying: "When in Rome, do as the Romans." Proper greeting handshake or best describes this expression.

To know the proper procedure of greeting, ask around the local clubs. Your good intentions could be interpreted as an insult and you know what follows after, especially in places where you are a visitor. This becomes even more important if you're a first timer to a country where you're not familiar with the cultures.

There are incidents where a handshake accompanied by another gesture is interpreted in more ways than one. Take for example, a typical handshake done by some politicians. A handshake accompanied by a common outlet for the left hand to right or right shoulder for the other person can have different meanings for some people. Some interpret it as being too well with the other person when in fact the politician knows that the difficult person. Among friends, this can be corrected. But two people who hardly know each other, this can mean the opposite.

The lesson is to be reserved in your gesture. What is intended to be good can not be interpreted as such.

Where there is confusion about how the act in a proper location is given, it may be safer to launch a sincere smile instead of a handshake. Since a handshake is considered a type of body language, so a smile. A smile almost always fails in every culture around the world.

local people who extend their hands or greet the first can also give you an idea of how a salute is given to a particular place. Duplication of what they do or just return the favor can be safely considered a proper greeting should be done there.

Some athletes who have strong hands are cautious in shaking hands because they fear the evil hands of others. As for those whose survival depends on their hands, as surgeons, dentists and musicians who are equally cautious in giving a hand to others. This time the hands that want to protect.

So what's in a handshake? It may be just a casual greeting, but it can also mean a lot.