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Will Americans Ever Lose Their Grip on the Handshake?
This default greeting isn’t always as friendly and egalitarian as it seems.
TL;DR
- The handshake has been a common greeting in America for over a century, despite early concerns about germ theory.
- Even the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted calls to abandon the handshake for health reasons, did not eliminate the practice.
- Some individuals use the handshake to assert dominance through aggressive grips, a phenomenon dubbed the 'knuckle-cruncher' or 'arm-wrencher'.
- Alternatives like the fist bump have been proposed as a more egalitarian and hygienic option, but their suitability for formal situations is debated.
- Despite its drawbacks and the emergence of alternatives, the handshake is likely to remain a prevalent form of greeting in America.