Why Do We Shake Hands?

Summary

The video explores the history of handshaking, dating back to ancient Assyrian and Greek cultures, where it symbolized alliances, greetings, and friendship. Despite modern concerns about the spread of germs, especially after events like the Spanish Flu and COVID-19, the handshake has remained a resilient custom in many societies. The script discusses expert opinions, such as those from Dr. Anthony Fauci, suggesting that handshakes may never return due to health risks. However, the cultural significance and emotional connection tied to handshakes might ensure its eventual comeback post-pandemic.

Takeaways

• 🤝 The tradition of handshaking has come under scrutiny due to the coronavirus outbreak, with experts questioning its future.
• 🦠 Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested we should stop handshaking permanently to prevent the spread of diseases like COVID-19 and the flu.
• 🏛️ Handshaking has a long history, with one of the earliest examples being an image of a handshake from ancient Assyria as a symbol of alliance.
• 📜 In ancient texts like the *Iliad* and *Odyssey*, handshakes are mentioned as gestures of greeting and respect.
• ⚔️ The common use of the right hand in handshaking may have originated from its association with weapon-holding, making it a non-threatening gesture.
• 🕌 Handshakes are part of both Islamic and Christian traditions, with the right hand being symbolically important in many cultures.
• 💼 The handshake has been a democratic form of greeting in the U.S. since at least the 17th century, particularly promoted by Quakers.
• 🚫 Handshaking fell out of favor during past pandemics, such as the yellow fever outbreak of 1793 and the Spanish flu of 1918-1919.
• 🔬 Despite medical warnings about the spread of germs through handshakes, the custom has persisted due to its cultural significance.
• 👃 Some studies suggest handshakes might have evolved as a way to subconsciously detect chemical signals from others.

Q & A

What was Dr. Anthony Fauci's opinion on handshaking after the coronavirus outbreak?

Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested that we should never shake hands again, as it could help prevent not only coronavirus but also reduce the spread of influenza.

When did the practice of handshaking first appear in history?

One of the earliest known images of a handshake was found at the archaeological site of Nimrud in Iraq, depicting the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III and the King Marduk-Zakir-Shumi of Babylonia shaking hands as a symbol of their alliance.

Why is the right hand traditionally used for shaking hands?

The right hand is traditionally used because most people have historically been right-handed, making the gesture a way to show that neither party is armed. Additionally, religious traditions in both Islam and Christianity associate the right hand with honor and clean tasks.

How did the practice of handshaking evolve in ancient Greece and Rome?

In ancient Greece, handshaking appeared in funerary art as a symbol of farewell or connection in the afterlife. In Rome, handshakes were used on coins to symbolize alliances and friendship.

How did Americans adopt the practice of handshaking?

Handshaking in America dates back to the 17th century, when Quakers used it as a greeting in line with their belief in equality, avoiding elaborate salutations that emphasized social hierarchy.

How did historical epidemics, like the 1793 yellow fever and the 1918 Spanish Flu, impact the practice of handshaking?

During the 1793 yellow fever outbreak in Philadelphia, handshakes fell out of use as people avoided close contact. Similarly, during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, handshaking was discouraged due to fears of spreading germs, but the practice returned after the outbreaks.

What role did etiquette guides play in shaping handshaking customs in the 19th century?

Etiquette guides in the 19th century offered advice on the proper way to shake hands, stressing the importance of avoiding rushed or overly forceful handshakes, especially when women were involved.

What did Leila I. Given's 1929 study conclude about handshaking?

Leila I. Given's study, 'The Bacterial Significance of the Handshake,' concluded that handshakes spread disease and argued that while the practice was unsanitary, it was unlikely to disappear due to its deep cultural roots.

Why do some researchers believe people continue to shake hands despite health risks?

Handshakes are believed to communicate trust and social connection. Some studies even suggest that handshaking may allow people to detect chemical signals from others, which could explain why it has persisted despite health concerns.

What is the current debate about the future of handshaking in the post-COVID-19 world?

While some physicians, like Dr. Poland from the Mayo Clinic, argue that handshaking should be permanently retired due to health risks, others believe it may return after a COVID-19 vaccine is developed, as it has deep cultural significance.

Outlines

00:00

🤝 The Uncertain Future of Handshakes

This paragraph discusses the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the tradition of handshaking. It mentions how prominent figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci have raised concerns about the health risks associated with handshakes, potentially signaling the end of this cultural practice. The text then poses the question of whether this gesture will truly disappear and provides historical context for the practice, dating back to ancient times.

05:01

🏺 Historical Roots of the Handshake

This section traces the origin of handshaking back to ancient civilizations, including the Assyrians and Babylonians, as well as references in classical literature such as Homer's *Iliad* and *Odyssey*. It also highlights the role of handshakes in Greek funerary art and Roman coins, symbolizing alliances, farewells, and ongoing connections between people.

✋ Why the Right Hand?

The right-handed nature of the handshake is explored, with explanations tied to weaponry (disarming someone by taking their right hand) and religious customs, particularly in Islamic and Christian traditions. The right hand is associated with honor, while the left hand is reserved for less clean tasks in some cultures. The paragraph also briefly touches on gender dynamics in handshaking.

🏛 Evolution of Handshakes in Europe and America

Handshakes were influenced by the courtly formalities of feudal Europe, evolving into a more democratic gesture, especially in America. Quakers used handshakes to oppose social hierarchy, and by the 17th century, handshakes became a standard greeting. However, outbreaks like the yellow fever in 1793 temporarily halted the practice, only for it to return soon after.

🤲 Etiquette and the American Handshake

By the 19th century, handshaking had become deeply ingrained in American culture, with etiquette guides detailing how to properly execute it. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of striking a balance between firmness and excess, especially in gendered interactions. Handshakes became vital in sealing business and political agreements, such as the famous handshake between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee during the Civil War.

💥 Infamous Handshakes and Disease

The paragraph recalls notable historical handshakes, including the tragic one involving President McKinley’s assassin. It also mentions how handshaking was affected by the 1918-1919 flu pandemic, as people were advised to avoid physical contact to prevent the spread of the virus. Despite public health warnings, the handshake made a comeback after the pandemic ended.

🦠 Health Concerns and the Handshake's Resilience

This section delves into the ongoing health concerns around handshaking, particularly the spread of bacteria and viruses. Studies such as Leila I. Given’s 1929 research highlight the dangers of handshakes from a sanitary perspective. Despite this, handshakes persist, possibly due to their cultural significance and the difficulty of changing long-standing customs.

📊 Power Dynamics in Handshakes

Handshakes are shown to be more than just a greeting; they communicate power dynamics. The paragraph cites research from Psychology Today and a National Geographic article that analyze how people use subtle gestures during a handshake to signal dominance or trust. A study in Israel even suggests that handshakes may be used unconsciously to detect chemical signals from others.

😷 The Debate Over Retiring the Handshake

The concluding paragraph reflects on the future of the handshake in light of modern health concerns. Physicians like Dr. Poland suggest safer alternatives to handshakes due to the potential spread of diseases. The text ends by pondering whether handshakes will make a comeback after the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, but for now, caution is advised.

Keywords

💡Handshake

The handshake is a form of greeting where two people clasp hands, traditionally used to signify respect, friendship, or an agreement. The video discusses its historical origins and current relevance, particularly how the COVID-19 pandemic has cast doubt on its future use due to health concerns.

💡Coronavirus

Coronavirus refers to the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly changed social behaviors, including handshaking. In the video, it is highlighted as a key reason for reconsidering whether handshakes should continue as a social norm due to their role in transmitting germs.

💡Historical significance

This term refers to the long-standing tradition of handshaking throughout various cultures and time periods. The video traces its origins back to ancient Assyrian and Babylonian alliances, Greek funerary art, and Roman political symbolism, showing how this gesture has represented trust, unity, and power across history.

💡Dexiosis

Dexiosis is the term used to describe the handshake motif in ancient Greek funerary art. It symbolized a farewell, reunion in the afterlife, or a connection between the living and the deceased. This historical context deepens the understanding of how the handshake has conveyed meaningful gestures beyond simple greetings.

💡Germs

Germs are microorganisms that can cause disease, and the handshake's role in transmitting them is a focal point in the discussion. The video emphasizes how medical concerns, especially during pandemics like COVID-19 and the 1918 Flu, have raised awareness about how handshakes can spread germs and illnesses.

💡Social hierarchy

Social hierarchy refers to the structured ranking of individuals or groups in a society. The video explains how, historically, handshakes were used as a way to signify equality or deference, particularly in contrast to bows or curtsies, and how Quakers in the 17th century used it to reject social hierarchies.

💡Yellow fever outbreak

The Yellow Fever outbreak of 1793 in Philadelphia is discussed as a historical example where handshaking fell out of favor due to fear of contagion. This event parallels modern concerns about COVID-19 and reinforces the pattern of how epidemics impact social practices like handshaking.

💡Flu of 1918-1919

The Flu of 1918-1919, also known as the Spanish Flu, was a global pandemic that infected a third of the world’s population. The video mentions how this pandemic caused temporary changes in social norms, including avoiding handshakes, similar to what occurred during COVID-19.

💡Trust and nonverbal communication

Trust is a key social element that handshakes symbolize, while nonverbal communication refers to the unspoken messages conveyed through physical gestures. The video explains how handshakes act as a signal of trust, allowing people to feel comfortable sharing germs, and how they communicate power dynamics, status, and familiarity.

💡Cultural adaptation

Cultural adaptation is the process by which customs evolve in response to societal changes. The video discusses how the handshake might evolve or be replaced by other forms of greeting due to health concerns raised by COVID-19, highlighting a potential shift in modern cultural practices.

Highlights

Dr. Anthony Fauci suggests we should never shake hands again, as it could prevent not only coronavirus but also significantly reduce the spread of influenza.

The tradition of handshaking has been questioned in modern times, especially during pandemics, but its historical roots show its importance in building alliances and trust.

The earliest known image of a handshake dates back to the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III and King Marduk-Zakir-Shumi of Babylonia, symbolizing their alliance.

In ancient literature, handshakes were seen as signs of friendship, as seen in Homer's 'Iliad' and 'Odyssey' with gods and mortals engaging in handshakes.

In ancient Greece, handshakes were depicted in funerary art, symbolizing reunions in the afterlife or ongoing connections between the living and the deceased.

In ancient Rome, handshakes appeared on coins to symbolize alliances and friendships, and the gesture had political significance.

Right-hand handshakes are thought to stem from weapon safety, as taking the right hand would disarm a potential threat, especially among right-handed individuals.

Handshakes have a religious significance in Islamic and Christian traditions, with the right hand being used due to associations with cleanliness and honor.

The Quakers in 17th-century America adopted handshakes as a sign of equality, rejecting more hierarchical forms of greeting like bows or curtsies.

Historical pandemics, such as the 1793 Yellow Fever and the 1918 Flu, led to temporary bans on handshaking, showing its vulnerability to health crises.

Medical experts, since the 1920s, have highlighted the unsanitary nature of handshakes, with studies proving that they help transmit infectious diseases.

Handshakes can be used to communicate power dynamics, with gestures like prolonged handholding or touching signaling authority or intimacy.

A study in Israel found that 25% of participants subconsciously sniffed their hands after shaking, suggesting that handshakes might have a role in detecting chemical signals.

Some experts argue for the permanent retirement of handshakes in favor of safer, more hygienic greetings in light of COVID-19 and future pandemics.

Despite its potential dangers, the handshake has endured for centuries as a key social gesture of trust, connection, and equality, making its future uncertain but not easily dismissed.

Transcripts

Will we EVER shake hands again?

Since the coronavirus outbreak there has been a renewed interest in handshaking.

Articles have appeared in publications including The Atlantic, National Geographic, and The

Guardian, asking whether this tradition is dead.

Speaking on a Wall Street Journal podcast, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of National Institute

of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said: “I don’t think we [. . .] should ever

shake hands ever again, to be honest with you.

Not only would it be good to prevent coronavirus disease; it probably would decrease the instance

of influenza dramatically in this country.”

But are we speaking too soon?

When did we start shaking hands in the first place, and how did it become such a widespread cultural practice?

One of the earliest known images of a handshake was found at the archeological site of Nimrud

in Iraq.

It depicts the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III and the King Marduk-Zakir-Shumi of Babylonia

shaking hands in demonstration of their alliance.

There are references to grabbing hands in greeting and friendship in ancient literature

as well.

In Book 14 of the Iliad, Neptune takes Agamemnon’s “right hand in his own” as he assures

him that “the blessed gods are not yet so bitterly angry with you.”

In the final book of the Odyssey, Odysseus returns home and the servant, Dolius, is described

as, “seizing his master’s hand and kissing it at the wrist.”

Variants of this gesture appear on Greek funerary art as well.

Consider this grave stele of Philoxenos with his wife, Philoumene, which dates to about

400 BCE.

This particular example is owned by the Getty Museum, which explains that, on gravestones:

“The handshake motif, or dexiosis, was a symbolic gesture that could represent a simple

farewell, a reunion in the afterlife, or an ongoing connection between the deceased and

the living.”

In ancient Rome, handshakes appeared on coins as a symbol of an alliance or friendship.

This example is owned by the trustees of the British Museum and dates from 128-132 CE.

Here, Roma draws Hadrian’s right hand towards the extended right hand of a Senator.

But why do we usually shake with our right hand?

There are likely a few reasons.

The most popular explanation has to do with weaponry -- historians have analyzed artwork

in caves and determined that for thousands of years most people have likely been right-handed,

so taking the right hand takes away a potential weapon.

Then, there might be a religious angle.

Hand shaking is part of both Islamic and Christian traditions.

In Islamic tradition, the right hand is associated with honor and designated for certain clean

tasks, such as eating.

The left hand is meant for life’s, well, dirtier functions.

It is considered correct form to shake right hand to right hand.

Although, some Muslims believe it is inappropriate for men and women to shake hands at all.

Quick caveat: We recognize that women have not participated in handshaking customs at

many points in history (and in many cultures).

In the interest of brevity, our summary will not delve into this fascinating aspect of

the history of the handshake.

Bu, back to what we were saying, in Christianity, extending one’s right hand is also considered

a beneficent gesture.

During the feudal era, courtly formalities, including elaborate salutations, curtsies

and bows came into vogue in many parts of Europe.

Although feudal mannerisms would evolve over time, the spirit behind them remained constant.

Rituals of deference marked one’s place in the courtly order.

As these courtly customs spread to the colonies, the idea of greeting others with a handshake

was far more in line with a newly formed America’s democratic principles.

Americans have been shaking hands with each other at least since the 17th century, when

Quakers, who explicitly denounced exhibits of social hierarchy, used this as their form

of greeting and taking leave.

That said, clasping hands has not always seemed to be a great idea in the United States.

Consider, for example, the 1793 outbreak of yellow fever in Philadelphia.

In just three months, over 5,000 people were reported dead in that city.

That was about 10% of the population.

Medical experts at the time did not realize that the disease was transmitted by mosquitoes.

At the time Matthew Carey, a local publisher, wrote a lengthy treatise filled with excruciating

death scenes.

He also included descriptions of citizens trying to protect themselves:

Acquaintances and friends avoided each other in the streets, and only signified their regard

by a cold nod.

The old custom of shaking hands, fell into such general disuse, that many were affronted

at even the offer of the hand.”

This wore off not long after the outbreak.

The good old American handshake had returned.

Handshakes became such a popular form of greeting in the 19th century US that etiquette guides

often included instructions on how to do it correctly.

One guide published in 1880 advised against rushing the handshake, saying that “when

acting on the spur of the moment, with possibly slight embarrassment, ludicrous errors are

liable to be made.”

Oh, those ludicrous handshaking errors we’ve all made.

Another etiquette guide advises that when a woman extends her hand in greeting, “A

gentleman who rudely presses the hand offered him in salutation, or too violently shakes

it, ought never to have an opportunity to repeat his offense.”

Then as now it was important to strike the right balance between vigor and excess.

Throughout the 19th century, Americans used handshakes to seal business deals and conclude

political negotiations.

One of the most famous American handshakes took place in the Appomattox Court House on

April 9, 1865, as Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee negotiated the surrender of the Civil

War.

A far less fortuitous handshake of note took place at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition

in Buffalo, when Leon Czolgosz shook president William McKinley’s hand with his left hand

while firing two shots from a gun hidden in his right.

Americans shook hands until another epidemic hit: The Flu of 1918-1919 (colloquially called

“The Spanish Flu”).

The CDC reports that the Flu infected about 500 million people, or one-third of the world’s

population.

Side-note: This virus did not originate in Spain.

The country got the blame because the Spanish press reported the disease’s spread, while

British, French, German, and American papers censored the story to maintain wartime morale.

During this pandemic, in some places, people were advised not to shake hands, to stay inside,

to avoid touching surfaces and their face and to wear masks.

New Yorkers were banned from spitting in the street.

Since the pandemic did not last very long, neither did Americans’ concerns about shaking

hands.

As we started to learn how germs spread, the medical community were sounding alarms.

In 1929 nurse, Leila I.

Given, published a study called “The Bacterial Significance of the Handshake” in the American

Journal of Nursing in which Given concludes that handshakes spread disease.

In this study, Given wrote “One may well ask why sanitary America persists in a custom

which has nothing to justify it from the sanitary standpoint, but national customs are not easily

abolished.

That hand-shaking will ever disappear from our midst may be doubted, and our only hope

lies in the education of people to a realization of the danger of hand-transmitted infections.”

So why is this “handy” custom so difficult to “shake”?

On one level, handshakes are a useful tool to communicate power dynamics.

As an article in Psychology Today points out, people can “signal their status” by incorporating

nonverbal “meta-signals” into their gesture.

These signals might include, “clasping their counterpart’s hand with both of theirs;

putting a hand on the other person’s arm or shoulder, or holding on to his or her hand

for an extra few seconds.”

A National Geographic article dives deeper, citing the book, Don’t Look, Don’t Touch,

by behavioral scientist, Val Curtis of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Curtis suggests that the handshake signifies trusting another person enough to share their

germs.

The article also refers to a fascinating study done in Israel, in which researchers filmed

strangers shaking hands.

And here’s the shocking thing: 25% of the participants sniffed their own hands after

shaking someone else’s!

The researchers theorize that many people subconsciously use handshaking to detect chemical

signals from others.

I'm pretty sure that I never was a “post-handshake hand-sniffer,” but I definitely felt like

I learned about others by the way they gripped my hand.

And, if I am being honest, I am kind of nostalgic for that kind of direct human connection again.

But physicians disagree, and think we should permanently retire this old gesture.

Dr. Poland, Director of the Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group, explains: "The reality

of it is, in modern times, you may well be harboring a bio-weapon, so to speak.

I think there are much more safe and culturally appropriate ways to indicate a greeting."

But regardless of where you fall on the to shake or not to shake debate, it’s true

that the handshake as a greeting has had incredible staying power.

And if I had to guess, I would say that shaking hands might make a comeback once scientists

develop a vaccine for Covid-19, although it’s hard to say for sure.

So until next time, please keep your hands to yourself and stay safe!