To curb the spread of the Corona virus,
physical contact has been strongly
discouraged. Unless you’re French, hugs
and kisses are rarely used in greeting
others. The handshake seems to be the
globally accepted method of salutation.
Handshaking however has proven to be
effective in the spread of germs. According
to research from the American Journal of
Infection Control, a handshake transfers
almost twice as many bacteria as a high
five, and “significantly fewer” bacteria are
passed along in a fist bump compared to
a high five.
In all three greetings, longer duration
of contact and stronger grips increased
transmission. This would apply not only
to bacteria but also all germs of which
viruses are part of. Even for the most
fastidious amongst us, our hands teem
with germs. The typical human hand
carries 3,200 bacteria from 150 species,
commonly including faecal bacteria. In
most cases they don’t cause us harm as the
skin acts as an effective barrier, but once
in a while our hands can have germs that
result in diseases.
Another interesting thing about
handshaking is that after shaking the
hand of another person we typically
Sniffing hands after shaking is something
we do subconsciously and in the process,
we transfer germs into our respiratory
system. With the Corona virus pandemic
amongst us, it’s therefore no surprise
that handshaking is strongly discouraged.
It’ll be interesting
to see what the
next acceptable
business greeting
becomes that
hopefully will
work well in both
physical and virtual
interactions.
Unlearning inclinations
to extend
hands will be uncomfortable
but
with time people
will get used to the
idea of greeting in
ways that don’t
involve touch.
spend twice as much time sniffing our
hand than we normally do. Apparently,
this helps us get a sense of someone by
the odours they carry. When we shake
hands we send chemical signals to the
other person. Human body odours have
important communicative functions
regarding genetic identity, immune fitness
and general health, but an expanding
body of research suggests they can also
communicate information about an
individual's emotional state.
Sniffing hands after shaking is something
we do subconsciously and in the process,
we transfer germs into our respiratory
system. With the Corona virus pandemic
amongst us, it’s therefore no surprise that
handshaking is strongly discouraged.
Exactly when did people start to shake
hands? The handshake has existed in one
form or other for thousands of years. One
of the earliest depictions of a handshake is
found in a ninth century B.C. relief, which
shows the Assyrian King Shalmaneser III
pressing flesh with a Babylonian ruler to
seal an alliance.
A popular theory on the handshake’s
origin is that it began as a gesture of peace.
Grasping hands proved you were not
holding a weapon - and shaking them was
a way to ensure your partner had nothing
hiding up their sleeve such as knives and
daggers. Another explanation is that the
handshake was a symbol of good faith
when making an oath or promise. When
they clasped hands, people showed that
their word was a sacred bond.
The handshake’s use as a form of greeting
is more recent and is believed to have been
popularized by 17th century Quakers
who viewed a simple handclasp as a
more egalitarian alternative to bowing or
tipping a hat. The greeting later became
commonplace, and by the 1800s, etiquette
manuals often included guidelines for the
proper handshaking technique.
Perhaps, another reason people shake
hands is for the sake of creating some
form of emotional attachment. Dorothea
Johnson, co-author of ‘The Power of
Handshaking’ says of shaking hands, “It’s
how we connect to someone when we first
meet them. Touching someone, it helps
you create a friendship, a relationship. It’s
so important.”
Sanda and Florin Dolcos, psychology
researchers at the University of Illinois,
have conducted a series of studies on
the ritual’s longevity and concluded it’s
a little like sex. According to Florin,
“Handshake activity activates a part of
the brain that also processes other types
of reward stimulus: good food, or drinks,
or something related to closer physical
interactions.”
A warm handshake engages our oxytocin
system that’s responsible for increasing
trust amongst us. Oxytocin also causes
the release of dopamine, the hormone
associated with reward. The combination
of oxytocin and dopamine results in
us associating trustworthy people with
pleasure. Oxytocin is like social glue,
enhancing friendships. It’s also an
economic lubricant, allowing us to extract
economic value from social interactions.
Given that we’re now operating in a time
where we’re prohibited from touching
one another, let alone shaking hands, it’ll
be interesting to see how going forward,
people in corporate settings begin to
establish trust.
Rona is now amongst us. Michael Ryan,
WHO’s emergency director said of the
virus, "This virus may become just another
endemic virus in our communities and
this virus may never go away." Like HIV,
we have to come to terms with the virus.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise; the only
virus I’m aware of that’s been successfully
suppressed is smallpox.
Given its novelty, we still have a lot to
learn about the Corona virus but one thing
is for certain, for a long time physical
contact will be limited to close family and
friends. Handshaking will be frowned
upon and even though a vaccine might
be found, people will still be apprehensive
about taking others’ hands.
We can’t shake hands, we can’t hug and
we certainly can’t kiss but that doesn’t
mean we can greet one another. There are
a number of alternatives we can adopt.
Namaste, a traditional Hindu greeting
means, “The divine within me bows to the
divine within you” according to the Hindu
American Foundation. To do it, bow
slightly, palms pressed together towards
your chest, with your fingertips pointing
upwards.
We can also smile, although I’m not
so sure how well this will work given
that we’re now wearing masks, but, I
suppose one can smile with their eyes….
Bowing is considered quite respectable, I
personally think that a slight bow of the
head is appropriate as compared to, for
example, the Japanese bow which I feel is
superfluous. However, salutations are also
dependent on culture. Possibly the most
adoptable new (not so new) method of
greeting will be hand waving. It’s easy and
generally accepted across the globe.
We’re living in interesting times, that’s
for certain. In what feels like a finger
snap, technologies have been expedited,
behaviors changed, plans dropped, new
plans created and new knowledge shared.
Beyond the fact that we can’t touch
one another, being close to others is
discouraged and now we meet virtually
rather than physically.
How does one enjoy the advantages
of corporate culture when people are
separate from one another? Advantages
like teamwork, warmth, trust, shared
values, influencing others, etc.? These are
pertinent questions for this time we’re in.
Twitter for instance has stated that its
employees can work from home forever
and I bet a number of other companies will
embrace remote working.
It’ll be interesting to see what the next
acceptable business greeting becomes that
hopefully will work well in both physical
and virtual interactions. Unlearning
inclinations to extend hands will be
uncomfortable but with time people will
get used to the idea of greeting in ways that
don’t involve touch. I personally don’t mind
no longer being obliged to shake hands; it’s
somewhat a relief.
Marion Wakahe is a marketing
professional who is passionate
about business growth and
sustainability and its role in peoples’
empowerment. She is of the opinion
that the marketing function is the
primary driver of business growth.
You can engage with her via email:
[email protected].
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