On Shaking Hands is an Essay written by English journalist and writer, A.G Gardiner. The central theme of Essay “On Shaking Hands” is courtesy, alter and perception.
On Shaking Hands By A.G Gardiner
Summary of On Shaking Hands By A.G Gardiner
Shaking Hands is custom in foreign countries which no one can criticize as shaking hands means you are greeting someone. Shaking hand is an innocent act but nowadays people criticize it as they believe shaking hands with someone is unhygienic.
Shaking hands is a popular tradition which no one can end no matter how many people criticize it. Shaking hand is a tradition which is settled in our soul which means we people are very habitual of shaking hands. There are many people in the world who doesn’t shake hands, like Indian people who greet with their folded hands, Chinese people greet with the motion of their hands and Japanese people greet by bowing their head.
There are different cultures and style to greet people but shaking hand is our habit and everywhere in the world people shake hands to greet. The writer says, the way people greet hands in West, their greetings look real while Indian and Japanese greets doesn’t look real because of their different style. The writer says we doesn’t do partiality and discrimination while greeting even there is no ban West for kissing as it is a way of greeting.
It is normal in western countries to do kissing for greetings while Japanese people believe kissing someone is an intimate act. Although, England people doesn’t like man to man kissing but they do hand shake to greet someone as it is in their habit. It is in England peoples culture to hold each other hand tightly while greeting and if you are not holding hands tightly it means you are disrespecting.
The writer doesn’t support shaking hands custom in everything as he knows it has many disadvantages as well. Like sometimes we have to shake hands with unhygienic hands, thin hands and wet hands. But by shaking hands we can learn many things about other person like we can learn about the situation of person and we can learn about their intentions. We can also learn about people’s intentions by shaking hands with them.
There is publisher called Pekar who shake hands with people in such a way like he wants to get rid of his hand. But it is not a right way of handshaking. We should always do mutual handshaking, like we should shake hands with people who is interested to shake hands with you. The writer believe shaking hands is a tradition which will never end as it is a best way of greeting in the world.