Stop shaking hands

Shaking hands is harmful. At least, if you meet more than once a week. In any big male group, there is a ritual of greeting and farewell every morning and evening. It’s a terrible atavism.

Every person who enters the room goes around and shakes hands with all the fellows. A similar ritual is performed at the end of the working day. This happens every day, five days a week.

Everyone who extends their hand shows complete indifference to what is happening. In a large team, everyone treats this formally and without interest.

This distracts us from work. We are forced to be distracted from our thoughts and pay attention to everyone who enters or leaves.

It’s unhygienic. A person came from the street: held onto handrails in transport, ate food, picked their nose. Who knows where their hands have been?

Most people do this automatically because it’s the norm. Because you’re a man, and men shake hands. Because what, you think you’re too good to shake hands?!

We see each other every day. What’s the point of this show? A simple verbal greeting is enough. It’s not even necessary to respond with “Hello!” to everyone. You can always greet personally the person you want to talk to or have close contact with.

Women are lucky in this regard… (if we ignore the inequality caused by shaking hands habits)