Are Handshakes A Thing Of The Past?

There seems to be a great deal of chatter surrounding one of America's Greatest Traditions, the old fashioned hand shake.

"A 2019 study published in the Journal of Personality of Social Psychology prior to the corona virus outbreak found that handshakes were perceived as an intent to cooperate and led to improved negotiation outcomes. But health experts say that in a time of social distancing, shaking hands is an outdated custom. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said: “I don’t think we should ever shake hands ever again. … We’ve got to break that custom. Because as a matter of fact, that is really one of the major ways that you can transmit a respiratory illness.”"

We have also seen many American's try to come up with a different solution to what Dr. Fauci has laid out by inventing the elbow bump, the foot bump, air hugs and more. All of which have just seemed very awkward.

It is unclear how American's will react as we roll back into society; some will simply go back to what they know and others will choose not to. One thing is for sure, we will each need to be respectful of others wishes so that business transactions and real estate negotiations can still have the best outcomes.

Personally, I will welcome a heart felt handshake and will offer hand to everyone I meet while being kind and courteous should they choose not to accept my extended hand.

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(Source: Realtor Magazine and “Coronavirus Casualty: Will We Wave Goodbye to the Handshake?” USA Today (April 26, 2020), "Copyright NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Reprinted with permission.")