Shaking hands with the opposite sex is awkward?

[Mavik]

Its only awkward if you squeeze her hand to tight.

[hellosaltygoodness]

i feel uncomfortable shaking hands with anybody, to be honest. as soon as somebody offers their hand to me all i can think of is "getting my handshake right" because i have read so much about people divining all sorts of impressions of you based on your handshake. so i am thinking to myself "be a strong handshake but not too strong, definitely not weak, make sure it lasts the right amount of time, blah blah blah". i dont enjoy it. but i am a female and i find shaking hands with another female more awkward as i view handshaking as a "male" thing. seeing a man offer his hand seems more normal, when i see a woman offering her hand to me i find it very weird and strange looking. girls are supposed to be informal and bond.

[Deleted]

The common greeting between opposite sexes from where I come from is an open-mouth kiss (tongue is optional, usually only for being introduced to a friends' family member)

Well, hello then Aristeia.

[stormrage666]

I'm a boy. I always hug girls to say hi just to see the size of her chest.

I hand shake boys, and some times just wave to them.

[Calzaeth]

I guess this sounds like a plausible answer.

However when we narrow the cause down to 'mating' it just makes humans sound so feral. haha

But that's the beauty of us! ANYTHING can be discussed down to "It's because of mating/hunger/sleep/toilet.". And I mean *EVERYTHING* :P

On handshakes: I shake hands whenever meeting someone new, no awkward moments. However, if I get the 'limp fish'-shake, I'll glare at the hand until she firms the smeg up. Seriously, it's the simplest polite action you'll ever do in your life, why don't I deserve a proper one?

[Aristeia]

Well, hello then Aristeia.

Or was it a shanking? Ohh I get these things mixed up all the time and it makes for worlds of awkward first impressions ^.~

[angrys13]

the only problem i have when shaking a girls hand is concentrating on not crushing it to bits

[Gorewolf]

Nope, not awkward, just let them decide. They do nothing, i do nothing. They hug, handshake, kiss, whatever then i reciprocate. At least thats the edicate i was taught as a child and turned out to be what i got taught for business meetings as an adult.

[Deleted]

Nope, not awkward, just let them decide. They do nothing, i do nothing. They hug, handshake, kiss, whatever then i reciprocate. At least thats the edicate i was taught as a child and turned out to be what i got taught for business meetings as an adult.

What if the other person is also waiting for you to do something? Do you both just stand there? lol

[bringitback]

Maybe its because most girls are bad at it. From my experience younger women like <30 either screw up timing somehow or give you the limp hand.

[cFortyfive]

Having joined the workforce for quite some time now I don't see how this is supposed to be awkward.

[krymefighter]

I make eye contact and shake their hand, it doesn't matter what the gender is... Do you feel this way when shaking the hand of a super feminine (flamboyant) guy?

[chocho]

well i can say is either is the way you are or maybe you just germofobic ( sorry grammar) :P.
Anyway, did you know that by shaking hands you can measure the type of person most likely those people are? I remember having read this on somewhere few years ago.
I cannot really believe is in general terms tho, but for sure you can feel that a person is nervous by a weak handshake. it all depends on the situation. Now following this, if you dont wanna handshake females then.... maybe there s an issue there, somewhere hidden that you havent realize it? . For my teacher you would be a person who is scared of germs lol since you say it happens even while watching other people touchy each other hands.

[Schattenlied]

well i can say is either is the way you are or maybe you just germofobic ( sorry grammar) :P.
Anyway, did you know that by shaking hands you can measure the type of person most likely those people are? I remember having read this on somewhere few years ago.
I cannot really believe is in general terms tho, but for sure you can feel that a person is nervous by a weak handshake. it all depends on the situation. Now following this, if you dont wanna handshake females then.... maybe there s an issue there, somewhere hidden that you havent realize it? . For my teacher you would be a person who is scared of germs lol since you say it happens even while watching other people touchy each other hands.

He is pretty obviously not a germaphobe, because he is fine shaking hands with males.

[Hyde]

When I meet a guy or my friends introduce me to a dude or even when I meet a man a lot older than me, a handshake is completely fine. Whether it's a classic handshake, a brofist, a high five or any other variant. It is still fine.

But when I meet a female and shake hands, it's just awkward. I mean it's not that I have any problem interacting with the opposite sex, it's just handshakes are awkward. Even when I observe other guys shaking hands with women, it's painfully awkward.

For example, the other day my friend introduced me to two of his friends. I shake the guys hand and all is well. Then the girl pops up from behind him and it's like uhh....ok...*handshake*. But it was pretty awkward for me. I couldn't hug her because I'd just met her but a handshake just seemed.....idk.

Is it just me or does it seem a little awkward when a guy and a girl shake hands?

Not just you. For religious reasons I can't touch any female that I can get marry with.

[Deleted]

Holding hands is incredibly lewd.

[Deleted]

He is pretty obviously not a germaphobe, because he is fine shaking hands with males.

I just can't get why the dynamics between a male-male handshake and a female-male handshake are so different.

Their body language changes, their facial expressions change. It's painful for me even to watch.

But I guess it's been explained pretty well in the thread.

[Zoloft]

If your shaking hands with a girl you like whom you are hitting on at a bar I don't know what to tell you.

[Deleted]

I find it very awkward actually. And make a point of not doing it if I find the lady attractive and have no reason to be ' strictly professional' with her. A handshake is a mood killer, in my opinion, especially if you intend to flirt with said person. It like takes away the chemistry of potential, initial, first physical contact (even if your chances are slim) and replaces it with a gesture that, to me, says, "we will be peers or colleagues and nothing more".
If I get introduced to a girl within handshaking distance, I usually just give 'em a big smile, say hi and maybe do one of those awkward, stupid waves when you have to sway your hand close to your chest, to make a fairly unsubtle statement on not shaking hands.

[twelvedogs]

conceal a finger inside and tickle her palm. awkwardness avoided.