Fist bump vs hand shake

[SgtRick]

Time to rant a little. Here in Iraq the fist bump is everywhere. I personnally can not stand this. I am a hand shake greeting type person. The fist bump is a primate type greeting that should be reserved for that species. If you ever meet me somewhere in civilization extend your hand.......not your fist. Well enough on that. What are your thoughts and have you seen it yet where you are?

 

[Yeps]

I have no problem with the fist bump used in a celebratory fashion, similar to a high five. For greeting a prefer a handshake. The "man-hug" which begins as a hand shake and then gets a pat on the back is a little odd (in Italy it includes a kiss on each cheek, and is not deemed unmanly at all. Odd)

 

[Atterbury Dodd]

Just give me a good old firm shake.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I'm not a big physical contact guy. Give me a handshake and then get out of my bubble!

 

[scottyrocks]

The fist bump is the best way to not get a handful of germs from kids who want to high five you all the time. I still use hand sanitizer after each class leaves, regardless, and try to never touch my face until I do.

 

[Pompidou]

Within reason, any friendly greeting should be taken at face value as such. I don't care much how the other person cares to do it. A handshake is my default greeting, for what it's worth, but at the bar, I do about an equal amount of both. Fortunately, nobody does man-hugs, at least to me. I like keeping most people at arms' length. In fact, a keen observer would notice a social dance as I subtly back away and the more comfortable people keep trying to talk in closer. It's probably unconscious on both parts. Keeping a two foot radius isn't something I really think about. It just feels strange any other way.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I think a lot of how you carry yourself can alter a greeting for some people. I will be with a bunch of friends and they all do 'gangsta' handshakes, fist bumps, then get to me and it's a traditional handshake. But they know I'm a traditional guy.

 

[The Good]

The fist bump is the best way to not get a handful of germs from kids who want to high five you all the time. I still use hand sanitizer after each class leaves, regardless, and try to never touch my face until I do.

This will sound weird, but I prefer doing a "fist bump" to a handshake or high-five for this reason. I'd just rather not the palm of my hand be touching the other physically. It's a mental health, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder issue for me... I've been like this since childhood, basically. I have a habit of frequently washing my hands, too. I do consider the handshake more elegant, and I do participate in one when the moment calls for it (meeting someone, a friendly introduction).

Man, sometimes I remind myself of Monk...

 

[SgtRick]

The fist bump is the best way to not get a handful of germs from kids who want to high five you all the time. I still use hand sanitizer after each class leaves, regardless, and try to never touch my face until I do.

I can appreciate where you are coming from with kids. They like that and it is more sanitary for you. As far as grown ups are concerned I want a firm hand shake from a man or a light grasp from a female. Fist bumping between grown men is just a bit primitive for me. I am 51 so it might be a generation type thing.

 

[Wambleyburger]

Hand shake, by all means. I never quite understood the fist bump thing, even though I've participated in in it along with the high five. I guess it's kind of a male testosterone type thing. Nothing substitutes for a good firm handshake. I'm kind of old fashioned that way, I guess.

 

[scottyrocks]

I can appreciate where you are coming from with kids. They like that and it is more sanitary for you. As far as grown ups are concerned I want a firm hand shake from a man or a light grasp from a female. Fist bumping between grown men is just a bit primitive for me. I am 51 so it might be a generation type thing.

I'm your age and agree completely. I should have said that I use the fist bump only in the situation I mentioned earlier. Otherwise, it's a traditional handshake (with adults).

 

[Tomasso]

I greatly prefer a fist bump to a high five. But nothing trumps a nice firm handshake.

 

[djd]

Anything other than a handshake I'd reserve for the gym or some sporting occasion.

 

[Lady Day]

Calling it a 'fist bump' is so weird. I grew up calling it a 'dap'.

LD

 

[Edward]

Personally I'm a handshaker, but I do always try to be open-minded; my culture is not the only culture. The funniest experience I've had has been on some one of my trips to China. I had been well informed before heading out there that whereas we in the West go for a 'firm, manly' handshake, the equivalent in polite Chinese society is a very limp, soft affair (I don't remember the details, but I think it has something to do with it being non-threatening, and trusting the person with whom you shake not to try to crush your hand). So I went through a week of having a squashed hand as I offered their style, meanwhile they, being equally culturally aware, offered me a firm handshake. A variant on the old 'shake or bow' I suppose, but much more subtle!

 

[Adcurium]

I understand the fist-bump when on the field playing sports, or when the guitar player of a punk band wants the drummer to know his drumming was awesome. But I think it should end there. At least when we are talking about grown men. Now, I could understand the English teacher giving a bump to the students in the hall. It is probably part of the teenage culture, so the teacher is making a nice gesture by participating in one of their rituals. But it has 'little use' (not NO use) among grown men. I was leaving the courthouse the other day and I stopped to chat with a few other lawyer friends who were standing outside the coffee shop. I went in for the handshake but was presented with a fist-bump and it ended up being a really akward 'fist shake'. And it was just dumb.

 

[1961MJS]

I'm not a big physical contact guy. Give me a handshake and then get out of my bubble!

Hi

Plus 1 on this part. My parents aren't huggers, my Mom's parents weren't either, only my Dad's Mom was a hugger.

Later

 

[rue]

I don't think I've ever seen a woman fist bump, it seems more of a man thing, but the trend with women giving each other highs 5s really irritates me. I don't high 5 and I wouldn't fist bump. It's either a handshake or nothing [huh]

 

[Tatum]

I don't think I've ever seen a woman fist bump, it seems more of a man thing, but the trend with women giving each other highs 5s really irritates me. I don't high 5 and I wouldn't fist bump. It's either a handshake or nothing [huh]

That's funny, Rue... I got fist bumped the other night by a man. He put his out to shake, and as I apologized for my hands being dirty (I was at an event rolling cigars, so wet and covered in tobacco) and reached for my towel that I keep for just that reason, he says, "Well, fist bump then!" like it was a good alternative. I actually thought it was rather creative on his part, but I didn't think it any more appropriate under the circumstances!

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've never seen anyone do it -- must be a cultural thing that hasn't reached this far yet. I'm not too keen on handshakes, either -- we New England folk tend not to care for too much physical contact. Personally, I prefer a deep, subservient bow, preferably accompanied by "I await your orders, madam."