External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who attended the Pakistan SEO Summit in Islamabad, also met Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif at the meeting. The photo was posted by the Foreign Minister himself, in which he can be seen shaking hands with the Pakistani Prime Minister. Although a handshake is a formal gesture, according to science, it is a complete language. There is a lot of information hidden in how hard or soft the hand shakes for how long and hard it is.
In 2019, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un sparked much discussion. The national leaders, seemingly mortal enemies, even shook hands. The handshake lasted for a long time, and it was obvious that the leaders of both sides were testing their strength. This means that they use the handshake as an excuse to express anger or dissatisfaction.
This handshake between the United States and North Korea also attracted attention. Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron are often seen exchanging aggressive handshakes. When they met in 2017, the two shook hands too hard and their finger joints began to turn white. There was a lot of discussion about the handshake, which lasted about 30 seconds.
Research shows that a handshake lasting longer than 3 seconds indicates some kind of interference. Research conducted by the Research University of Dundee in Scotland found that the longer a handshake lasted, the more likely two people were to lose the same enthusiasm after shaking hands. Even if the handshake lasts for a long time, both parties will be suspicious of each other and unable to talk openly.
Thirty-six people participated in this study. During this time, it was discovered that the chemistry between two people changed simply by increasing or decreasing the length of their handshakes. Researchers believe that the ideal handshake time is about 2-3 seconds. Holding a handshake for longer than this can make both parties uncomfortable.
Well, not a very pleasant reason to start shaking hands either. It is unclear in which civilization the handshake greeting was first introduced, but it is believed to be the Greek or Roman culture. Many Greek artworks depict two people shaking hands with weapons behind their backs. It is believed that people used to shake hands when meeting each other to show that they were not carrying weapons and just to talk to each other.
Even in medieval Europe, two combatants shook hands simply to show that they were unarmed. By the turn of the nineteenth century, handshakes began to be considered American culture. A handshake shows masculinity and strength.
Abraham Lincoln is considered the master of the handshake. An incident that occurred in 1861 is still well known today. Then after winning the presidential election, Lincoln shook hands with his supporters. The process lasted so long that his right hand was injured. But Lincoln didn’t stop and started to join with his left hand. After the incident, he joked that his hands were so tired that he could barely shake hands. Although this didn’t happen, they continued to shake hands.
Shortly after the incident, artist Leonard Volk made plaster casts of his hands. The artwork produced after taking the name “Swollen Hand” also looks very similar. Later, many copies were made. These casts of Lincoln’s hands are preserved in many museums across the United States and tell the story of the handshake.
Current US President Joe Biden is often seen avoiding handshakes. They even hugged people to avoid shaking hands. This was seen so many times that local media also dubbed him “The Hug.” Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seemed tired of the politics of handshakes, putting his hands on people’s shoulders so they wouldn’t need to shake hands. He and Trump have been seen doing this many times.
