[RE] "secret" handshakes

Walking along the hallways of school and it will be almost impossible to not see two, or more, close friends performing some kind of secret handshake with one another. This spiked my curiosity. What goes on between these two people to make them want a secret bond between the two of them that no one else knows.

It is interesting that Adam brings this point up. My friend and I were just talking about making up a handshake every time we see each other. I agree and disagree with what he has to say in this post. Yes, friends have their “secret” handshakes they do, but I don’t know if it is necessarily meant to be a secret. It may just be how they want to greet each other every time they meet up. But people wanting to be the best and superior can be in somebody’s mindset, just not because of a handshake. 

I think of handshakes as just another way of communicating. It’s like a hello to your friend. It doesn’t have to be some intense thing that no one will be able to catch on, but just something more than a high five. It is meant for only you and your friend to do, but it doesn’t have to be a secret. In other words, I don’t think it is to make fun of others and make them not feel included; it is just another way to greet. I don’t think it they have the mind set of trying to be bigger or better than someone else, and you shouldn’t judge off of this one thing that they do. I know many accuse and assume off of other people’s actions, but a simple handshake is nothing. 

I have been playing basketball all my life, and have played with many different teams and people. I have gotten close to some, and some we played on a team with each other and we will only be acquaintances. But for the ones that I became close with, we would have a handshake and perform it before every game. This isn’t to boast to the other team, or show off; it was just to get us ready to play. It wasn’t to say to my other teammates that they weren’t important, but just something fun for us to do. 

Now for me, a handshake and wanting to be superior are two different things. I think many do try to be on top. But I don’t think this comes from a handshake. I think people can get jealous of one another and try to be better to show themselves off. I know some people can start getting close with a friend, and their other friends will get jealous or mad because they don’t seem as important anymore. Then they try to be bigger and better by trying to win their friend back, or by pulling away to seem like the better person. Either way, they will feel like they are on top and the best. So I do think handshakes can express people and who they are, but shouldn’t be judged by it. I think many of us judge too quickly and don’t give others a chance to prove themselves. It’s a natural thing for us to do, but we all need to learn from others actions.