The Excessive Handshake
I met someone at work who greeted me with what can only be described as the most over-the-top handshake I’ve ever experienced. He grabbed my hand like he was shaking hands with a long-lost relative he’d just discovered had inherited a fortune. Then he pumped my arm up and down three times, all while staring into my eyes like he was about to deliver some life-changing wisdom.
After a long, uncomfortable moment, he finally let go and said, “That’s how you know it’s a powerful handshake.”
I just nodded, unsure if I had just been introduced to the world’s most awkward secret handshake. Later, I found out he was notorious for giving everyone a “life-altering” handshake.
I started practicing my “firm yet polite” handshake in case I ever ran into him again.
