Kissiness and Shaking Hands

WOW! I feel the SAME way!

LOLOL! You have no idea how much this hits home to me right now.

I'm with my wife in Italy for 3 months. She is from here, so we are working online here and I'm trying to learn Italian...blah blah. BUT the thing that bugs me, horrendously, is the kissing of each cheek to say hello and goodbye.

It's just plain awkward. Which side do you start on? I accidentally kissed a GUY on the lips...and I'm not kidding. So, it's the RIGHT side you start on, just so you know. Of course getting to the bottom of that dilemma was priority one after that incident.

Anyway. Funny post.

I think hugging is not too bad.. it's also the best medicine there is to cure all emotion problems.

First female in this thread. I am not a huggy person. If I haven't seen family or some very very close friend in a long time, we hug. But I don't like people I am not close to hugging on me, and I don't see points to shaking hands - is it still customary to need to check that hand for a weapon upon meeting?

As far as kissing as a greeting - you better be family, and I mean IMMEDIATE family or a guy that I am so crazy about that I can't keep my hands off you anyway.

The insistence in psychology groups that everyone needs hugs has led to people you barely know wanting to monger all over you when you greet and I just step back and let them know that I'm not feeling like I need or want one. Their response is that I am detached or depressed..yadda..yadda. My response is that I'm not that keen on fad psychology either. When did it become an "issue" if you don't want every person you run into on the street that you can call by name mongering all over you?

BTW there was another thread about leaving tips. Want me to pay NOTHING? Simply sit down and touch me a few times, or maybe say something "nice" for effect!

For some reason some idiots do it because supposedly it gets them better tips. It is the OPPOSITE with me!

Steve

You're all funny.

Steve, I'd pay a waitress handsomely to throw her arms around
you and give you a giant, sloppy, wet one. LOL

I'd do it just to watch your reaction.


Ken

Oh and the other thing, if you look at young people's Facebook pages - it's all 'I love you' or 'ily' for short and little love hearts and they say it to each other constantly. Not just boyfriends and girlfriends (although they are the worst) but all the girls in my sons class at school are always telling each other how much they love each other.

well as I observed in public toilets all the time about 10% of men wash their hands AFTER using the toilet! (I always shake my head in disgust...)

So after "shaking" someones hand (espeically man) make sure you wash your hands becasue there's a big chance he hasn't washed since going to use the Loo.....YAK!!!

That pretty much describes to a tee why I'm worried about meeting Ken some day.

Man-hugs and bro-mances and murses have never been, and will never be cool. I'll even put hi-5s and fist bumps in the "never was, or will be cool" club., no matter what the guy at the Dover flea market selling murses tells you.

I'm a guy. You're a guy. Don't touch me. (Unless I'm gagging on a slice of pizza and you're doing the Heimlich. )

And Ken...iIf I'm ever dying and need mouth to mouth and you're the only one around, you can go ahead and let me die, please, without any guilt. Consider it to be my last request. Thanks.

Kurt? I think Mike doesn't want to hug me, whaddya think?

I think I'll just have to give you m2m if you're dying just to
piss you off and gross you out.

Actually, I'm partial to the head bump - hard. Fist bumping
is for girls.


Ken

firstly I don't see anything wrong with a hug and a kiss it's just polite,and shaking
hands is a sign of respect.I hope you don't feel the same way when it comes to family
members that would be quite sad

I also consider shaking hands as a sign of respect. I also take pride in having a firm, confident handshake. Not the kind that is meant to crush a hand, but not a "dead fish" either.

Unfortunately, I probably put too much stock in the other person's handshake. If you refuse to shake hands, it would be best to tell me why right away. Afraid of germs? No problem, I understand. But if you just stand there, I will most likely take it personally.

I even taught my daughters how to "properly" shake hands, and had them do it when meeting somebody new.

Fist bumps do not have the same effect for me.

Anyway, handshakes are fine by me, and almost a necessity (almost).

Hugs? I suppose there could be some circumstances where it would be oay if I didn't know you all that well, but I would definitely prefer a handshake. If it's from family, it's usually okay.

Kisses? Close family, and female only. And I don't always like it, depending on who and why.

All the best,
Michael

lmao...yesssss i'm a germophobic myself :]

I am a reasonably tactile person but I dislike the way some people greet everyone with a kiss every time they see them even if thats every day. Its just not necessary. A hug when you haven't seen someone for a while, or if its christmas or their birthday. My eldest daughter's friend hugged me when I dropped her off after she had come with us on a family day out which she really enjoyed and I thought that was nice. But kissy kissy for the sake of it, no its not for me.

Wow....I had no idea.

I guess this means I should stop touching people.

I agree, a simple handshake, hello or goodbye is enough. Hugging and kissing is all unnecessary if you ask me.