Go for the one arm hug. It's half handshake half hug, it's a hugshake.
Hug vs. Handshake
21–30 of 167 posts
Re: Hug vs. Handshake
#22Women wanted to be treated equally to the men in the workplace, so no hugs from me. Simple and straightforward.
Re: Hug vs. Handshake
#23Go for the one arm hug. It's half handshake half hug, it's a hugshake.
Re: Hug vs. Handshake
#24I pretty much only ever shake hands when first being introduced to someone, or when concluding some kind of business arrangement. I have no problem with hugging but I really don't care - I never instigate it with males or females but have no problem returning a hug if one is incoming. Who has the time to worry about stuff like this? I really don't get it, chances are the people you are imagining taking offense aren't…
It's not a genuine worry for me, just something I think about from time to time, when I realize that an interaction (either a hand shake or a hug) was slightly awkward for one of the parties.
Other people don't need to give something the same amount of attention that I do for it to become a meaningful subject of thought for me. I also don't think that people generally take offense when (say) I give them a handshake instead of a hug, or the other way around. At worst, it creates some momentary awkwardness. All that said, it's still interesting.
Re: Hug vs. Handshake
#25I pretty much only ever shake hands when first being introduced to someone, or when concluding some kind of business arrangement. I have no problem with hugging but I really don't care - I never instigate it with males or females but have no problem returning a hug if one is incoming. Who has the time to worry about stuff like this? I really don't get it, chances are the people you are imagining taking offense aren't…
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Re: Hug vs. Handshake
#26I pretty much only ever shake hands when first being introduced to someone, or when concluding some kind of business arrangement. I have no problem with hugging but I really don't care - I never instigate it with males or females but have no problem returning a hug if one is incoming. Who has the time to worry about stuff like this? I really don't get it, chances are the people you are imagining taking offense aren't…
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Re: Hug vs. Handshake
#27My favourite definition of "awkwardness" comes from Steven Pinker: it's the uncomfortable feeling you get when you realize that your concept of your relationship with someone else doesn't match their concept. The intensity of awkwardness roughly corresponds to the magnitude of difference in relationship concepts.
For example, I was at a dinner party recently and greeted a female friend with a handshake. She said, "That was formal," and slight awkwardness ensued. When we were leaving I made sure to give her a hug.
If, at the end of dinner, someone had pulled out their wallet and starting putting money on the table to pay for their meal, the awkwardness would have been much more intense.
Re: Hug vs. Handshake
#28I shake hands with everyone on first meet or in an office environment, male or female. Outside of an office environment, I'll still shake on a first meet, but am happy to hug, cheek kiss or whatever else if I know the person.
Edit: just do whatever you do with confidence and a smile. Doesn't really matter after that.
Re: Hug vs. Handshake
#29To make it even more complicated, people from different counties react differently to hugging. Taiwanese, for example, often seem be quite uncomfortable with it.
In Argentina, everyone kisses once on the cheek, including between men. Certainly a culture shock at first, put it avoids all the ambiguity in NA/Europe.
Edit: I should say I only know that to be true in the BsA area. Not sure about other provinces.
Re: Hug vs. Handshake
#30I have been told off more than once for not hugging women. That said, the kiss-on-the cheek thing is very popular in continental Europe for acquaintances.
The only strangers I make a point of hugging are Germans, just to freak them out!
But seriously, as long as you greet sincerely with any action, you are highly unlikely to cause offense. Just note their reaction for future reference after.
More importantly is how much personal space you give them after that point. A one-off strange greeting is almost always acceptable; occupying someone's personal space for an extended time is another matter entirely...