Reply To: Kosher Cruise

LU: One thing I love about not shaking hands is when someone else is like “Omgosh me too!”

Background: Honestly I know that this is for religious purposes, shomer negiah. Still, the stuff that I’ve read about it is so true. In other words, having someone else touch me does affect me personally.

It’s kind of ridiculous that a stranger can literally go up to you and demand that you touch him or her. Then from that point on, not touching this person is socially understandable.

Yet when I had no clue who this person was, I am obligated to put the hand and digits that I use for such personal matters (feeding myself, writing notes, showing my dog affection, taking contacts out of my eyes, driving my car, putting on my shoes, and I need not go on) into this person’s hand and grasp?

Obviously even when I know the person, that doesn’t mean that I owe this person touch.

I do want my touch to be special and reserved.

Sometimes I just say that I don’t want to touch someone else. It affects my energy and it’s a boundary issue.

Sometimes someone will agree and say that he, and mostly she, also doesn’t like doing it. And yes sometimes shaking someone’s hand feels like someone just vacuumed my emotional reserves.

Am I the only one here? Any guys feel this way about shaking hands?