The Scientific Portal of Behavior, Body Language and Nonverbal Communication#

Search for

November 13, 2010

Why we wave hands at others?

We wave hand(s) to friends, fans, guests, neighbors, colleagues and relatives while saying “Hi”, “See You”, “Bye”, “Good Bye”, “Meet you”, “Miss you” or “Take care” etc. Sometimes words can’t reach due to distance barrier but mere hand wave works.

We feel better when we watch others waving their hands with a few lovely words with smiles on their faces while confronting us or going away. Why waving hands to make us and others feel better? Why we have become so habitual of it?

Hand wave simply serves very a basic purpose that makes us social animals by exhibiting our disarmed, non-hostile and friendly intentions. By holding open palms with stretched fingers up above and visible to others silently conveys "Feel completely safe from me! I'm not holding any arm or weapon".

If somebody who knows you well is going away from you or departing the shared physical space then the very first thing that might lurk in the person's unconscious mind is if you're going to luanch an attack from behind or a distance by using your hands with the help of an arm or a weapon of some kind.

Waving hand isn't as formal like shaking hand. The social ritual of hand shake is like a treaty of ensuring mutual disarmament and willingness to connect
by touching each other mutually whereas a hand wave communicates harmlessness from a distance.

It’s our natural tendency to get attracted to thing that moves. Thus a hand wave becomes attention seeker while we say “Hey” or “Hello” aloud. It can convey “Do you see me?" or "I’m here.”. In return, other person may respond by waving hands reciprocating “Yes! I see you.” or "I'm coming to you".

It has become social and casual practice of showing off openness, friendliness and harmless intentions. More affectionate and intimate hand wave silently says "Don't forget me...", "I care for you..." or "Come again...".

A hand wave or waving hand (or palm) is one of most valued body language rituals in the whole world so this short article is meant to discuss about in details.

Related Articles
1) What is hand shake? 2) Why we smile? 3) Why we hug? 4) Positive Body Language 5) Woman's Courtship Body Language (Part 1) 6) Making true friends

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please post your valuable comment here.