How important is a firm handshake?

I've always had a firm handshake - Got that from me old man. My cousin Geoff who is 13 years older than me has been hurt a few times by it - but he's hurt me back.

Yeah, i belive a strong handshake is important.

Matter of fact i saw a mate today that i haddnt seen since septemer 04, shook his hand and it was weaker than i expected, and hes just come back from a tour of duty with the paras - good to see him again though, i nearly didnt regonise him.

great post. remember to be firm, not Darth Vader death grip. i like to say 'how do you do' or 'pleased to meet you' when i shake hands. i was always taught to say 'pleased to meet you' and 'yes sir/ma'am'. people are always impressed when i break out the 'pleased to meet you, sir'.

I remember when my parents taught my brother and me how to shake hands "the right way". Now its a huge turn off for me when I meet someone with a weak grip. It bothers me more when women/girls have weak hand shakes because I feel like they're furthering the notion that girls are weak and dont stand up for themselves. I've hurt a few guys with my hand shake. Oh man the worst kind is when the person just kind of gives you their fingers and you dont really know what to do with them.

haha yeah the fingers. I forgot about that since i usually get up high on the hand, but I have been left with just fingers in the past. Pitiful. Like if I gave you a pipe wrench, your hand would break.

Whenever someone reaches out to shake my hand, I start taking of my pants.

Firm handshakes are fine and all, but to me it can be a little too uptight and formal in some settings. If I meet someone at a party or something, haha I'm not gonna shake their hand like I would at a job interview. Just a nice little waddup slap some skin or pound it whatever and move on.

Call me crazy, but I always kind of look twice at the people that give me a regular ole' handshake. It just doesn't look natural, or it looks funny, I'm not sure. ~

While i find a handshake respectful, i find the strength of the handshake trivial.

My dad taught me too but,,,it was always in a bar and i had to embarrassingly shake all these lushes hand with their beer breath...

They say using your second hand shows acceptance and makes the other person more comfortable...

I believe if you can approach someone and grasp their hand firmly, like you're convicted to them, then it is not what you learn from them, but what they learn of you that makes a good handshake. Impressions, if you will. A weak handshake would indicate unwillingness to grip another's hand, however, to show that you are not afraid to clench someone's hand as firmly as possible. A handshake like that demands respect and obedience; trust.

i believe a good handshake is important as well just because I have always done that and people take it more seriously....It can tell more about maturity and character in my opinion but thats just me