Ties, Hugs and Men

As an astute observer of human behaviour I have noted of late an emerging trend for men to hug each other upon meeting. Not, I should add, just quick arms around body encounter but full blown, bear tight, arms flapping hugs. Now for an outwardly, macho, Aussie bloke like myself such behaviour is, I must say, a little disconcerting.

Handshakes I understand and have of course always been my preferred modus operandi. My Headmaster would say you could tell the character of a man by the firmness of his handshake. The firmness of a hug I find is not quite as instructive as a good hard grip and shake! While such familiarity may indeed be revealing, its intensity and intimacy can indeed be distracting and disconcerting.

In the not too distant past a handshake was the sole preserve of men whose right hand was offered in friendship rather than his sword. Time and customs apparently have changed. Women now thrust their hand of friendship towards men in preference to a warm embrace. Even if a hug is procured it is more often than not brief and tenuous unlike post modern male hugs which appear to involve a great deal of back slapping, close encounters and numerous and loud intonations of affection such as; ‘how are you mate’, ‘great to see you’, ‘how is it going’ and of course copious grunting.

Perhaps there is a correlation between the relentless decline and gradual disappearance of men wearing ties which once so clearly defined a man, his stature and prowess. Men wearing ties I would contend are less likely to hug or be hugged as the case may be.

It may on the other hand be a result of the more recent advent of the male gender wearing cologne and other assorted perfumes. Perhaps they just smell better and are more appealing to each other than in the pre-hug days when the aromas of masculinity generally repelled rather than attracted while the allure of feminie fragrance remained ever so enticing and inviting.

Of course there could be a more insidious subconscious sexual connotation which most men would strenuously deny while just a few may well relish and enjoy.

As for me, I think I will just go on wearing a tie.