# Handshakes: how to rescue a fail?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handshakes-how-to-rescue-a-fail/733104>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 1, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handshakes-how-to-rescue-a-fail/733104 "2015-10-01T02:26:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Dio2112](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Dio2112](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dio2112)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2015, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/handshakes-how-to-rescue-a-fail/733104/21 "2015-10-04T05:21:45Z")

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> [@GrumpyBunny](#):
>
> You smile while looking the person in the eye, hold the hand for the normal handshake amount of time, then let go.
> 
> You don’t need to “rescue” it.
> 
> The ability to act as if nothing major has happened when something doesn’t go as planned is a good lesson for life, IMO.

Good advice, the ability to improvise and reduce any shame. There is a story that during a Presidential state dinner in the 80’s, a guest broke a teacup (or a wineglass, depending on the telling) and Nancy Reagan demonstrated how fragile the cups were by breaking hers.

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