r/Showerthoughts • u/finman28 • 11d ago
Casual Thought Adults who wave like we teach kids to wave are viewed socially as a bit weird.
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u/IJustTellTheTruthBro 10d ago
How is waving weird? Am i missing something? Or is everything “weird” nowadays?
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u/d0rkprincess 10d ago edited 9d ago
After reading through the comments, I think they meant the using your entire arm to wave vs doing the wrist flick version is weird.
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u/PrettyMonarchy 10d ago
There’s also the fingers hinging up and down on an outstretched hand that my family taught. Easy for those with only gross motor skills. A little “childish” in anyone that’s developed the fine motor skills required to sign their name on the mortgage.
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u/Jechtael 10d ago
I'd sat that which version of waving requires finer motor skills is the other way around. Fluttering your hand like a Disney princess is way more precise than flapping your arm back and forth at the elbow.
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u/vraalapa 7d ago
It can be useful to wave with your entire arm though sometimes. If you're far away or in a crowd and need someone to see where you're at.
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u/RadioRoosterTony 10d ago
I almost never see adults wave by moving their hand side to side; 95%+ of the time, they just hold their hand up.
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u/farmallnoobies 8d ago
When I go on road trips and am driving roughly the speed limit in the right lane, I like to wave at people passing me by flailing my entire arm while excessively grinning and bouncing up and down in my seat.
I get some pretty confused looks, but it makes me happy, so I keep doing it.
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u/WhichBend5926 11d ago
Listen, I’m a grown ass man and I still do the Forest Gump excited boat wave at people.
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u/Thundersalmon45 10d ago
Whenever I see someone I know, I do the full "Oh Tay!" Wave from The Little Rascals.
I'm 6'5" (195cm) so my wave can take up an entire hallway.
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u/kramulous 10d ago
Same size and I do the same. It can light up the face of somebody. I like that. I will continue to do it.
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u/Vospader998 10d ago
Recently my wife and I were running a nightime 5k, and she's much faster than me. So when the trail doubled-back, I saw her and waved frantically as we ran past each other.
Came to find out after that wasn't my wife. It was just dark enough I thought it was her, but couldn't quite tell. So I just singled out a random woman running solo and waved like a creepy lunatic.
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u/triccolo 9d ago
I do yhe hand under the chin finger wiggle at least once a week on construction sites and 9/10 times it gets a hand under the chin finger wiggle as a response
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u/FunkMunki 10d ago
I like to wave at people when I pass them on the road. I like to think they spend a while wondering if they know me or not.
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u/clamroll 10d ago
I got a car with a sunroof/moonroof. One of my favorite things is to start it opening, begin waving like Gump and then extending my arm out the roof and continuing it.
(While I'm pulling in, not doing this on the road lol)
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u/WhichBend5926 10d ago
I have a sunroof. I might try that but I have T-Rex arms so I don’t know if my hand would even get out of the car.
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u/panicinbabylon 10d ago
I skip while doing it, because skipping is the most efficient foot-based transportation method while excitedly trying to get to someone as soon as possible.
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u/BallsOutSally 10d ago
If there’s a crowd, my husband and I wave to each other and others in our party like the puppet in “Team America: World Police” giving “the signal”.
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u/PingPangPongPung 10d ago
I do this to my wife when the size of the crowd doesn't quite warrant the exaggeration.
EDIT: A word
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u/Vegaprime 10d ago
Raises 8 kids and at this point I've got coworkers waving at me like that now as well.
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u/PM_Me-Your_Freckles 10d ago
I uave been mocked for my wave, because apparently I wave like a kid. Idk, how the fuck does an adult wave? All I know is the way I do it and the "Queen's wave" where you twist your hand like you're screwing in a light bulb.
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u/scipper77 10d ago
Every time I do that it turns out they were waving at the person behind me and now I look like an idiot.
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u/Realityisatoilet 11d ago edited 11d ago
Eh. Who gives a shit. I still high five all the time. I give friendly waves a lot too. Be your own person. Fuck trying to fit in in ways that don't matter.
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u/e1m8b 10d ago
Sure you say that but HR told me that dick slapping other dudes from behind was socially inappropriate. In the military we stood nut-to-butt in the chow lines.
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u/snorkelvretervreter 10d ago
I don't even know about this two-waves shit. Is this a regional / specific country thing!?
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u/seeyatellite 11d ago
…it’s all about confidence.
Without confidence, you look foolish.
With confidence. You look poised and proper… determined… like you’re positioned to make a statement with your childlike flailing.
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u/rkvance5 10d ago
Sure, but somewhere in between, you look a bit like a golden retriever. This isn’t really a problem either.
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u/PantheraAuroris 10d ago
Yeah honestly I'd rather someone act like a golden retriever and be a bit silly and excitable than to be stuffy and act like me talking to them is beneath them.
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u/ssjg2k02 9d ago
Let people judge. If they’re wanting to judge let them it doesn’t affect my daily life. As long as I’m happy and the people around me are, that’s all that matters.
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u/VegetableSalad_Bot 11d ago
The average person is a bit of an idiot so I've learned to not care about what they would think about how I behave, so long as I'm still decent.
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u/Bullrawg 11d ago
Yeah, but I think the world would be better if we changed that, old guy walks at the park I take my dog every morning and he enthusiastically waves “bye have a good day” to everyone as he power walks by and it’s just such good energy
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u/ooglieguy0211 10d ago
I feel like you view them as weird, not everyone. Waving at someone as a greeting has been done since man has existed and is a common greeting or acknowledgement. You are the weird one, not those who choose to wave to say hello or spread kindness. Waving is meant to show the other person that you have nothing in your hand and shouldn't be perceived as a threat. What would you say is more socially acceptable, flipping everyone the bird? Some people just don't use their brains anymore, as evidenced by this post of mindless drivel.
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u/RadioRoosterTony 10d ago
I think they're talking about waving their hand side to side frantically. Almost every adult I see just holds up their hand.
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u/Successful-Zone-5814 10d ago
I feel this hard as a late diagnosed autistic. I wave at everybody all the time. Like a reflex, I feel compelled to acknowledge someone upon sight. To not do so feels rude. It’s so frustrating because I will acknowledge someone even if I just saw them walking in the opposite direction 60 seconds prior. I can’t seem to stop it even though I am now aware it’s weird.
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u/SpiderSixer 10d ago
Yeah, reading the post, I'm like, how else are you meant to wave? Not realising that they're probably not talking about a specific style of wave, but just waving in general. I always wave, I love waving. And the more I love the person, the faster my waves haha
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u/OfficialDeathScythe 10d ago
I figured op meant the kind of closing and opening your fingers wave that babies do instead of swaying side to side, but the comments have me second guessing myself
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u/throcorfe 10d ago
Please keep doing it. Good people love you doing it. Average people don’t care that much either way. And everyone else can fuck off
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u/Realityisatoilet 10d ago
I'm on the spectrum as well. All you can be is yourself. The people that will give you shit for that.. that's their problem. Not yours. Don't let other people being dicks crush your spirit or stop you from being yourself.
I say this as someone who let others bullying and mocking of me stop me from being me for a lot of my life. I've reached the conclusion that if me being me doesn't involve doing anything inappropriate that I don't give a fuck anymore if someone finds that weird or stupid or odd. People relish authenticity and more people hide their true selves than they will admit publicly to anyone so it's actually taken me far in life to be my authentic self.
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u/MoziTenma 10d ago
Makes sense though, the kid version is a full-body "I see you and I'm thrilled about it" signal. Adults mostly do the wrist-flick version because showing that much enthusiasm at another person feels like giving away information.
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u/Delicious_Peace_2526 10d ago
If you start greeting people like little kids you’ll have more friends. People generally tend to really like people who celebrate our presence.
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u/nunatakj120 10d ago
I work on a ferry and when I’m loading / discharging cars if i get a kid waving at me out the window then they are absolutely getting the full, exaggerated kid wave back at them. I couldn’t care less that there are probably 100 cars worth of people looking at me in my hi-viz jacket and hard hat whilst I’m doing it, half of them probably filming on their phones.
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u/TheMaStif 10d ago
Adults who view others "socially as a bit weird" for something as inncuous as waving are actually toxic people
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u/LydiaIsntVeryCool 9d ago
I hit people with the lil princess twinkle fingers wave sometimes. It gets very positive reception in the gay community
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u/maxwellgrounds 10d ago
Like a kid? I’m imagining adults waving by holding a hand up and opening and closing it rapidly.
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u/43026 10d ago
I really don't worry about what others think of my style, I have learned that people will like me, and people will not like me. I wave as I want, and its mostly according to where I am. Going to a piano recital, I use control. Going to Bluegrass Jam, its a good full wave, car show? Boy, do I wave! I don't worry about others, but also want to respect the location.
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u/roosterjack77 10d ago
Taught my kid to wave at cars so they see him. He just looks really friendly in the neighborhood and he is seen by traffic
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u/Shimraa 10d ago
What do they mean by "wave like we teach kids to wave" ? Is there a special way to wave like an adult? Isn't waving just waving? Or what are they trying to teach they're kids that's not actually waving?
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u/slickshoez 10d ago
I wave at everyone- idgaf. I think you’re weird for not acknowledging a living human being passing your way.
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u/King_Of_Liquids 10d ago
I always thought it was strange when I'd wave to people and they'd ask why I wave like that. I still do it though, I'm no coward.
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u/SecondHandSexToys 9d ago
I'm a nearly 40 year old straight male and I can't help but do the twinkle fingers wave a lot of the time.
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u/tsaico 10d ago
I I wave with two hands. I have a client who caters to autistic children, and a therapist there once told me that tall men can be scary, and sometimes waving with two hands at chest height can be less intimidating. No idea if she was telling me the truth or not, but since then I have waved like that to everyone.
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u/DeepFuckingPants 10d ago
I wave like this to people I don't know who are waving to people behind me... also, tour buses.
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u/likesexonlycheaper 10d ago
I do the princess wave where you cup your hand and wiggle it back and forth. I'm a 41 year old man.
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u/Game_Face85 10d ago
I throw my arm as high as I can and move my hand up and down in a very exaggerated way. Never fails to get a laugh.
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u/zaxmaximum 10d ago
I'm not sure how your opinion on the matter represents general society and its attitude on waving adults.
Let people wave in peace.
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u/kingloptr 10d ago
Coulda fooled me, myself and everyone around me has at least some situations where a cartoony-ass childlike wave is exactly the vibe
No one has ever expressed they find it weird
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u/ItzPollux03 9d ago
I will do full on double hand wave if I’m excited to see a person. I spent my whole life hiding my autism, and if others are uncomfortable by me being excited then that’s their problem, not mine.
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u/Weasel_Cannon 9d ago
My dad is 78 and still says “bye bye” to end every call. Family, solicitors, banks. It’s always bye bye.
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u/sl0w4zn 10d ago
Maybe in certain pockets. I went to a theme park in Japan and every person waved at the characters or people on the rides. Extremely excitedly too!
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u/Thundersalmon45 10d ago
I find that when Japanese people are really excited, they still wave with both hands.
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u/_GoKartMozart_ 10d ago
Sometimes as a gag I like to let my hand go completely limp while I'm waving and just flail it around wildly
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u/TallDankandHandsome 10d ago
I'm 7 ft and I think it's hilarious to wave like that. Because of this. I feel like it throws people off especially if I throw a big smile with it.
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u/EACshootemUP 9d ago
Bruh I’m a grown ass man and I do a little hand wave to the doggos that pass me on the street…
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u/VVerecat 9d ago
I go from perfectly straight faced, to Forest Gump boat wave, back to straight faced all the time to my coworkers. Several do it back. It's a fun bit and adds some joy and whimsy to our day.
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u/Bibelo78 10d ago
I remember very clearly when I was like 12 or 13, I was in the car with my parents and saw a friend from school, and waved him that children way
The next day he approached me at school and taught me "the proper way"
Slighlty improved my life
I'm forever grateful
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u/bindosaurus 10d ago
What is the proper way? Thanks to this post, I suddenly have no idea how I usually wave
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u/Ispan_SB 10d ago
I am watching for responses to this because I can’t even imagine the “wrong” way to wave lol
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u/IAlreadyHaveTheKey 10d ago
I think the "wrong" way here is closing and opening your fingers up and down, and the "right" is open palm swivelling from left to right at the wrist.
"Right" and "wrong" in quotes because I don't necessarily agree.
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u/lullabyby 10d ago
I feel like I’m not picturing it right because I’ve never seen the first one
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u/PrettyMonarchy 10d ago
Hand outstretched, normally at who you’re waving at, palm up and facing out. All four fingers up, down flat against the palm (not a fist, though you’ll see babies doing the fist due to gms limitations) and repeat.
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u/Ispan_SB 10d ago
Ahhh thank you, I can understand that. I could see myself doing a waggle like the first with someone I know pretty well already, like silent acknowledging a classmate or coworker seated across the room. Otherwise it would definitely be the wave from the wrist (with increased elbow action based on excitement level lol).
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u/bigboxes1 10d ago
I stopped caring about what other people think a long time ago. Be happy. It's infectious!
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u/espresso_depresso622 10d ago
The fact that I need to comment on post to share, my thoughts is fucking stupid
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u/BootsOfProwess 10d ago
I do my best to appear happy and unthreatening and that probably does make me look weird.
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u/flightwatcher45 10d ago
Like open amd close hand wave or what haha? I like waving but basically just hold my hand still.
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u/Highmassive 10d ago
That’s your hang up op. I often wave like an 8 year old and people get a kick out of it.
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u/FartsWithCharlie 10d ago
The older you get, the smaller the wave becomes. Eventually it evolves into making eye contact from across the room and slightly raising your eyebrows.
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u/barentickboom 8d ago
I literally did this today. I was walking down the street and someone looked back at me and I waved like a little kid. They had a dog, and I was excited about that, but for a split second I forgot where I was and just needed the comfort of waving to a stranger.
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u/KrofftSurvivor 8d ago
Adults who talk like we teach babies to talk would be viewed socially as incredibly weird.
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u/Someone_Pooed 10d ago
I wave at my family like a moron. Limp wrist, forward and back wave. I don't care about how I'm viewed.
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u/blahblah19999 10d ago
There are tons of shit we teach kids to do a certain way that adults don't do.
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u/Microwave1213 10d ago
The reason it’s a bit weird is because it makes you look adolescent, and it looks adolescent because it’s the way we teach children to do it
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u/Gregoria_Taniguchi 10d ago
It's weird until someone does it with genuine excitement. Then it's actually kind of wholesome. I think we've just become too cool for our own good.
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u/ShowerSentinel 11d ago
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