Materials Required: One Hand
October 7, 2012 by Lauren Greene
This post is about the benefits of raising your hand when in a social situation (and by social, I simply mean a situation when there are people). First off, I recommend you watch this video because it is silly:
Sesame Street: Raise Your Hand
Now, back to the content. Raising your hand is a polite way to let others know that you have something to say without interrupting anyone. This practice can be useful during a class or a meeting or even amongst a group of friends. Additionally, it can prove that you are listening to what is under discussion and are engaged enough to want to participate. If you are an impatient person, raising your hand can be a good way to practice patience since the entire purpose of raising your hand is to be called on to speak. Raising your hand in a group setting can help keep the noise level down and foster an environment where everyone can be heard.
Hand raising has other benefits as well:
- Depending on the lighting in the room, you can make shadow puppets on the wall
- Allows you to stretch and still appear to be engaged
- Supposedly helps you stop coughing (it is recommended that you raise both hands, however, so you may just look super excited to contribute)