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I wonder if there's a measurable difference in middle finger dexterity between societies that do and don't treat it as an insult (lemmy.world)
submitted 6 months ago by to c/showerthoughts@lemmy.world
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I don't assume it would be that much if any, but it'd still seem reasonable if there were a slight measurable difference, right?

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[–] 3 points 6 months ago (2 children)

I would think finger dexterity has more to do with what a person does with their hands for work and for fun, not an insult. I do not use my middle finger as an insult, but have always used my hands for work and would consider my middle two fingers to be my strongest. They can move independently, are farther from the thumb, and provide tactile feedback.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    I would think finger dexterity has more to do with what a person does with their hands for work and for fun, not an insult.

    I should've clarified that my hypothesis would be that societies without the insult would have a marginally higher dexterity on average, namely because moving your middle finger independently to do mundane things or use more frequent middle finger gestures wouldn't be associated with a very offensive insult.

    I'm not sure exactly what things or gestures, but I speculate that's because I grew up in a society where having only my middle finger outstretched would be both a) mentally associated with and b) actually risking insulting someone.

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