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?
Did Star Trek noticeably increase the ability for people to spread their middle and ring finger? 🤔🤔🤔
If it’s not used as an insult it might be used with another meaning, you’d have to account for other gestures using the middle finger as well. If you’d be willing to spend way too much time researching it there might be an ig nobel price in it for you.
I told them it means “peace among worlds”
FWIW, I’m someone who’s never done it, and I can barely move my middle finger independently of my other fingers. It barely has more range than my ring finger.
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.
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.
This makes sense! Similar vein to cultures that limit expressiveness, leading to low emotional intelligence.
Before it was used as an insult, the middle finger was a hex used to cast out demons, and the insult arose from implying that the person you are flipping off has a demon in them that needs to be exorcised.
