Thanks to the latest Tiktok trend, many people currently believe that it is rare for someone to touch their index finger to their pinky. But, is this actually true? Can you touch your index finger to your pinky? What percent of people can touch their index finger to their pinky? Is it normal to do so? Or is it really rare?
Well, let me be straightforward. Touching the index finger to the pinky finger is something that some people can do easily, while others might need practice to perform this movement. Hand anatomy, flexibility, and fine motion dexterity are essential in this movement. However, it is not as complicated and rare as the latest trend makes it out to be.
Let’s unveil the secrets behind touching the index finger to the pinky finger and see how rare this movement is.
Touching Index finger to Pinky: How did this Trend actually start?
According to a TikTok trend, there are only 1% of people who can touch their index finger to their pinky. However, no actual research is quoted, and no reference to a study offers such results.
The trend took off rather quickly on social media and became an authority by itself. But as we will see further, no scientific evidence supports the claim that only 1% of people can touch their index and pinky fingers.
Of course, touching the index finger to the pinky finger is not something everyone can do. It involves a bit of flexibility and even practice to be able to do so. This is not a movement we need to perform in our daily lives, so it is not something that our brain knows how to coordinate by default.
Fact check: Is it rare to Touch index finger to pinky finger?
Unfortunately, no registered statistics confirm the percentage of people that can touch their index finger to their pinky. But there is a study that explains that muscles in the index and pinky fingers allow them to move extensively toward each other when the other fingers are flexed.
Therefore, the ability to touch one’s index finger to their pinky finger is an essential motor skill that most people can perform. However, it is difficult to determine the exact number of people who can touch their index finger to their pinky as it varies depending on hand size, flexibility, and various other factors.
In general, people who engage in activities that require hand flexibility and strength, such as musicians and athletes, may be more likely to have greater flexibility in their hands and be able to touch their index finger to their pinky more easily.
So, Is it normal to Touch your pointer finger to your pinky?
As already said, this movement is considered normal, it is not rare at all. As a matter of fact, most people are able to perform this movement during examinations that test hand mobility and dexterity.
So, yes, It is considered normal to be able to make this movement as the index finger is the most independent of them all, which makes it easy to reach all the other fingers. The pinky finger, however, is the less independent one. So, when you touch these two fingers, you will most likely use the index finger to reach the pinky finger more than the other way around.
This movement might look different for some people. For instance, some will just be able to touch the tip of the index finger to the tip of the pinky, while others will be able to touch these fingers more.
Therefore, if you find it natural to touch your index finger to your pinky, your hand anatomy is normal, and your flexibility and dexterity are functioning accordingly.
However, some individuals may have physical limitations that make this movement more difficult or impossible for them to do.
So a person’s inability to touch their index finger to pinky shows an anomaly in fine motor skills. This could be due to stiffness, or anomaly in the hand anatomy. But it is not considered normal to be unable to touch your index finger and pinky finger.
Final thoughts
As we see, touching the index finger and pinky together is not a superpower, as most people are able to perform this movement. It is, however, important to practice our dexterity skills if we want to be masters at it.
This movement is not one that we might use often, and therefore, it requires more exercise than other movements. But one thing is for sure: it is impossible to touch the index finger and the pinky entirely in a united movement, as the hand anatomy doesn’t allow it. Thus, aiming to touch only the tips of these two fingers is important, as trying to touch more of them can become quite challenging.
Irina Maria Tracy is a published author, writer, and journalist who lives in Bucharest, Romania. She completed her journalism and mass communication degree from the University of Bucharest and went on to publish some top books in the fiction genre. Some of her top books include 'Haunted Aliens' 'Vampires Rapture' 'Adverbs of Love' etc. Irina also worked as an investigative journalist for a year and even collaborated with a TV channel for a political talk show (Bah TV). She loves writing and has contributed to many top magazines and newspapers such as the 'Story Magazine' 'Curentul Newspaper' and many others.