What does the thumb and little finger gesture mean? Various interpretations

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:48

In some situations, explaining "on the fingers" is faster and easier than using words. Finger gestures are a normal way of communication for any person. Non-verbal communication is a very ancient form of human communication.

Non-Verbal Communication

This is a way of communicating between people through body language, gestures and facial expressions. This way of communication is international, that is, it does not depend on verbal, linguistic. But there are exceptions. It is impossible to separate verbal communication from gestural communication, each of our words and sentences is accompanied by certain signs: facial expressions, the posture in which you are, unconscious movements of the arms, legs or head. All this makes our speech more lively and understandable to the opponent. For example, when a person is irritated, he may frown, gesticulate actively and aggressively. When he wants to please another person, he reflexively moves closer, looks into his eyes, girls often begin to twist strands of hair or straighten clothes. Unlike words that we speak consciously and deliberately, non-verbal signs speak honestly about ourtrue feelings and intentions. Based on this, a special lie detection system was even developed.

Few people know how to control their body language. Psychologists, together with linguists, conducted various experiments based on the principles of non-verbal communication. For example, the subject was asked what time it was, while showing the gesture of smoking with his hands. People in such conditions get confused, not knowing whether to show the clock or look for matches in their pocket.

Sometimes, knowing what the gesture of the thumb and little finger means, a person did not understand why, showing him, he was told to leave. Most of these hand movements are involuntary. Arbitrary, that is, intentional gestures, are an important part of communication. They are symbols and known to all:

• OK sign (connection of thumb and forefinger);
• "stop" (outstretched outstretched hand) and others.

Over time, the number of hand signs increases, enriched under the influence of culture. For example, the “live long and prosper” gesture (index and middle fingers together, little finger and ring finger together, distance between them) came from cinema.

What does the thumb and little finger gesture mean?

Our fingers sometimes speak louder than words. Consider what the gesture means - 2 fingers, thumb and little finger. The most common meaning of this symbol is a greeting among surfers and in Hawaii. They call him "shaka" and when demonstrating they turn their palm tointerlocutor. There are a lot of stories of the origin of this gesture, and all of them are connected with the fact that people, for one reason or another, lost their fingers, except for the thumb and little finger. These legends are not without meaning, because if we unfold the pressed fingers in "shaka", then the raised thumb and little finger will become the usual symbol of greeting. This is only one of the interpretations of this gesture. Often we show it when we want someone to call us, as if depicting a telephone receiver near the ear. Some use this gesture to indicate a desire or offer to drink.

Dangerous gestures

Like the shaka gesture described above, many others have a double meaning, especially different in different countries. For example, a harmless and positive thumbs up, which for us means that everything is cool, super, is an insult in Iran. You should not lure a person with your index finger in the Philippines, only dogs are treated like that there. And here is our not very friendly "fig" in Brazil - a wish for success and good luck. What does the gesture of the thumb and little finger mean in Russia and the world, we found out, but there are thousands of others. It is difficult to remember the meanings of all gestures-symbols, so consult before traveling to a certain country so as not to get into a difficult situation.

Other ways to speak without words

As we have already said, there are a lot of ways to express your thoughts without words. All famous charade games are based on this, where you need to guess the word that is described withoutwords. A person intuitively understands what is shown to him. Often such gestures save people who speak different languages. Some rules of non-verbal communication are worth remembering in order to apply them in everyday life. For example, when interviewing, you should not cover your mouth with your palm, this indicates a lie or understatement. Even knowing what the gesture of the thumb and little finger means, you should not use it in a formal setting. Crossed arms or legs indicate isolation and unwillingness to communicate. Do not look into the eyes of the interlocutor for a long time or, conversely, constantly look away. The former may be seen as flirting, the latter as shame or embarrassment.