The thumb myth

[Chompo]

So there is a myth that creative people can move their thumb at an almost 90 degrees angle backwards.
sorta like this: (found it on Google, some can do more)



So I was wondering if this is true, and why... Isn't just an anatomical "disorder"?
Where did this myth came from?
I knew someone who as a child just squashed her thumb so that she could do it, weird!

So Can you do it? (how do i make a poll?)

I personally can(more than in the pic), haven't found it much of an interest, but many people find it disgusting

edit: tried to better explain:

[crossmirage]

No, but I can do this (pic is of someone else's hand):

[Raoul Duke]

yeah. That's gotta have some long term effects on your grip. I wouldn't do that often if I were you.

[velderia]

I think I got close to it. I'm an inbetween creative I guess.

[ZenitYerkes]

I can

Anyway why does the thumb have to determine whether you are creative or not? There are people who draw with their feet cause they have no hands. And they're good.

[Black Spot]

No, but the base of my thumb is very loose and people squirm when I move it. I can also bend the tips of my fingers like the pic crossmirage posted.

[LORD M]

This is called shoemaker-thumb and is a form of hypermobility, because shoemakers were at an advantage when having this trait. I can do this on both my thumbs, and I never use my left hand when it comes to drawing or anything like that. I think it's an resessive heritable trait because neither my parents nor my siblings have it, which means that the allelles coding for this ain't dominant and only will be expressed when like recessive allelles only (bb) instead of one or two dominant allelles (BB or Bb). I don't know, just a guess based on how I think it might be. People having this trait often are hypermobile in other areas of the body, I can like put my legs in a position where the underside of my foot is pressing on my chest or stomach and I can also bend my arms in a sick way.

[Scribble King]

Well I can't do it, in fact my thumbs are nearly a perfect 90 degree angle, so I guess I'm not creative at all. :p

[nofu]

I bend weirdly everywhere so yes I can do it, I haven't really thought about it before, it does not surprise me and I don't think it really means anything creativity wise.

[Darjan Jurincic]

mine bends at 90 degrees.
still i have to work my ass off hard if i wanna be successfull

[Dilated]

Am I doing it right?

[Jazz]

I'm double-jointed...my thumbs can be bent around the back of my hand. XD Fingers too. It kinda grosses some people out.

[Bourin]

I can't, but my brother can, and he can't draw at all so I guess it's a myth.

[Psychotime]

...Lucky.

[Elwell]

Stupid thread is stupid.

[Chompo]

Stupid thread is stupid.

Thanks.
I don't think this myth is right, but I just wondered where it came from.



Thanks all for commenting!
I still wonder why people think so(it's popular in my area at least).

[t i m]

I can touch my tongue to my nose.

[Amber Alexander]

Thanks.
I don't think this myth is right, but I just wondered where it came from.



Thanks all for commenting!
I still wonder why people think so(it's popular in my area at least).

I'd guess that it prob came from people seeing movies where artists are using their thumb to measure a figure when painting.

[Wooly ESS]

Ah yes, the old double jointed thumb trick. I can do it.

So, how many of you have a simian line as well?

[Moai]

No, but I can do this (pic is of someone else's hand):

I can do this as well, with every finger. It's kind of a pain in the ass when my left pinky locks up while I'm playing guitar.

[Raoul Duke]

I don't think this myth is right, but I just wondered where it came from.

It came from this thread.

[Chompo]

It came from this thread.

Gee..So maybe it isn't as popular as I thought..


thanks Amber Alexander! it's interesting.

[LORD M]

Ah yes, the old double jointed thumb trick. I can do it.

So, how many of you have a simian line as well?

I have one on my dominant hand (right hand), always been a bit wondering why I don't have more "normal" lines.

[Wooly ESS]

Is it the hand you use to eat your banana?

Har Har!

Both of my hands are like this. It's called a simian line, because monkeys have it. Monkeys, and people with Down's Syndrome. It's called something else now, to make it more politically correct, but I don't know what the new name is.

It's a pretty rare occurrence.

How's that for a thread hijack!

[ignatiux]

hellooo,
I have a theory ( completely without foundation) that people who bends his thongs tends to depression.
what do you thing? do you agree? (sorry for my english)

[Keeviin]

his thongs

I have no clue what you're saying, but I can already see where this is going.

[kelly x]

Thumbs are like Panda's, you don't miss them until they're gone? wrong thread.
Jazz, my cousin can do that too, kind of weird.

[Baron Impossible]

I think you had an inkling that it wasn't true when you entitled it a "myth". In that myths, by definition, aren't true. I doubt any research has been - or hopefully will be - done about this but I can't see any reason to suppose that linking thumbs and creativity might be valid (other than the latter is adversely affected by sitting around with the former up your ass)

[Elwell]

Thumbs are like Panda's, you don't miss them until they're gone?

Fortunately, pandas have an extra thumb.

[Randis]

i could not resist, sorry