New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-06-13
TIIDH YOUR FINGERS!
+. u,s IFS Own Special Mean
!, CHICAGO Professor Says.
81 ANcHARD EXPLAINS
PIT Thumb in Your Palm
~" ,fyOu Do, It Shows Weak
ness of Character.

of is oEn. always the same and
rsa'-''s -o-,;zaale, even though not al
So .ot,cea. The fist Of the political
q" and the curling little finger OF
's'Ss' o'clock tea are equally fun OF
- according to lecture given
sc in public speaking at the Uni
-, chicago by Frederick Mason
80 associate professor in the uni
-,s meaning Of fingers was ex-
is-sN' -. hv Professor Blanchard
silea - ,be different fingers in gest-
80 me greatest importance, ne saio-
- . ~ g speaker may be hkened TO
u W. singer. and the gestures may
&c s'O - ,snresent the accompaniment
pa ~. class yesterday on this sub
So % the one-fingered gesture
e n the students. This young
ftos = e,,a-uiuute speech, waved his
81 - -,,,,er, times By actual count,
q cb tine he pointed with me hlaeh
nus conhning his Ees.nral meaning
r. nne kind Of explanation
= u. r-hst explained 10 the students
80 sn writings on the theories OF
;, ;s q well established psyche
ss--'. s.,. in the theory Of speaking that
= a ,ls index finger is FOR pointing out
V - particular. If speaker n en-
* ''', -. Instance. the Mississippi Valley
GESTURE that shows only ms hnger'
W. ,bort Of the fun meaning. He
- use The open hand.
.seons finger Is the finger OF III
~ force The use Of :his and the
IS snrsr give the significance OF a
axe "a. PORTING 10 one particular thing
- se combined with the use o. the
- ~ which signifies br1te force-
=. fist gives the IDEA 81 f"Tce IN
- en2hatic fashion, but With z diHer-
= protessor Blanchard doubled UP his
40 ming the fingers with the thumb,
-..-sced the inoffensive atmosphere
,-s,, means that IL you oppose the speak
are going &c be struck he e1-
- ..r,'s brute force alone. But the
contained in the thumb. though not
s,snsfv. ana BY combining the thumb
:. .bs intellectual index and second I'M
-ives the same idea. with the
- meaning Of intelligence that is
/. s.-rss. nv the power Of the thumb
u-A,-. is 2 tradition with actors that the
n Cardinal Richelieu must be deliv-
- with the hand appraised, but without
:. H,s n the third and fourth fingers. For
81 t-nov 10 the contrary. il may be
---f~1-
...s,r, the idea Of the Holy Trinity anu
I, n,rsr hv the use Of these three fingers
= eurb an occasion, hut believe 1t is
az -rue that no actor would make the
retire in a different fashion. 1t has the
Is # psychology behind il
In contrast 70 the index and second fin
r,z. TIE third CT ring finger tells Of affec-
u The ether fingers are not used in
-s The whole hand is used, but the
r-5 finger is brought forward. and st is
Is N. that strokes the face or hand Of
!. p.rson 10 whom affection is to be
s,-z.
Tas hneer always bears the engagement
u rs5dinz rings There may be ohlec-
= made that the placing of the rings on
4tager is merely z custom. but even il
y Is 20 there l. some reason for the orr
2 Il The custom. The reason here. I be
81 Is wholly psychological The third
sE * tie 1nger OF affection, and must
sEsyz remain So.
-ts-s Is nc strong emotion left for the
1s finger 70 show" continued the educa-
I have noticed that Or. Campbell. of
-i-1, uses the little finger as an index.
III 90 not know that II is anything more
z mannerism. The use Is ordinarily
e-szt The little finger denotes delicacy-
e apsrated from the others and is not
sz,sd 10 empha size the meanings Of the
e-gsr fingers.
= little finger also shows intuition. A
u viii hold this finger cI;ried away
1tae others. but = man. who does not
argcA about delicate meanings. will let
4 IN line With the others Thus II viii
ta1,t tne difference ia temperament be
s@ different persons
n see the character Of an uninstruct-
E-lsaI l. tie Wa he holds his fingers.
gestures naturally with the thumb
11s1 and second fingers together,
- AZ ~ q lp- --l-l I'll SUI - AZ
aS thumb fall within The palm Of
aald can see that he Is moi insistent
'almb Of a weak man IS not closed
Ae fingers. The thumb Of a dead
y q Il : person that has tainted falls
= lls pain Of the hand. In q conscious.
person tie Iacl, ~ strong vital force
so'a n tie same way