How Hands Shape Our Thinking
Human hands are more than their movements and manipulations, they provide a mirror of how we think. Our symmetrical hands embody the very essence of humanity, influencing the abstract concepts we create, shaping the way we perceive the world, and allowing others insight into our mind.
Hands: The Foundation of Human Thought
The ability to grasp, take, hold, and produce stems from the unique anatomy of our hands. The opposable thumb, the meeting of fingertips, the fluid movements of gesture, the open flat palm, the closed fist, all define our interaction with the physical world. These motions are more than mechanical; they form the foundation of abstract thought. Imagine if humans had not developed hands, if they had four feet, our worldview would differ fundamentally. Without the ability to “grasp” or “handle,” our conceptual framework would lack the richness of the physical interaction that informs thought.
The symmetrical relationship between our hands allows them to work in harmony, yet they represent opposites. This symmetry influences and befits our perception of duality in the world: good and bad, light and dark, male and female, up and down, hot and cold, open and closed, right and left. Our dialectical view of reality is rooted in the two sides of our hands that link to the opposite halves of our brain.
The Gesture of Making
The ultimate expression of humanity’s connection to its hands lies in the concept of creation. The act of making—whether it is tools, art, or ideas—is deeply tied to the physicality of our hands. Through gestures, we bring abstract concepts into tangible reality.
"All ratiocination is comprehending in [the] two operations of the [mind], addition and subtraction." – Thomas Hobbes (1566)
Charles Darwin introduced the concept of antithesis in his masterful The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872). Darwin's principle of antithesis refers to how opposing emotions are often expressed through opposing physical behaviours or postures. He pointed towards expressions looking noticeably different from those that display the opposite emotion. If, for example, dominance is seen in a large open movement, then submission is communicated with small, closed ones.
Body language tip: look for fingers becoming straight or curled. Digital extension/flexion, can reveal emotion.
Emotion and Movement: Towards or Away
Human emotions, much like our thoughts, are often understood in terms of movement—either towards something or away from it. As reductionist as this seems, at a basic level, emotions are created in an instant depending on our pull towards or pushing away from the moment’s focus, be this conscious or not.
Emotions like disgust, anxiety, and fear trigger withdrawal or distancing. The result may be visible in gestures such as averted eyes or feet tucking under a chair. Other instincts and emotions like hunger, anger, or sexual desire, may propel us forward a little, and may be reflected in behaviours like leaning in, sustained eye contact, or a pointed toe in the direction of intent. The body reveals these emotional drives in subtle ways. An angled posture may betray interest or avoidance, depending on a change of angle (towards or away). This leads to another key duality of expression/action – that they are intentional/conscious and involuntary/unconscious. Are we touched by something or does it touch us?
As humans became bipedal, their brains could undergo rapid expansion. We could become smarter as our hands facilitated a new tool-making era, and we became engaged in more conscious thought. To understand how we think, we must therefore consider the hands that shape our thoughts. Their symmetry and movement may be the architects of our perception of the world’s duality. Our emotions, similarly, may be expressions of movement—drawing us closer (to an opportunity) or driving us away (to safety).
As Hobbes aptly noted, all reasoning involves addition and subtraction. The hands, with their duality and symmetry, are a living embodiment of this principle. They shape our world, both physically and philosophically, and contribute greatly to what it means to be human. Do we want to experience more of something or less of it? We break from inertia, and seize opportunities, and our hands lead the way.
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