CONNECTIONS: One Truth Behind Palmistry

For centuries, palmistry has been dismissed by skeptics as superstitious gobbledygook. Thanks to recent scientific research, however, one traditional interpretation has been verified: If the ring digit is longer than the index digit, the person who possesses such digits has a drive for sporting prowess and a need to flirt and to be popular with the opposite sex.
    In palmistry, the ring digit relates to Apollo, the sun god. Whether or not the sun god is involved, we do know that men with long ring fingers tend to have higher levels of testosterone — and therefore higher sex drives and fertility. And it seems that women’s subconscious minds are highly attracted to those long–ring-fingered, testosterone-fueled types.
    John Manning, an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Liverpool, set up a laboratory experiment that illustrated this point, and then he repeated the experiment — live — on a U.K. television program. Ten men, ages 20 to 40, were chosen; four of them had long ring fingers. Each of three groups of women, ages 20 to 40, took turns holding the men’s hands through a curtain and then rated them for all-around sexiness. In three different experiments, the four long–ring-fingered men were judged to be the best. Manning then tested the men for testosterone levels and found the men with long ring fingers have testosterone levels that are 21 percent above average and are more sports-minded, aggressive, and competitive. Another study, summarized in Manning’s The Finger Book (Faber and Faber, 2008), was performed at Chelsea Football Club’s training ground in the U.K. The finger length of a group of football trainees and a group of male sprinters was checked. Manning was able to accurately predict the best performers from the length of their ring digits.

Johnny Fincham