I don't want to influence things by explaining how or why, but this is opinion/research for my WIP: You need to sacrifice the first section (farthest from the hand) of one finger on your non-dominant hand. Not doing so may cost you your life. Which one do you choose? Why? Vote in the poll and explain your reasoning in the comments. Spoiler: Not a danger I'm only going to do this to my character, so don't get worried and call social services on me There are no wrong answers to this question, I'm just trying to sort through my character's choice.
I have to believe that my choice, pinky, will be the 'winner', unless your job or pastime require an intact little finger.
I've gone ring-finger. I think it's the one I use the least, not needing to wear a wedding ring... and not being as useful for cleaning the ears . the guitar would be a bit of a pain, but Django Reinhardt managed with only three.
I was researching this same question for one of my own story ideas, and found out that although the pinky seems small and expendable, it actually possesses a disproportionate amount of grip strength. Now I'm not sure how much losing just the tip would effect that, but I decided for my story to go with the ring finger instead.
I was chatting to a guy by the river the other day -- beatnik live-aboard type guy with a lot of tattoos -- we this'd and that'd for a minute, and then in parting he raised his hand; as I slapped his palm I noticed that his index finger was missing. I can honestly say that it is the only time I can ever recall being given a high-four!
Yup, that's the reason the yakuza cut off their pinkies as a form of apology for screwing up. In samurai times, the pinky was the most important finger in controlling the sword, and its loss would make them more dependent on their masters for protection. Wonder if my MC knows that?
Ring-finger, because I don't like the idea of getting married anyway. I'd much rather be able to wield a sword.
While thinking about my choice, I gave my right hand an intense look. In the end, I chose my middle finger. I don’t think I use it as much as the others. Ringfinger and pinky are occupied with rings. The index finger is helpful for many tasks, especially those that call for sensibility (for example, picking up small or delicate things). Though I must admit, my choice was also influenced by vanity. Because besides all these practical thoughts, I also considered which one would look less terrible if the first joint were missing. I think the middle finger would bother me less than the others.
Pinky on my non dominant but I'd go ring on my dominant. Mainly because the left is my guitar fretboard hand, but with my right I'd probably want to keep the pinky for hand width utility.
Pinky, because it's the only one I don't need for playing my ukulele since my fine motor and manipulative skills are too poor for me to play four fingered chords.
Ring finger because, although I have nothing to base this on, I feel it’s the one finger that is most ‘redundant’ during everyday activities.
I think you're right. It seem to be the least dextrous, and does nothing but attach itself to one of the fingers beside it. And besides, if you sacrifice the tip of the pinky, what will you use to dig around inside your ear?
I was watching this interview with a former yakuza member and he said that the pinky was the finger of choice. When he had to chop off his he used a chisel. Apparently fingers come off easily with chisels.
It's got to be the pinky. All the other digits serve vital purposes and can't be done without. The thumb? What do you do when your car breaks down and you need to hitch a ride? Sure, you have the other thumb, but you might not be going that direction. You need both index for those times you need to accuse two people at the same time. And the middle fingers are precious when said accusees mount a defence. Ring fingers? Let there be romance left in this world. Don't take that away. In fact, take both pinkies so there's no temptation for the strictest form of legal contract, the dreaded Pinky Promise.
May I have your permission to use that idea in my character's train of thought? It fits his personality beautifully.
@Iain Aschendale Love the question, and it’s the top section of my pinky of the non-dominant right hand. The Yakuza have fascinated me for years. I would suggest trying to get hold of Confessions of a Yakuza by DR. Junichi Saga. Shows a pyramid scheme or MLM system that even at the top you still gotta pay... If this is not your work in progress, I’d strongly suggest this. WATCH the first Jack Reacher movie with Tom Cruise. There is a scene between three gangsters. The Head tells the boy he owes him his loyalty. A gun is placed to the kid’s head and he is told to lose a finger or take a bullet. The kid is refused a knife but instead told to bite his own finger off.... THIS IS THE QUESTION THAT NEEDS ASKING... The Kid is shot in the head. They always choose the bullet over a single finger! Could you if forced to, bite your own finger off...? MartinM.
I've actually both read that book and seen the Tom Cruise movie, which probably makes two of us as Confessions of a Yakuza isn't exactly on the front page of Amazon. I've wondered about that biting the finger off question quite a few times and I suspect that I'd end up headshot as well. So anyway, for those wondering, this is my ongoing comic urban fantasy. The MC has suffered nerve damage down the left side of his body due to being fatally electrocuted (and brought back). He ends up in a summoning pentagram with a teenager who thinks she's captured a demon and is bargaining for a brand-new iPhone. The pentagram is warded, the first time he tries to cross it he gets zapped and burned a bit because the little witch did her homework properly. However, he needs to get out of there before she binds him to too much, and I've been wracking my brains trying to think of how to scare her. Got a couple ideas that are good, but I needed a threat, then I realized that if he has nerve damage to his left hand he can plausibly have numbness as well, thus he can choose a finger to push up against the ward, lots of flame and zappy stuff, but not too much immediate pain to him, and convince her that he's on his way to breaking out. Think I'm going to go with the pinky because while it's not objectively the best choice, it's the most obvious to someone under pressure and @B.E. Nugent's "pinky promise" idea makes it fit in really well with the wisecracking nature of the MC.
I think Telly Savalas had lost his right pinky in WWII and it didn't seem to affect his acting career much. Not sure about other aspects of his life.
