What isd the history of putting middle fingers up at others?
90687
http://www.google.com/search?q=history+of+middle+finger
311491
two fingers means f*ck off\none finger means up yours.
670868
I wish I knew the answer to this myself. I grew up in the 70's and it was soooo different. It seems as if everybody today is in such a hurry, they disregard the feeling of other people. So many people treat others as if they are an object, simply in the way. It seems as if material things are what is important. Like if you accidentally pull out in front of somebody, their first inclination is to start cursing and flipping you off. they dont stop and think of the times, THEY pulled out in front of somebody. I think the whole friggin world needs to slow down and take a deep breath.
387875
oh their are a few lol.\nTHE FINGER.\nGRAB THE BUM\nTALK TO THE HAND . this realy pisses me off when someone does it to me.\noh and the L shape finger LOOSER.
1096674
A Japanese student of mine once answered this question by explaining that when her boss or social superior calls her on the phone, she bows - even though it's a phone call.\n\nKorean stduents asked to raise their hands in class to answer a question always touch the elbow of the raised hand with the other hand.  It is considered impolite not to.\n\nAnd my own nation - the English - have the quaint custom of turning their arses towards theatre/cinema-goers when we shuffle past in front of their seats to get to our own.  (In mainland Europe, you turn to face these people and greet them).  A Russian friend of mine once nearly hit someone for this as he thought it was a deliberate insult.
262671
I think nowadays it's just good manners to do so.\n\nDragging up from the deepest corners of my memory, I have a feeling that the origin of the handshake was that it showed your enemy you were unarmed....most people being right handed....\n\nI much prefer a person with a firm handshake than one whose handshake can be likened to a limp fish....not nice at all.
486548
None. Even if the people deserve it. If I offend someone I usually end up apologizing to them. What's the point of being just another asshole?
58354
Common sense..... well that went away at about the time it became unpopular to spank you child as a way of showing them right and wrong,which led to small children manipulateing their parents in public by screaming 'your hurting me" when they were not even being touched......self respect, oh there lot of self respect out there maybe just not enough respect for others.....common courtesy.......let see.... we are now in the "whats in it for me age" well there is absolutely no reward other than emotional in being nice to others....i sometimes wonder if we will get to the point of being deliberately mean just because we can (you know like slamming a door on someones face) I already say "was that truly necessary" alot more than i want to.
78240
Subject:         HISTORY OF THE MIDDLE FINGER\n\nWell, now......here's something I never knew before,\nand now that I know it, I feel compelled to send it\non to my more intelligent friends in the hope that\nthey, too, will feel edified.\nIsn't history more fun when you know something about it?\n                                         \n \n                   Giving the Finger\n\nBefore the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French,\nanticipating victory over the English, proposed to\ncut off the middle finger of all captured English\nsoldiers.  Without the middle finger it would be\nimpossible to draw the renowned English longbow\nand therefore they would be incapable of fighting\nin the future.\nThis famous weapon was made of the native English\nYew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was\nknown as "plucking the yew" (or "pluck yew").\nMuch to the bewilderment of the French, the English\nwon a major upset and began mocking the French by\nwaving their middle fingers at the defeated\nFrench, saying, "See, we can still pluck yew!\n"PLUCK YEW!"\nSince 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, the\ndifficult consonant cluster at the beginning has\ngradually changed to a labiodental fricative 'F',\nand thus the words often used in conjunction\nwith the one-finger-salute!\nIt is also because of the pheasant feathers on the\narrows used with the longbow that the symbolic\ngesture is known as "giving the bird."\nAnd yew thought yew knew everything
368089
Putting ones elbows on the table demonstrates low class and self disrespect. However if you wish to be rude and selfish go for it.
738005
"This gesture originates from the custom of making a wish upon the cross. It was believed that the cross was a symbol of unity and that benign spirits dwelt at its intersecting point -- to wish on a cross was a figurative way of securing the wish at the intersection until it came true.\n\nThis custom dates back to pre-Christian times and, in many early European cultures, two people were required to use their index fingers to form the sign, one to make the wish and the other to support it. Over the years, the custom was modified so one person could make a wish on his/her own."
306521
I don't know.  I was recently teaching a Sunday School class and this second grader gave me the finger.  \n\nSuddenly my whole theory about teachers making education enjoyable came crashing down. \n\nIt's kind of my fault.  I was teaching them this prayer with their hand and was telling them that the middle finger reminds us to pray for those in power like the president. Anyway, that back fired. It's been a long year.
1103983
Well there are the obvious ways like being kind to them, like the golden rule and everything, and then there is my way. Slap the crap out of their face. :]
808102
I am admittedly old, but I have to wonder what has become of simple human consideration.  There was a time when children were taught that invading another person's space without invitation was rude.  \n\n   I live in a neighborhood that is a real mixed bag, we run the gammut from serious gun rack redneck to yuppies jogging with their 2.3 kids in the special jogging set up.\n\n   I look out my kitchen window and I see show dogs and nasty looking pit bulls being walked by people with tatoo's.\n\n   It's all good to me.  As long as we respect each other and one another's space.\n\n   Seems to me you invaded this woman's space and law asside, you frightened her.  You may not have meant to, but you did.  The right way to resolve this is for you to go and see her and tell her you are sorry, and then talk about boundaries. \n\n   It works for neighbors, and it can work for Nations.\n\n   Consider antagonists as two dots, the shortest distance between them is a straight line, logic dictates that you go to her.   How can you go to her and expect a good result?\nAdmit you scared her, and say you are sorry.  How can you both have closure?  Talk to each other, leave the cops out, leave parents out....talk and resolve.\n\n   It is how the world works.  Or so it often seems to me.
604974
It has to do when the french and english were fighting. The french would cut off the english mens middle finger when captured because thats the finger they would use for their long bows. So at the end of the war the english would show the french their middle finger to show they still had theirs. To make a long story short.
1168487
Maybe pressure from other people to abide by social norms. So many times when someone does something rude or offensive, people just let it slide. No one confronts them about it. Maybe if everytime someone did something rude they got called on it, they'd think twice and be more respectful next time.
195197
People have become depersonalized in a modern world.There is a lack of accountability. We no longer live in small communities that we have to have good relations to survive. If 150 years ago you were rude to the people you interact with, you may not get your harvest sold at a decent price, or the neighbors to help till you fields should you fall sick. These days many are estranged from family.Extended family has always served as a system  of support as well as discipline. Aunts,Uncles and grandparents would step in as surrogate parents should they see even a distant relation misbehaving.People are also weary, I think , and in the hurried pace of life, do not see what being kind will DO for them.Unfortunately, thinking of yourself first has been promoted for years now and rudeness is a side effect.IMO, If everyone calmly and non judgementally said ," You may not realize it, but you were just unnecessarily rude" people may reflect and change their own behavior. Then again, you may get the finger!