A man who was born without any thumbs shared the one thing he cannot do without the two fingers as people flocked to ask him if he’s able to complete certain everyday activities
A man who was born without any thumbs has opened up what it’s like living without the two fingers, sharing the one thing he can’t do.
People don’t often realise how useful your thumbs are. They allow you to grip and move objects as it works with the other fingers. They are crucial for tool use, fine motor skills like writing, and powerful actions such as lifting. There are also several communication motions that often use the thumbs, such as the “thumbs up” gesture, as well as for texting and using touchscreens. However, living without them might not be as big of a struggle as many of us would assume.
English tutor Qiao Aalbers, 26, from China, was born without thumbs. He was adopted and moved to the Netherlands at the age of four months old. However, he revealed it never really felt like home for him.
Qiao spent his early years travelling around Europe, visiting multiple countries. These adventures helped him reconnect with his Chinese heritage and boost his confidence in living without thumbs. He has now created a following on social media where he talks about his life without thumbs, having turned what he once saw as a weakness into a strength.
In one video published onto TikTok, Qiao admits meeting new people can be anxiety-inducing, as he never knows how they’ll react to the fact that he has no thumbs.
Meanwhile in another video, he went on to joke that even if he woke up with thumbs, he would go back to a thumbless life because that’s what he’s used to.
Qiao has also revealed he doesn’t use any adaptations, believing he’s capable of doing everything himself.
“I found my way around it, I’m the living example that thumbs are optional,” he told his video.
However, there is one thing that Qiao has revealed that he cannot do. In one of his most viral videos, Qiao joked he can do everything that people with thumbs can do – except for hitchhiking, referring to how hitchhikers often use their thumbs to point out to drivers in the hopes that someone will give them a ride.
The humorous clip quickly racked up over 6.7 million views, 616,200 likes, and over 6,300 comments, as viewers were quick to share their thoughts.
“I’m jealous of your Pringles can supremacy,” one person wrote. Another person said: “Good for you.”
However, several people also filled the comment section with questions wondering if he could do certain common tasks.
“How do you play guitar then?” one person asked, to which Qiao replied: “I don’t.”
“What do you do if you get arrested?” another person asked, while others wondered if his lack of thumbs meant he handcuffs wouldn’t work on him. To this, Qiao jokingly said: “I escape.”
