The curved bit of a hammer’s real purpose is blowing people’s minds

It's no secret that the internet is full of handy and useful hacks that can make our lives that little bit easier.

To put the usefulness of this hack into context, you can basically say goodbye to any accidental finger-bashing the next time you need to put a nail in something.

News of the unbelievably simple yet seemingly unknown hack was shared to TikTok by @sidneyraz, who has won legions of fans for sharing similar tips and tricks.

He captioned the now-viral video: "A lifetime of pain in my thumbs realised [sic]."

This is, of course, a reference to the fact that it's all too easy to hit your fingers when attempting to hammer in a nail, but this doesn't need to be the case.

It's all thanks to the back of a hammer, which you might think is either there for purely aesthetic reasons or to help you remove any nails that don't quite hit the mark.

As the TikToker explained: "Here's something I didn't know until I was in my 30s. The back of the hammer can hold the nail of the first swing."

He then showed himself placing a nail into the back of a hammer and then attempting to put it in place, and let's just say that his mind was more than a little blown when it worked perfectly.

It really is as simple as 'nail head, back of hammer, wedge' and boom - suddenly a lot of the pain has been taken out of your DIY endeavours.

Needless to say, the video has gone far from unnoticed since it was posted on 14 February.

"So you mean I've smashed my fingers for no reason?!" questioned one shocked TikTok user.

"I'm 40... didn't know that. My poor thumb. Please forgive me," added a second, while a third joked: "I learn more on TikTok than in school."

A fourth remarked: "Lol I thought it was to remove nails, you learn something new every day!"

"All those times I missed the nail and got my finger!!!" exclaimed a fifth, as a sixth described the life hack as 'possibly the most useful thing I've ever learnt'.

Meanwhile, a seventh perhaps summed the whole thing up best, writing: "I'm telling you, they never teach you the important stuff."

At this point, it is worth noting that yes, you can also use the curved part of a hammer to remove any nails that aren't quite doing their job properly.

That being said, it's certainly nice to know that the next time you do need to insert a nail, you can take comfort in the knowledge that your poor fingers will be OK... for once.