# For When That Escape Key Is Hard To Reach

Using Vim to its full potential requires using just about every key on the keyboard. Of all those keys, the escape key is particularly important. It's how you get back to normal node.

If you find the escape key hard to reach or your laptop vendor decided you don't need it anymore, what's the alternative?

There is a built-in alternative:

```
Ctrl-[
```

> Note: If your `<Esc>` key is hard to hit on your keyboard, train yourself to use `CTRL-[`.

See `:help Ctrl-[` for more details.

[source](https://twitter.com/tenderlove/status/1021412757805993984?s=11)


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