Are you Left-Handed ?
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for
everyday activities such as writing. Most left-handed people favour
their right hand for some activities, and many exhibit some degree of
ambidexterity. Left-handedness is relatively uncommon; 90 to 93 percent
of the adult population is right-handed, however, left-handed people
tend to be overrepresented among the highly intelligent and successful.
Left-handers have to push their pens across the page rather than pulling, leading to bad ink flow and scratching nibs.
Causes of left-handedness.
Hand orientation is developed in unborn children, most commonly
determined by observing which hand is predominantly licked or held
close to the mouth.
In 2007, researchers discovered LRRTM1, the first gene linked to
increased odds of being left-handed. The researchers also claim that
possessing this gene slightly raises the risk of psychotic mental
illnesses such as schizophrenia.
Long-term impairment of the right hand: People with long-term
impairment of the right hand are more likely to become left-handed,
even after their right hand heals. Such long-term impairment is defined
as eight months or more.
Testosterone: Exposure to higher rates of testosterone before birth can
lead to a left-handed child. This is the Geschwind theory, named after
the neurologist who proposed it, Norman Geschwind. It suggests that
variations in levels of testosterone during pregnancy shape the
development of the fetal brain. Testosterone suppresses the growth of
the left cerebral hemisphere and so more neurons migrate to the right
hemisphere. The highly developed right hemisphere is now better suited
to function as the center of language and handedness. The fetus is more
likely to become left-handed, since the right hemisphere controls the
left half of the body. The theory goes on to tie the exposure to higher
levels of testosterone and the resultant right-hemisphere dominance to
auto-immune disorders, learning disorders, dyslexia, and stuttering, as
well as increased spatial ability.
Ultrasound theory: Ultrasound scans may affect the brain of unborn
children, causing higher rates of left-handedness in children born to
mothers who have ultrasound scans compared to those who do not. This is
probably based on a few studies where this relation is studied. In one
of these the authors claim that "...we found a possible association
between routine ultrasonography in utero and subsequent non-right
handedness among children in primary school.
" However later in the same article the authors state that "Thus the
association ... may be due to chance" and "The result was not
significant, suggesting that the study had insufficient statistical
power to resolve the relationship between ultrasonography and
subsequent left handedness in the child".
Social stigma and repression of left-handedness
Negative associations of left-handedness in language : There are many
colloquial terms used to refer to a left-handed person. Some are just
slang or jargon words, while others may be offensive or demeaning,
either in context or in origin. In more technical contexts, 'sinistral'
may be used in place of 'left-handed' and 'sinistrality' in place of
'left-handedness'. Both of these technical terms derive from sinister,
a Latin word meaning 'left'.
Some left-handed people consider themselves oppressed, even to the
point of prejudice. Etymology often lends weight to the argument:
In Hebrew, as well as in other ancient Semitic and Mesopotamian
languages, the term "hand" was a symbol of power or custody. The left
hand symbolized the
power to shame society, and was used as a metaphor for misfortune,
natural evil, or punishment from the gods. This metaphor survived
ancient culture and was
integrated into mainstream Christianity by early Catholic theologians
as Ambrose of Milan to modern Protestant theologians such as Karl Barth
to attribute natural evil to God in explaining God's omnipotence over
the universe.
Meanings evolved from use of these terms in the ancient languages. In
many European languages, "right" is not only a synonym for correctness,
but also stands for authority and justice: German and Dutch recht,
French droit, Spanish derecho, Portuguese direito; in most Slavic
languages the root prav is used in word's carrying meanings of
correctness or justice. Being right-handed has also historically been
thought of as being skillful: the Latin word for right-handed isdexter,
as in dexterity; indeed, the Spanish term diestro and the Italian's
destro, mean both "right-handed" and "skilful".
In Irish, "deas" means "right side" and "nice". "Ciotóg" is the left
hand and is related to "ciotach" meaning "awkward"; in French, "gauche"
means "left" and is also a synonym of "maladroit", meaning "clumsy".
Same for the talian "maldestro" and the Dutch word "links".
Meanwhile, the English word sinister comes from the Latin word
sinister, which originally meant "left" but took on meanings of "evil"
or "unlucky" by the Classical Latin era. Alternatively, sinister comes
from the Latin word sinus meaning "pocket": a traditional Roman toga
had only one pocket, located on the left side for the convenience of a
right-handed wearer.[citation needed] The contemporary Italian word
sinistra has both meanings of sinister and left. The Spanish siniestra
has both, too, although the 'left' meaning is less common and is
usually expressed by izquierda, a Basque word. In Portuguese, the most
common word for left-handed person, canhoto, was once used to identify
the devil, and canhestro, a related word, means "clumsy".
The left side is often associated with awkwardness and clumsiness. The
Dutch expression "twee linkerhanden hebben" and the Bulgarian
expression "dve levi ratse" ("to have two left hands") both mean being
clumsy. The English phrase, to have "two left feet" means to be bad at
dancing. As these are all very old words/phrases, they support theories
indicating that the predominance of right-handedness is an extremely
old phenomenon.
In ancient China, the left has been the "bad" side. The adjective
"left" means "improper" or "out of accord". For instance, the phrase
"left path" stands for
illegal or immoral means.
In Welsh, the word chwith means left, but can also mean strange,
awkward, or wrong. The phrase o'r chwith refers to an object being
inside-out.
In Norwegian, the expression venstrehåndsarbeid (left-hand work) means
"something that is done in a sloppy or unsatisfactory way".
Additionally, one of the Norwegian words for left-handed, "keivhendt",
comes from Norwegian words meaning wrong handed or not straight handed.
The Hungarian word balfácán means twit. (Bal means left and fácán is
for pheasant.) Other synonyms are balfék and balek. However all these
are euphemistic versions of the original vulgar word balfasz, combining
"bal" and the vulgar name of the male genitals fasz.
In Ireland left handedness is called a "ciotógach" (kitt-oog) which is
Irish for left-handed. It is frequently used amongst native Irish
people, e.g. "she gave him a slap of the ciotógach after he insulted
her at the bar" the word ciotógach is not derogatory and is held with
affection amongst left-handed people.
In some parts of the English-speaking world 'cack-handed' is slang for
left-handed (it is also used to mean clumsy). The origin of this term
is disputed, but some suggest it is derived from the Latin cacare, in
reference to the habit of performing ablutions with the left hand,
leaving the right hand 'clean'.
However, other source suggest that it is derived from the Old Norse word keikr, meaning "bent backwards".
The common Australian slang for a left-handed individual is the term
Molly-Dooker, whose origins cannot be ascertained for certain.
Amongst Muslims, and in some societies including India, it is customary
to use the left hand for cleaning oneself with water after defecating.
The right hand is commonly known in contradistinction from the left, as
the hand used for eating.
Even the word "ambidexterity" reflects the bias. Its intended meaning
is, "skillful on both sides". However, since it keeps the Latin root
"dexter", which means "right", it ends up conveying the idea of being
"right-handed at both sides". This bias is also apparent in the
lesser-known antonym "ambisinistrous", which means "clumsy on both
sides" and derives from the Latin root "sinister."
In Esperanto, the word "left" is rendered maldekstra, literally meaning
"opposite of right." A left-handed person is a maldekstrulo. The prefix
mal- does not mean "bad", but simply "opposite"; in fact, "generous"
translates as malavara, meaning "opposite of greedy." A neologism liva
was not accepted by the speakers.
In Russian, "to stray left" is a euphemism for being unfaithful to a spouse or partner.
Accessibility of implements and skills.
Kitchen knives (1)symmetrical, (2)right-handed,
(3)left-handedLeft-handed people are sometimes placed at a disadvantage
by the prevalence of right-handed tools in society. Many tools and
devices are designed to be comfortably used with the right hand. For
example, (right-handed) scissors, a very common tool, are arranged so
that the line being cut along can be seen by a right-handed user, but
is obscured to a left-handed user. Furthermore, the handles are often
molded in a way that is difficult for a left-hander to hold, and
extensive use in such cases can lead to varying levels of discomfort.
Most importantly, the scissoring or shearing action - how the blades
work together (how they are attached at the pivot) - operates correctly
for a right-hander, but a left-hander will tend to force the blades
apart rather than shearing the target substance.
The computer mouse is sometimes made to fit the right hand better. Many
computer installations have the mouse placed on the right side, making
it awkward for left-handers to use without moving the mouse to the
other side of the keyboard. Some mouse drivers and operating systems
allow the user to reconfigure the mouse buttons to reverse their
functions. However, being left-handed does not always mean the person
uses the mouse on a computer with the left hand; many left-handers can
use the mouse right-handed because they learned it that way from the
start. It can be said that this is an advantage as one can use the
mouse with their non-dominant hand, leaving their left to do tasks such
as taking notes.
While European-style kitchen knives are symmetrical, Japanese kitchen
knives have the cutting edge ground asymmetrically, with ratios ranging
from 70-30 for the average chef's knife, to 90-10 for professional
sushi chef knives; left-handed models are rare, and usually must be
specially ordered or custom made.
The lack of left-handed tools and machines in many workplaces is not
only a nuisance to many left-handers, but has actually placed them at
peril. In fact, some factories have installed left-handed equipment
after successful class-action lawsuits on behalf of left-handed
employees.
Many well-intentioned companies have manufactured products with
left-handers in mind, but have still failed to meet left-handers'
needs. For instance, many companies have produced "left-handed
scissors" by simply inverting the scissors' handles, making the grip
work for the left-hander. Unfortunately, for scissors to function in a
truly left-handed manner, their blades must also be mirror-inverted,
without which the left-hander is forced to make a "blind cut" because
the blade obscures the paper from view. Mundial and Fiskars are
companies that have produced truly left-handed scissors, inverting both
the blades and the handles.
Left-handed adaptations have even bridged the world of music; guitars
are often made especially for lefties, and there have even been
inverted pianos where the deepest notes correspond to the rightmost
keys instead of the leftmost. Inverted trumpets are made, too, but at a
considerably higher cost. The prevailing belief is that left-handed
trumpeters aren't at a significant disadvantage; the French Horn, for
example, is played with the left hand, yet most horn players are
right-handed.
Left-handed golf clubs were one of the earlier, and well-accepted,
manifestations of a special version of an implement; the most notable
left-handed-playing participant being Phil Mickelson (he is naturally
right-handed).
The sextant is a rare example of a device that is more convenient for a
left-hander to use. The grip on almost all sextants is for the right
hand, meaning a right-handed user has to put down the instrument in
order to write down the measurement after taking a sighting.
Handwriting
It can be difficult for left-handed children to learn to write if the
teacher does not take the student's left-handedness into account. In
fact, even in the later 20th century, some UK schools were discouraging
children from writing with their left hand, often seriously affecting
the child's development (Hansard 1998). When properly done, left-handed
writing is a mirror image to that of the right-hander, making the
teaching process confusing for the right-handed teacher of a
left-handed student. The result is that many left-handed children learn
to write with their hand curled around the pen so that it
can meet the paper at the same angle as the right-hander, rather than
simply tilt the paper the opposite way.[citation needed] Once this
habit is formed, it is difficult to break.[citation needed] This
curling of the hand results in the heel of the palm being placed behind
the writing, forcing the writer to lift it off the paper and making the
grip even more awkward. In addition, constantly lifting and replacing
the hand over fresh ink often causes smudging, causing problems for
many left-handed students, especially in exam situations. Ink is also
rubbed on to the hand, causing an inky hand. When the left hand is held
correctly, it is below the writing, as is typical for right-handers.
However, left-handed people who speak Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Hebrew
or any other right to left language, do not have the same difficulties
with writing.
The right to left nature of these languages prevents left-handers from
running their hand on the ink as happens with left to right languages.
Still, due to these alphabets being developed for right-handed people,
the characters are still often more easily matched to a right-handed
profile.
Firearms
The vast majority of firearms are designed for right-handed shooters,
with the operating handle, magazine release, and/or safety mechanisms
set up for manipulation by the right hand, and fired cartridge cases
ejected to the right. Also, scopes and sights may be mounted in such a
way as to require the shooter to place the rifle against his or her
right shoulder. A left-handed shooter must either purchase a
left-handed firearm (which are manufactured in smaller numbers and are
generally more expensive and/or harder to obtain), shoot a right-handed
gun left-handed (which presents certain difficulties, such as the
controls being improperly located for them or hot shell cases being
ejected towards their body, especially their eyes), or learn to shoot
right-handed (which may pose additional problems, primarily that of
ocular dominance). Fortunately for left-handed people, modern guns
feature more ambidextrous or right/left-handed reversible operating
parts than their predecessors(such as the H&K G36). Bullpup rifles
are particularly problematic for lefties unless they can be
reconfigured, since empty shells would be ejected fast and straight
into the shooter's face and cheek potentially causing injury.
Lever action and pump action firearms present fewer difficulties for lefties than bolt action weapons do.
Left-handedness and intelligence
In his book Right-Hand, Left-Hand, Chris McManus of University College
London argues that the proportion of left-handers is rising and
left-handed people as a group have historically produced an
above-average quota of high achievers. He says that left-handers'
brains are structured differently in a way that widens their range of
abilities, and the genes that determine left-handedness also govern
development of the language centers of the brain.
McManus also says that the increase in the 20th century of people
identifying as left-handed could produce a corresponding intellectual
advance and a leap in the number of mathematical, sporting, or artistic
geniuses.
In 2006, researchers at Lafayette College and Johns Hopkins University
in a study found that left-handed men are 15 percent richer than
right-handed men for those who attended college, and 26 percent richer
if they graduated. The wage difference is still unexplainable and does
not appear to apply to women.
Prevalence with age
In Britain, a study in the 1970s found that around 11 percent of men
and women aged 15-24 were left-handed, compared to just 3 percent in
the 55-64 age category. The study suggests that 'cultural pressures'
for right-hand use were prevalent in the industrial societies in the
18th and 19th centuries (with the advancement of mass literacy), and
that those pressures were only significantly relaxed in the 'later
decades' of the 20th century. The study also refers to tests on
medieval skeletons that show evidence of hand-usage similar to today's,
which suggests that hand-prejudice was not always part of UK society.
Right-Hand, Left-Hand author Chris McManus also suggests a number of
factors that may have led to the modern increase in left-hand usage:
Left-handers suffered severe prejudice during the 18th and 19th
centuries and it was often "beaten out" of people. In adulthood,
left-handers were often shunned by society, resulting in fewer marrying
and reproducing As prejudice declined in the 20th century, the number
of natural left-handers who stayed left-handed increased The rising age
of motherhood contributed as, statistically, older mothers are more
likely to give birth to left-handed children. Statistics show that
older people are less likely to be left-handed than their younger
counterparts — the percentages of left-handed people sharply drop off
with increased age. In the U.S., 12 percent of 20 year olds are
left-handed, while only 5 percent of 50 year olds and less than 1
percent of people over 80 are.
A study published in 1991 claimed that these statistics indicate that
left-handed people's lifespans are shorter than those of their
right-handed counterparts by as much as 9 years. The authors suggested
that this may be the result of left-handed people being more likely to
die in accidents as a result of their "affliction", which renders them
clumsier and ill-equipped to survive in a right-handed world. Many
subsequent studies have shown no evidence that left-handed people have
reduced longevity compared to right-handed people.
According to The Left-Hander Syndrome most people were only forced to
write with their right hand and allowed to continue being left-handed
in most other respects indicating that the decline in older
left-handers is not from being forced or switching in later life.
Dory Previn wrote a song in which she explains that she was born
left-handed but nuns in her school "broke her out of it"; later in
life, she went back to
using her left hand she said "I went back to using my left, my natural
hand," and discovered her musical talent, among other things.
Nuns are often associated with training left-handers to write with
their right hand. However, this practice was common in both religious
and non-religious schools. The training was due to the difficulty
left-handers had writing with liquid ink or fountain pens. When writing
with these pens, the side of the left-hander's hand would smear the
writing as it passed over the newly-written words. Fountain pens have
widely been replaced by the ballpoint pens, although traditional
teaching methods still stipulate the use of fountain pens.
Left-sidedness.
Studies show that left-handedness does not necessarily correspond with
"left-sidedness" (such as using your left foot to kick with), though
most left-handed people tend to have "left-sidedness". The same effect
holds with ocular dominance. It has also been found that people have
dominant sides of the body, such as the eye, foot, and ear.
Possible effects in humans on thinking.
There are many theories on how being left-handed affects the way a
person thinks. One theory divides left- and right-handed thinkers into
two camps: visual simultaneous vs. linear sequential.
According to this theory, right-handed people are thought to process
information using a "linear sequential" method in which one thread must
complete its processing before the next thread can be started.
Left-handed persons are thought to process information using a "visual
simultaneous" method in which several threads can be processed
simultaneously. Anotherway to view this is such: Suppose there were one
thousand pieces of popcorn and one of them was colored blue.
Right-handed people—using the linear sequential processing style—would
look at the popcorn one at a time until they encountered the blue one.
The left-handed person would spread out the pieces of popcorn and look
at all of them to find the one that was blue. A side effect of these
differing styles of processing is that right-handers need to complete
one task before they can start the next. Left-handers, by contrast, are
capable and comfortable switching between tasks. This seems to suggest
that
left-handed people have an excellent ability to multi-task, and
anecdotal evidence that they are more creative may stem from this
ability to multi-task.
Right-handed people process information using "analysis", which is the
method of solving a problem by breaking it down to its pieces and
analyzing the pieces one at a time. By contrast, left-handed people
process information using "synthesis", which is the method of solving a
problem by looking at the whole and trying to use pattern-matching to
solve the problem.
The hypothesis that left-handed people are predisposed to visual-based
thought has been validated by a variety of evidence. In the 2004 book
Brains That Work a Little Bit Differently, researchers Allen D. Bragdon
and David Gamon, Ph.D., briefly described some of the current research
on handedness and its significance. "Handedness researchers Coren and
Clare Porac have shown that left-handed university students are more
likely to major in visually-based, as opposed to language-based
subjects. Another sample of 103 art students found an astounding 47
percent were left- or mixed-handed."
Ultimately, being left-handed is not an all-or-nothing situation. The
processing styles operate on a continuum where some people are more
visual-simultaneous and others are more linear-sequential.
As computers become more ergonomically designed right-handers, they become more uncomfortable for us.
Peelers, Openers & Corkscrews
These are the things that can really frustrate left-handers - scraped
knuckles from peeling, tins that are impossible to open and having to
turn the bottle to open wine
I, myself am left-handed and have had to grow up in a righthanded
world. I was even forced at school to try to write right-handed and
then was told off for
scruffy hand writing - I reverted back to left hand writing soon after leaving that school.
Specially designed pruner for left-handed use with the locking
mechanism on the right of the body for operation with the left thumb.
Some left-handers prefer to wear a watch on their left-wrist and need
the controls on the right side and a lot of left-handers find it easier
to read a backwards face,
or just want to see time run backwards!
If you are right-handed, try to write or cut with scissors, with your left hand.
See how dificult it is and then think how I and every other left-handed
person has had to use objects " the wrong way round" or even upside
down, (like a
can opener).
If you are left-handed, then be a proud left-hander and show how well you can perform!
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