ADVERTISEMENT Happy International Left-Handers Day!
Started in 1976 by Dean R. Campbell, founder of the Left-Handers Club, today raises awareness about the everyday obstacles faced by roughly 10 per cent of the world’s population – from awkward scissors to can openers and most guitars – as well as celebrates those who sometimes feel like left-overs in a right-handed world.
Here are seven facts about left-handedness you may not know:
Stigma throughout history
Sad to say, but left-handed people have historically been considered evil or malicious. Black magic has often been referred to as “the left-hand path” and in the Middle Ages, lefties were even burned at the stake for being in league with the devil.
This probably wasn’t helped by many religious texts focusing on the right hand – including Christianity, in which the right hand of God is the favoured one.
Biases persisted throughout history and evil became unlucky or clumsy, as reflected in day to day language. For instance, the word “sinister” comes from the Latin word for “left”, and the word for the direction “right” also means “correct”. In French, “gauche” refers to clumsiness. Other languages have similar constructs: Italian (“sinistra”); Spanish and Portuguese (to do something “por izquierda” can mean to engage in corrupt conduct); and German (“links”, closely related to “linkisch” meaning “clumsy”).
Expressions are numerous, with too many to list. As a sample: the Polish expression “mieć dwie lewe ręce”, Dutch “twee linkerhanden hebben”, and Hungarian “kétbalkezes” all mean “to have two left hands’” ie – to be clumsy.
Smearing your ink
Before the development of fountain pens, writing left-handed with a dip pen meant smearing your ink on the paper.
Children in schools were forced to write with their right hand – with documented cases of their left hand being tied behind their back. This cruel practice and others like it were common in various countries and school systems – from the US to Russia and Taiwan, where about 59.3 per cent of naturally left-handed children had been forced to convert to right-handedness according to a 2007 study.
Cultural associations
Unfavorable associations don’t end with witchcraft and clumsiness.
The left hand is still considered unclean in many parts of the world. For instance, in India, Pakistan, Nepal and the Middle East, it is considered rude to pick up things or eat with your left hand. It is also customary amongst Muslims to use the left hand for cleaning oneself, as per personal hygiene rules in Islam.
A male dominant trait
Left-handers are more likely to be male. According to the 2008 study “Sex differences in left-handedness: a meta-analysis of 144 studies“, 23% more men are left handers.
Migranes and allergies
According to a 1982 study by Norman Geschwind and Peter Behan, left-handed individuals had a statistically higher prevalence of immune disorders (including allergies and autoimmune diseases) compared to right-handers.
It was also discovered that left-handed people were roughly twice as likely to experience migraines when compared to right-handed people.
A creative advantage?
It’s not all bad news, as lefties are also considered to be more creative.
A 2021 brain scan study found that about 20 per cent of left-handers showed more right-leaning brain activity in movement-related areas, versus just 5 per cent of right-handers.
Indeed, it has been documented that left-handed individuals are more likely to use the right side of the brain for certain tasks – a side often associated with not only spatial awareness but also creativity. No wonder Leonardo Da Vinci, Charlie Chaplin, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and Kurt Cobain were left-handed…
Other celebrity lefties include Oprah Winfrey, Hugh Jackman, Lady Gaga, Prince William, Jennifer Lawrence and Simpsons creator Matt Groening – which explains why Bart writes with his left hand…
Roo and behold!
While the majority creatures show an even split when it comes to which hand / foot they favour the most, studies have shown that most kangaroos tend to use their left paw for everyday behaviours and the right for behaviours that require more physical strength.
There you have it. Happy International Left-Handers Day!
