No-one has come up with a definitive reason for WHY some people are left-handed, but about 13% of the population around the world are, and it is thought to be genetic - it definitely runs in families. Researchers have recently located a gene they believe "makes it possible to have a left-handed child " so if you have that gene, one or more of your children may be left-handed, whereas without it, you will only have right-handers - sorry! The good news is, that if you are left-handed yourself, you have that gene and will pass it on through the generations!

The way the brain works is incredibly complex, but this simplified explanation will give you some understanding of where our left-hand dominance comes from. The brain is "cross-wired" so that the left hemisphere controls the right handed side of the body and vice-versa and hand dominance is connected with brain dominance on the opposite side - which is why we say that only left-handers are in their right minds!

The left hemisphere (RIGHT HAND CONTROL) controls Speech, Language, Writing, Logic, Mathematics, Science, this is the LINEAR THINKING MODE.

The right hemisphere (LEFT HAND CONTROL) controls Music, Art, Creativity, Perception, Emotions, Genius, this is the HOLISTIC THINKING MODE

Effects of right brain dominance

This brain dominance makes left-handers more likely than right handers to be creative and visual thinkers. This is supported by higher percentages of left-handers than normal in certain jobs and professions - music and the arts, media in general. (See the results of our Lifestyle Survey of Left-Handers for our detailed findings) Left-handers are also generally better at 3-dimensional perception and thinking, leading, for example, to more left-handed architects

than normal. Left-handers are also usually pretty good at most ball sports and things involving hand-to-eye co-ordination.

The view that left-handers are clumsy and awkward is not down to their natural abilities, but being forced to use right-handed tools and machinery which is completely back-to-front for them.

To find out more, and for some hints and tips for getting the most out of a right-handed world, visit the FAQ section at Anything Left-Handed.

If you are interested in the latest research and findings on left-handedness, you can buy the excellent book Right-Hand, Left Hand by Chris McManus in the online shop.

Left-handedness test

We all, of course, know in which hand we hold a pen, but how far does this bias extend throughout your body? Are you left-eared? Left eyed? Here is a simple test you can apply to yourself.

1. Imagine the centre of your back is itching. Which hand do you scratch it with?2. Interlock your fingers. Which thumb is uppermost?3. Imagine you are applauding. Start clapping your hands. Which hand is uppermost?4. Wink at an imaginary friend straight in front of you. Which eye does the winking?5. Put your hands behind your back, one holding the other. Which hand is doing the

holding?6. Someone in front of you is shouting but you cannot hear the words. Cup your ear to

hear better. Which ear do you cup?7. Count to three on your fingers, using the forefinger of the other hand. Which

forefinger do you use?8. Tilt your head over on to one shoulder. Which shoulder does it touch?9. Fixate a small distant object with your eyes and point directly at it with your

forefinger. Now close one eye. Now change eyes. Which eye was open when the fingertip remained in line with the small object? (When the other eye, the non-dominant one, is open and the dominant eye is closed, the finger will appear to move to one side of the object.)

10. Fold your arms. Which forearm is uppermost?

If you have always considered yourself to be right or left-handed you will probably now have discovered that your body is less than total in its devotion to its favoured side. If you are right-handed the chances are that you were not able to be 'right' 10 times.

Left Handed History

Stone Age implements discovered seem equally divided between left and right and studies of cave drawings have indicated a preference for the left hand. When tools became more sophisticated, a clear hand preference emerged. The right hand preference may have originated in sun worship.

In the Northern hemisphere you have to face south to follow the sun and move from left to right until the suns sets in the west. This gave moving to the right and the right hand side a great significance. Another theory says that as the heart is on the left hand side, a shield would have to be in the left hand to defend it and any weapon therefore had to be held in the right, which became the dominant hand. Recent theories have included one that right-handedness is the normality and left-handedness is a deficiency which results from a traumatic birth! Left-handers have done quite badly over the years and many old superstitions still survive today.

Christianity is strongly based towards the right hand. It is the right had that gives the blessing and make the sign of the cross. On one count, the bible contains over 100 favourable reference to the right-hand and 25 unfavourable references to the left-hand. E.g.: The right hand of the lord doeth valiantly, the right hand of the lord is exalted (Psalm 118 vv15,16) The left hand does worst in the parable of the sheep and goats. The sheep are set on Christ's right hand and the goats on the left. Those on the right inherit the kingdom of god while those on the let depart into everlasting fire. The devil is nearly always portrayed as left-handed and evil spirits lurk over the left shoulder (which is why you throw spilled salt over your left shoulder to ward them off).

Left Handed Language

Left-handers have been linguistically abused for centuries! There are hundreds of (mainly abusive) terms for left-handers.

There are a lot of sayings where "right" is good and "left" is bad e.g., "being in your right mind", "the divine right of kings", it will be all right in the end" as against being "left out", having "two left-feet", "a left-handed compliment" (one that is not really meant!).

Even the word for "left-handed" in many languages is very negative:

LanguageWord for Left

HandedMeaning

Greek Skaios Ill-omened, awkward Italian Mancino Crooked, maimed Spanish Zurdo Reverse - No Ser Zurdo = Clever French Gauche Awkward, clumsy

Dutch Linkshandig To "have two left hands" means to be clumsy.

German Links, Linkisch Awkward

Norwegian KjevhendtCrooked-handed (also advised to us as keivhent, left-hander)

Swedish Vänsterhänt  

Australia Mollie Dooker Something to do with having fists like a girlPortuguese Canhoto  

Latin Sinister

Dexter

On the left-hand side

On the right hand side (dextrous)

If you have any more words to add to this list or can help further with origins / meanings / alternatives, please add a comment below and we will pick it up.

Left Handed Fascinating Facts

Most left-handers draw figures facing to the right.

There is a high tendency in twins for one to be left-handed

Stuttering and dyslexia occur more often in left-handers (particularly if they are forced to change their writing hand as a child, like King of England George VI).

 

Left-handers adjust more readily to seeing underwater.

Left-handers excel particularly in tennis, baseball, swimming and fencing

Left-handers usually reach puberty 4 to 5 months after right-handers

4 of the 5 original designers of the Macintosh computer were left-handed

1 in 4 Apollo astronauts were left-handed - 250% more than the normal level.

Left-handers are generally more intelligent, better looking, imaginative and multi-talented than right handers - based on discussions among members of the Left-Handers Club! :)

he Lefty Lament Song

For our Left-Handers Day celebrations a few years ago, singer/songwriter and long standing Club member Ian Radburn offered to compose a light-hearted song, which he could perform at our live events. The result, in the style of a folk song, was absolutely brilliant and had us all singing along with the chorus. It has often been broadcast on TV and radio shows. We are delighted to bring his song to you, and also put the amusing and poignant lyrics down for posterity. Our sincere thanks to Ian, and we hope you enjoy it.

See the bottom of this page to hear Ian performing the song himself.

Left-Handers Lament by Ian Radburn

Now here's the story of my life,I've had fun but lots of strife,For I was born left-handed, but I'm proudTo be one of the elite, right-handers we can beatWe're the 10% that stand out from the crowd!

But as a little lad, oh the problems that I hadWinding clockwork toys was just a mysteryTying laces was a pain, couldn't get it in my brainEverything was back-to-front it seemed to me

ChorusWe're the Cack-Handed Kings, we're the LEFTIESYou right-handers just haven't got a clue'Cos if you'd been through what we've been throughThen maybe you would feel superior too!

At 5 I started school where I was treated like a foolBeing left-handed I stood out from the packAnd learning how to write was not a struggle - more a fightFor I had my left hand tied behind my back

"Now get it in your head" the sympathetic teacher said"You use the right and not the Devil's side"Those supposed men of vision caused me pain and such derisionIs it any wonder often times I cried?

We're the Gibble Fisted Friends, we're the LEFTIES (repeat chorus)

Time then came when my voice droppedAnd my face was one big spot But I was glad to see my teenage years arrive,Because I use my left, I was different from the restAnd the girls saw me as something of a prize!

I learned some handy tricks in the back row of the flicksIt used to drive my girlfriends all berserkFor their eyes would keep apace of my right hand - just in caseAnd they never saw my left one go to work!

We're the Southpawed Princes, we're the LEFTIES (repeat chorus)

Well I'm married now, worst luckBut my wife has given upAsking me to help with chores like peeling spuds,Or trying to cut the bread, I'll get a 4 x 2" wedgeLose three fingertips and half a pint of blood

I would love to be a dad, but we've hit a little snagIf you can help please tell us what to doThe problem simply said, is that I'm a left-hand threadBut my wife you see, now she's a right-hand .....OH, YES WE'RE THE

Scrummy-Handed Heroes, we're the LEFTIES (repeat chorus)

Now we reach today, where you stand and watch me playAnd yes, I play right-handed it is trueFor the very simple fact is that I've had to adaptSomething all we southpaws have to try and do

We have trouble tying ties, writing cheques out, using knives

and scissors made for use in your right handAnd when it comes to sport once again we are left shortIn hockey and in polo we are banned

We're the Cuddy Wifter Winners, we're the LEFTIES (repeat chorus)

Now I've finished off my song and as you move alongPlease bear in mind the things I've had to sayAnd please show some respect for your friends who use the leftThanks for listening to me this Left-Handers Day.

Copyright: Ian Radburn, 2004

Hear Ian perform the song

If you would like to hear Ian singing the song himself, playing acoustic guitar accompaniment, you can use the links below to open the audio file:

Windows media format (283 Kb) 8kBit/s 11kHz mono

You can also open a file with the instrumental version only, so you can sing along!

Left Handed Children

Left-handed children have particular problems in learning basic skills using the wrong tools. These problems are easily overcome with some sensible guidance and use of simple left-handed implements, but they often get neither and end with an unfair reputation as being slow, awkward and clumsy as a result!

Left-handed scissors and cutting

Cutting out simple shapes using scissors can be a real challenge for young left handed children forced to use right handed scissors. Left-handed scissors have the blades reversed so that the child can the cutting line and so that the natural squeezing movement of the left hand pushes the blades together to make them cut rather than pushing them apart so that the card or paper gets stuck sideways inside the blades.

Click the play button on the video below for a full explanation.

If you have any difficulty viewing the video here, please click on one of the video site links below to view it in their player. The sound level is a bit low so you may need to turn your volume up. We are working on it.

Writing left-handed

Left-handed writing requires a correct grip and correct paper positioning. If they are made to write like right-handers, but using their left hand, they often end up with a very cramped position and a "hook" wiring style that is painful and slow - not great for exams in later life! As children start to use ink pens, a left-handed nib cut-off in the correct direction is essential if they want to avoid a blotty mess.

Click play on the video below for more information on writing left-handed.

 

If you have any trouble seeing the video on this page, please use one of the links below to watch it.

YouTube Google Video Yahoo Video

Even simple things like sharing a desk can be made complicated - always put the left-hander on the left-side of the shared desk or there will be clashing elbows and arguments all day.

Mirror writing

Left-handers sometimes slip naturally into mirror-writing flowing from right to left and perfectly readable to them (or to anyone with a mirror). Famous examples of this were Leonardo da Vinci and Lewis Carroll

Famous Left Handers

Lefties have excelled at both ends of the scale - the very good and the very bad. They seem to make exceptional leaders, inventors, artists, musicians and murderers!

Have a play with our famous lefties cube - put your mouse over it and you can make it change direction and speed. Click a moving face to make it stop and show the picture, click again to start it spinning.

Lefty Brain Teasers

Because their brains are organised differently, left-handers see and think differently and can get some very different results from various "brain tests", usually doing very well on tests that involve creative thinking or unraveling complex images and manipulating 3D images. Here's a famous test of creativity - have a look at the image below:

A non-creative right handed brain sees only a hodgepodge of disconnected shapes, but the left-handed brain can go beyond logic and find the connecting concept that makes sense of the shapes. If you can't "see" beyond the shapes, it's because your right-handed brain is trying to solve the problem and won't let your left-handed brain have a go. If you still can't see the picture, the answer is at the bottom of this page **

Thurston's hand test

The left-handed brain's mastery of the visual has an important benefit - it can "see" three dimensionally. In Thurston's hand test, you are asked to identify which pictures are of left hands and which are of right hands. Your right-handed brain is at a loss to handle this problem, but your left-handed brain can actually rotate these drawings in imaginary space to solve the test - have a go!

Kanizsas triangle

Here's another example showing how your left-handed brain can even create things that don't exist. If you can see the white triangle - the one with its apex pointing up - it's because your left-handed brain has created that triangle to unify what is otherwise simply a collection of angles and PacMan shapes. There is, in fact, no white triangle there.

** The picture in the first brainteaser is of a dog drinking from a stream, with its head in the middle of the picture facing down to the water and its tail off to the right.

Lefthandedness And Intelligence

Some researchers claim that we are more intelligent and eloquent that our right-handed counterparts. In tests conducted by Dr. Alan Searleman from St Lawrence University in New York, he found that left-handers can be considerably more intellectually gifted.

There were more left-handed people with IQs over 140 than right-handed people - which is the "genius" bracket. This is perhaps why there are more "lefties" in creative professions - such as music, art and writing - and more left-handed astronauts and leaders than would be expected.

To see the initial results of our survey where we investigated a link between being left-handed and the choices people make in work and other activities, click here

MENSA

We have spoken to MENSA, the society for people with high IQs (Intelligence Quotient, showing tested intelligence relative to the normal level of 100 - you need to have a tested IQ of over 140 to join MENSA). They told us that they do not keep records of their members' handedness but were willing to give as a Mini Quiz for our visitors to try, but please note that this is not an IQ TEST. For more information on IQ tests and the Mensa Organisation, visit their website at: www.mensa.org.uk

MENSA mini quiz - just for fun!

(if you are really stuck, you can link to the answers at the bottom of this page)

1. What number is missing from this sequence?

4   9   16   25   36   ?   64

2. Which four letter word can be attached to the beginning of the following words to form five longer words?

AGE   WIDTH   IT   STAND   WAGON

3. Rearrange the letters of 'ANY TIME' to give a seven letter word. What is it?

4. Replace the blanks in this sentence with two three letter words. The same three letters must be used for both words. What are they?

The woman decided to BLANK a well-known firm of solicitors to BLANK for compensation.

5. What is the value of the top row of the grid?

6. If FP = 10 and HX = 16 what does DS = ?

7. What number should replace the question mark?

8. What letter should appear next in this sequence?

L   K   J   H   ?

Left Handed ProductsIf you struggle with some everyday tasks and people think you are awkward or just hopeless, it is almost certainly NOT YOU, but the incorrect tools you are using!

Here are some examples of how left-handed versions of everyday items are different and why they will make a big difference for you.

Click the image to watch our new videos

Scissors

If you or your child find that you tend to tear the paper rather than cutting it and you can never cut cleanly along a line

It is probably because you are using the wrong scissors.

Left-handed scissors have the blades reversed so the top blade is always on the left so that you can see your cutting line and the natural squeezing action of your hand pushes the blades

together so they can cut like a guillotine rather than pushing them apart so the paper bends between the blades.

Cutting bread

Do you always make a mess of cutting bread and end up with doorstep slices and an overhanging loaf?

The answer could be a simple as getting a proper left-handed bread knife with the serrations on the right side of the blade so it counteracts the natural twisting motion of your hand as it should rather than reinforcing it.

Opening tins and peeling

If you just cannot get to grips with a "normal" tin opener

Just get a proper left handed tin opener that is fully reversed in design and works naturally the way you want to hold and turn it

Peeling fruit and vegetables can be very difficult with a right-handed peeler as you have to peel away from yourself and end up scraping your knuckles in the process. A two sided peeler is much better and one designed to be held in the left hand as you peel towards your body is ever better.

Writing

A lot of left handers get into awkward writing positions and smudge their work because they are trying to make a standard ink pen work. These are, of course, designed for right handers to PULL across the page from left to right with the nib being dragged behind and writing smoothly. When a left-hander tries to PUSH is across the page nib first it just digs into the paper and you get no ink flow. Contorting the writing position to make it work just leads to smudging and bad writing.

The answer is to use a specially designed left handed pen that has the nib rounded at the end to flow smoothly when pushed and also the centre cut on the nib moved to the other side so that you get smooth ink flow with the left side of the nib pressed to the paper rather than the right.

In the garden

A garden pruner needs to be reversed like a pair of left-handed scissors so the top blade is on the left and you can cut plants cleanly rather than just tearing chunks off them.

The better designs also have the blade locking mechanism moved to the right side so you can easily operate it with your left thumb.

Many larger garden tools are designed for right handers and difficult, if not dangerous, to use left-handed. Chainsaws are a good example. Even seemingly ambidextrous items like lawn edging shears do not actually work properly for left-handers who normally prefer to work in a right to left direction.

This pair of specially designed left handed lawn edging shears has the blades reversed so the top glade can be held still on top of the grass edge (it has a guide that is behind the top blade in this view) while the bottom blade moves and cuts the grass cleanly.

hank You For Taking TheLeft Handers Day Information TourWe hope that you have been informed and entertained.

Don't forget to register and join the left-handers club if you would like to receive more interesting information on left-handedness in our newsletters and we will send them to you by email. You can also get a free membership certificate and backwards calendar (details in your welcome email)