When Left is RightA Look at Lefties on International​Lefthanders Day

Eva Postma has an unusual trait. Along with only about 10% of the earth’s population, she is part of a worldwide minority group. Why? Eva is left-handed. It means that she can’t get normal scissors to cut properly, ironing her clothes has always been awkward, and her handwriting never seems to turn out the way she wants it. She is one of the lucky ones, though. Growing up in Holland and then in the United States during the mid-twentieth century, she was never accused of being a witch or of being associated with the devil. She was not criticized for using her left hand as if it were unclean. A teacher never hit her on the knuckles with a ruler for using her left hand. Here are some of Eva’s recollections about left-handedness:

• I eat with my left hand; however, my dad, who was also left-handed, had a weight put on his left hand to force him to use his right hand in school.
• When I started school, I had never picked up a pencil or written on paper before. The teacher told me to pick up the pencil with my right hand, so I did, not knowing any different.

• To this day, I write with my right hand and do everything else (household chores, ironing, dusting, etc.) with my left hand.
• For many years, I couldn't distinguish between my left and right hands. I was eventually able to figure them out by looking at a burn on my right arm I got while ironing with my left hand.

Eva has become quite resigned to the fact the world wasn't designed for left-handed people. She declares, “We make the best of it!”
 
History
For thousands of years, cultures throughout the world have demonized left-handedness. Evidence from ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome indicates that their various gods all showed favor to right-handed people; the right hand was used for blessings. Available evidence from China does not extend to ancient times, but modern data indicates that the percentage of left-handed individuals is the lowest by far within worldwide comparisons. Using left hands to write is discouraged. In parts of the world where Islam prevails, human interaction with the left hand is forbidden. Christians are well-aware of Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father. Anecdotal evidence related to Judaism indicates that acceptance of both left- and right-handedness may have grown over time.


MOTAL research so far reveals very few instances where left-handedness is accepted. However, one culture does seem to have had a positive attitude. Celtic lore equates left-handedness with femininity and fertility.

Another instance is from the work of Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the international Scout movement with his sister Agnes. He had many experiences from life in Africa where left hands were used and he advocated left-handed rituals for the burgeoning scout movement.

Many centuries of prejudice and quackery persisted well into the middle of the twentieth century. In the 1970s, though, western cultures saw a change in attitudes about children’s left-handedness. Punishments and efforts to change children were discouraged. Slowly, practices changed and accommodations for left-handed students were embraced. Better understandings of Lefties came about through research, and organizations arose to support left-handed individuals.

Recognizing Left-Handers on August 13 has been going on for thirty years. One suggestion for a possible way to celebrate: Try using your left hand all day. It will be normal for a small group of people, an interesting struggle for the other 90% of the population.


Famous People
A wide assortment of articles on the internet include lists of prominent left-handed individuals from the past and present. The following individuals are, indeed, well-known and their left-handedness has been verified. Many people will also declare that Albert Einstein was a Lefty, but that was not true. MOTAL invites readers to savor the ways these people have used their gifts.

Leonardo da Vinci

Napoleon Bonaparte

Marie Curie

Babe Ruth

Oprah Winfrey

Prince William

Paul McCartney

Bill Gates

Barack Obama

Lady Gaga

Jimi Hendrix

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Left-handedness Causes, Effects
Years of brain studies have determined that left-handed movements are guided by the motor cortex in the brain’s right hemisphere. What does that mean? Many books and articles have explored differences between the left and right hemispheres and theories have gained popularity, only to be dispelled by further studies in neuroscience. Both hemispheres have multiple, overlapping functions.The right hemisphere is concerned with sensory inputs, creative abilities, plus spatial and temporal awareness.  Theories have also sought to associate left-handedness with birth difficulties. The search for conclusive information continues. Prominent studies from over a decade ago compared cognition of left-handed young children with that of their right-handed counterparts. After ruling for external factors such as socio-economic levels, health, and family composition the cognitive performance left-handed youngsters was slightly lower than that of their right-handed counterparts. The Museum of Teaching and Learning, in its pursuit of trustworthy information, will work with university consultants to present updated research results in a future article.

Possibilities
Here are some attributes that studies have learned about left-handed folks:

• Left-handed people are no smarter than their right-handed counterparts.
• Left-handedness is also known as "sinistrality".
• A common name for a lefty is a "South-Paw" (from baseball).
• Left-handed people are more prone to have negative emotions and they have a more difficult time processing their feelings.
• close to 25% of children with two left-handed parents will be left-handed
  
• about 20% of identical twins are left-handed
  
• boys are left-handed slightly more often than girls
  

Things you didn't know about being left-handed:

• enjoy creative tendencies
• advantage at face-to-face competitive sports
• more likely to suffer from mental illness
• highly adaptable
• remember events better than facts
• being left-handed is more common in twins
• have positive sexual lives

For sure, punishing children for using their left hands is a practice from the past. A MOTAL colleague recently told a brief story from his childhood. His kindergarten teacher was attempting to force him to use his right hand. His mother, however, paid an immediate visit to the school. Mom, a proud Lefty, made it clear that her child should NOT change and the teacher should stop her efforts. Immediately.


Perhaps our new era will see the disappearance of derogatory comments made about being left-dominant:

• "You have two left feet."
• "That's a left-handed compliment.

Instead, here are some popular encouraging lefty sayings:

• "I may be left-handed, but I'm always right!"
• "Everyone is born right-handed. Only the greatest overcome it."
• "Lefties rule!"

In conclusion, MOTAL invites readers to explore the following links. You will find some fascinating data and perspectives for you to think about and discuss.


 A Left-Handed History of the World: Wright, Ed: 9780760787045: Amazon.com: Books 


The Long History of Left-Handed Persecution | by Nicol Valentin | Lessons from History | Medium 

 Left-handedness - Better Health Channel 


 Nature’s Experiment? Handedness and Early Childhood Development 


 Chart: The Countries With The Most Left-Handed People|StatistaStatista

Why are there (almost) no left-handers in China? - ScienceDirectBias against left-handed people - Wikipedia

 The Plight of Being a Left-Handed Jew | JewishBoston 


Submitted by
Eva Postma, MOTAL Vice-President
with Greta Nagel, MOTAL President