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According to scientists, every tenth person on the planet is left-handed. This means that he uses his left hand more often than his right. At the same time, the hand used in writing is not a reliable “sign” of left-handedness.
Many left-handers write with their right hand, but it is their left hand that is leading: they often use it when cooking, while cleaning the house or playing musical instruments. A striking example would be an American actor, screenwriter and director — Charlie Chaplin. He played the violin with his left hand, wrote with his right, and in everyday life he relied more often on his left hand.
What scientific discoveries about lefties should you know?
Fact 1: Why some people are left-handed is unknown!
But scientists have many theories about this. Several studies have shown that genes play a large role in the development of left-handedness.
For example, in a 2007 study involving children with dyslexia, it was found that a specific gene called LRRTM1, which is passed down from the father, tends to increase the likelihood that a child will be left-handed. The same gene increases the likelihood of developing schizophrenia.
It is known for certain that left-handers are more common in multiple pregnancies and among people with neurological disorders ranging from mental retardation to autism.
Did you know?
For more than 30 years, left-handers have had their own holiday. It is celebrated annually on August 13th. It’s International Left-Handed Day.
Fact 2: Men are more likely to be born left-handed.
There are more right-handers than left-handers on the planet. But in the world of lefties, the stronger sex prevails.
Scientists have calculated that men have a 12 percent chance of being born left-handed, while women have a 10 percent chance of being born left-handed. And although the difference of 2% seems insignificant, in a conversation about left-handed people, it still matters. This fact can be confirmed by the example of the population of Great Britain. The proportion of left-handed women there is 8.6%, and men — 10.6%.
Fact 3: Most lefties are in the Netherlands
Although about 10% of left-handers live in the world, it is surprising that they are “distributed” unevenly across the planet.
According to statistics, the most left-handers in the Netherlands — 13.23%, and the least in China — 3.5%. The low percentage of left-handers is also in Japan — only 4.7%.
Did you know?
In pre-twentieth-century Japan, a woman’s left-handedness could be a strong justification for divorce.
Fact 4: There are references to left-handers in the Bible
Scripture study experts said that the right hand is mentioned 100 times in the Bible and all mentions are associated with positive things.
But the left hand is mentioned 4 times less — exactly 25 times, and only in a negative way.
Fact 5: There are a lot of geniuses among lefties
While some studies link left-handedness to developmental disabilities, others show that there are more left-handed geniuses in the world!
For example, the famous German physicist was left-handed Albert Einsteinwho received the Nobel Prize in 1921 for outstanding contributions to science. Also left-handed was an American diplomat, scientist, inventor and writer Benjamin Franklin.
On a note!
Scientists have come to the conclusion that left-handers are more likely to excel in fine arts and architecture, while right-handers are more “gone” in mathematics and the natural sciences. But there are always exceptions!
Fact 6: Retraining lefties is ineffective
In the USSR, left-handed children were massively retrained. Then all students had to be right-handed. However, the experiment showed that this does not give the expected results, and moreover, it seriously harms the child.
The taboo on using the left hand for writing, provided that it is the leading one, entails sad consequences: the appearance of fears, enuresis, the development of depressive states and the occurrence of neuroses.
Therefore, since 1986, schoolchildren are no longer retrained. It is believed that this allows them to maintain their mental and physical health.
Fact 7: Lefties are more likely to develop allergies
Harvard scientists have concluded that left-handed people have an 11% higher risk of developing allergies than right-handed people. The relevant data was published in the book Cerebral Dominance: The Biological Foundations.
In addition, it turned out that left-handers are twice as likely to suffer from autoimmune disorders and experience migraines.
By the way!
Left-handed people have not only a dominant left hand, but also a left ear, leg and … eye.
Fact 8: Lefties are better at multitasking
Data collected Illinois Research Consortium, showed that left-handers and right-handers work differently and cope with the tasks. When doing two things at the same time, left-handers do better than right-handers.
Scientists believe this is because right-handed people tend to solve problems by breaking them down into parts and analyzing each part in isolation. While left-handed people «see» the whole problem and solve it in the same way.
Fact 9: Left-handed people are more intelligent (or not!)
Because different studies show different results. For example, in a 2007 study titled effects of handedness on Intelligence Level of Students left-handed students have been shown to have higher IQs.
And in a 2010 study called The relationship between hand preference, hand performance and general cognitive ability the opposite has been proven!
A 2018 scientific paper found that the difference between the IQ of left-handers and right-handers is so small that it can be neglected. It is assumed that, on average, left-handers have an IQ of 100, and right-handers 101.5.
Did you know?
Peter I introduced a ban on testifying left-handers in court, because he considered them «too cunning.»
Fact 10: Puberty in left-handers is «late»
Scientists have calculated that left-handers reach puberty an average of 4-5 months later than right-handers. However, this does not affect anything.
Fact 11: Left-handed people need to be more careful on the road
There is scientific evidence against them.
Statistics show that left-handed people are more likely to get into accidents, so they need to be careful and be more vigilant on the road.
Fact 12: Lefties are more emotional
In a study published in Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, It was found that the brains of left-handers and right-handers process emotions differently.
It turned out that left-handers are easier to anger and piss off. But it’s better not to!
Fact 13: Lefties are less confident
When scientists from Abertay University in Scotland conducted 46 behavioral tests involving left-handers and 66 tests involving right-handed people, it was found that left-handers are more likely to experience a sense of self-doubt.
These are such amazing people — lefties!
The relationship between hand preference, hand performance, and general cognitive ability / Nicholls M., Chapman HL, Loetscher T., et al // Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society — 2010
Human handedness: A meta-analysis / Papadatou-Pastou M., Ntolka E., Schmitz J., et al // Psychological Bulletin — 2020
Right-handers have negligibly higher IQ scores than left-handers: Systematic review and meta-analyses / Ntolka E., Papadatou-Pastou M. // Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Volume 84 — 2018
Left-handedness and life expectancy / Harrell Jr HL, Morens D., Katz AR // New England Journal of Medicine — 1991
The history and geography of human handedness / Mcmanus IC // University College London — 2009
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