I am sinister; I am gauche.

[rhythmaning]

You, on the other hand, are more than likely dextrous and adroit. And you would be right.

Because I am left-handed, whilst you probably aren’t. According to Wikipedia, about 10% of people are left-handed, although for cultural reasons that may be an underestimate – apparently it is so feared in some parts of the world that it remains a hidden trait.

Cultural associations with left-handedness with evil seems widespread, from western societies – hence sinister (from the latin for left) – through Asia and Africa. Just about everywhere, it seems.

Although there isn’t much evidence of a genetic relation to left-handedness, my father and his mother were both left-handed; so perhaps when I grew up it wasn’t so frowned upon.

I am very left handed, my right hand doing little except carrying a bag (or a beat). The irritations of being left-handed in a right-handed world are renowned – scissors won’t work, pens won’t write (indeed, although I write with an ink pen, I had to learn how not to drag my fingers through the ink; curiously, I hold my pen much as right-handers do, rather than the convoluted twisted wrist common to many left-handers. I have been told I have nice writing – for a left-hander). Wrist-watches are virtually impossible to wind if you are left-handed. Even PC keyboards and mice can be a hassle – particularly mice (who ever thought it would be a good idea to use right-handed mice at work really didn’t think things through).

Surprisingly, cars appear to have been designed for left-handers, at least in those remnants of the British Empire where they drive on the left side of the road. In British cars, the important things – changing gear (putting the stereo on) – are done by the left hand, leaving the right hand holding the wheel or feeling like a spare part. Perhaps the first cars were designed by left-handers? I mean, someone must have decided that we should all drive on the left.

I am not very sporty, but being left-handed can give a slight advantage. The few times I played squash, just occasionally with a flick of my wrist I could completely outfox the competition. Same in tennis, too – volleys sent where the opposition weren’t expecting. (In cricket, strangely, though I bowl left-handed, I bat right-handed. Well, I used to. I think that must have been how I was taught.)

I notice whether people are left-handed; perhaps this is because it is the only minority of which I am a member. There seem to be a lot of left-handed people at work, a cabal perhaps; recently in a meeting, about half the people there were left-handed. Perhaps we have all just gravitated to the same kind of work.

And being left handed is really important to me. It is a defining character, part of my identity, engrained in my view of myself. One of the things that makes me different.

Comments

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

In cricket, strangely, though I bowl left-handed, I bat right-handed.

That's quite common. I bowl right and bat left. The important hand batting is the top one which really makes it more natural for a leftie to bat right and v.v.

[frankie-ecap.livejournal.com]

Imagine what language would do to you if you were black.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

Yes, I was thinking that when I was writing this.

[itchyfidget.livejournal.com]

I notice when people are left-handed, because it's interesting to me. As a left-hander, although there is a 70% likelihood that your language faculties are stored in the left half of your brain, as the vast majority of right handers have, there is a 30% chance that your language functions are actually distributed fairly evenly between the brain's two hemispheres. This gives you much better odds of preserving at least some language function in the event that anything nasty happens to your brain (which I hope it doesn't).

Left-handedness is also correlated with increased risk of immune disorder and being dyslexic, though it's likely that if you have neither of these at this point in your life then you're probably OK :)

The way that you write (whether you hold your pen like a right-hander or hook it around back on itself as quite a few left-handers do) was thought to be an indicator of which side of the brain was your language-dominant side: if you wrote hook-handed, it has been proposed that this means your language facilities were dominant in the ipsilateral (same-side) hemisphere. However, one of my colleagues has recently pointed out that adopting this position makes perfect sense if you are left-handed, since you can see what you have written and it means you don't smudge the ink.

Handedness is fascinating :)

[frankie-ecap.livejournal.com]

C. was left-handed. I wonder if that helped.

[itchyfidget.livejournal.com]

Oh, sweetie, I didn't mean to take you back there. I'm sorry.

[frankie-ecap.livejournal.com]

Don't worry, hon. You can't work like that. I am genuinely intrigued, and like rhythmaning I think his left-handedness was important to him.

As a mathematician, a gifted child and someone who documentedly thinks in a somewhat different way from most people, I have always been very disappointed not to be left-handed.

[itchyfidget.livejournal.com]

I'm disappointed not to be left-handed too (my Dad is ... actually I don't know whether it's in any way hereditary), though he tends towards the ambidextrous.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

I sure you could be if you tried hard...

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

That's interesting.

[f4f3.livejournal.com]

My name is Michael, and I am left-handed.

Much of the time, you wouldn't notice - I play all sports right handed, and when I took up archery I was told I was right eyed too. I love mice being on the right - it means I can mouse and use the phone, or take notes, at the same time.

My writing isn't particularly good or bad - as I smudge all the time I take it that I don't "hook", and I've recently experimented with a left handed pen, which I quite like.

Like you, I'm proud to be a leftie - it does make me feel a little different. Apparently, though, our life expectancy is lower than the righties. But I bet we have more fun.

[deililly.livejournal.com]

A sinister pen!

Michael and I both got one of these not too long ago. :)

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

That looks intriguing! I used a left-handed nib when I was a child, but it tended to scratch the paper. I have used normal nibs for many years without difficulty - though I must "push" rather than "pull" the nib, I guess.

[unblinkered.livejournal.com]

*ahem* The first cars were designed by Germans, and I'm pretty sure we've always driven on the right. And as a right-handed person who has swapped from driving a left-hand drive to a right-hand drive, I have to say I didn't find the change particularly taxing. But then again, I do use my left for some things, so maybe I'm slightly ambidextrous? Dunno? My best friend's a leftie and she had a nightmare of a time at school...everyone trying to get her to do things "properly"...

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

So someone must have decided to design cars in Britain a different way. Perhaps it reflects the railways - "up" and "down" tracks I think are effectively left and right of the directino of travel. I could well be wrong!

[unblinkered.livejournal.com]

Wikipedia to the rescue!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_on_the_left_or_right

To be filed under "you learn something new every day", methinks...

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

How strange to think that we drive on the left in the UK so that horsemen could defend themselves!

But also, apparently trains run on the left too (though it is hard to find proof!) - I couldn't find it in wikipedia, but it gets referred to elsewhere.

[pshtaku.livejournal.com]

Well - the west coast mainline runs through MK, and has 4 lines - 2 slow, and 2 fast.

The most left one is going south (slowly), then north (slow) then south (fast), and north (fast).

So I guess that is "on the left"...