Today is International Left-Handers Day! First observed in
1976 by Dean R. Campbell, founder of the Lefthanders International Inc. The day
was created to celebrate the uniqueness and differences of left-handers as well
as to raise awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed
in a predominantly right-handed world. My dad and my brother are both
left-handed, I have seen the struggles they had to deal with, particularly with
writing. My dad writes in capital letters because his writing would be
illegible if he were to write normally. On this day, I wanted to investigate
the mechanics of a left-handed person, what about their brain is unique and
what are the differences seen between left-handed and right-handed people. As
well as the historical mistreatment of left-handed people and a highlight of
famous lefties.
There are several theories as to the cause of handedness. Most
theories focus on the brain’s division of labor is different. Other theories
focus on genetics. Two left-handed people have a 26 percent change of having a
left-handed child. Twin studies indicate that genetics explain about 25 percent
of handedness with environmental factors explain the remaining 75 percent. Most
children will show a hand preference by 4 years (48 months) when they are
mostly likely to be engaged in writing and coloring activities (Fagard, 2005). The
most current theory suggests that handedness is determined by the development
of the spine in utero and not the brain (Dodgson, 2019). There are certain
correlations between handedness and aspects in life. Such as intelligence.
There is only a single point difference between IQ scores of right-handed and
left-handed people. However, left-handed brains are structured differently in
ways that allow processing of language, spatial relations and emotions in more
diverse and creative ways (McManus, 2012). In health factors, left-handedness
has been correlated with increased rates of neuropsychiatric and developmental
disorders such as the autism spectrum disorders, depression, bipolar disorder,
schizophrenia and alcoholism.
Unfortunately, for centuries, left-handedness was an
undesirable trait. Under the powerful influence of the Catholic Church,
left-handed people were vigorously oppressed in medieval Europe. See as
consorting with the devil, during the Inquisition and witch hunts, being
left-handed was enough evidence for a woman to be labeled as a witch (Right
Left). In the 18th and 19th centuries, brutal attempts
were made to suppress left-handedness. A child’s left hand would be tied behind
his back to discourage its use and even corporal punishment, if a child was
caught using his or her left hand. I have heard stories of some schools still using
this method in the mid-20th century. The infamous Cesare Lombroso
claimed that left-handedness was the mark of pathological behavior, savagery
and criminality. It wasn’t until Paul Broca’s research in the 1860s did
scientific interest in handedness begin (Right Left). Even today, many of the
nicknames or slang for left handers are derogatory in nature. Everyone is
familiar with southpaw, in Australia, left handers are referred to as “mollie
dookers” which means having fits like a girl. In Belarus, the word for left handers
is liewsha which means sneaky or mistrustful. In France, the word is gauche
which means awkward or clumsy and in Italy, lefthanders are reference to as
mancini or crooked or maimed.
There are been many famous people who were or are
left-handed. In the political arena, several presidents have been left-handed
including James Garfield, Harry S. Truman, and Ronald Reagan. In music,
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie and Paul McCartney were all
lefties. In baseball, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Ted Williams. Chef Gordon Ramsay
is left-handed. Scientist Nikola Tesla was left-handed. It has been suggested
the Albert Einstein was left-handed; however, there is no evidence he was. Bill
Gates is a southpaw. It has been rumored that the famous Renaissance painter Michelangelo
Buonarroti was left-handed. Queen Victoria wrote with her right hand but
painted with her left. It is believed that she was forced to write with her
right hand by her mother, Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of
Kent. Queen Victoria’s descendant, Prince William and his son, Prince George
are also lefties.
In conclusion, left-handed individuals have a disadvantage
with tools and products which are designed for right-handed people. They also
have shown to have advantages in music, sports, science and math. They have
suffered cruel treatment through the centuries, and it has only been recently that
many companies have introduced modified their products for left-handed
individuals. Even some of the slang terms for left-handed people show the cruel
history and thoughts behind left-handedness. It was interesting to discover the
famous individuals who are lefties. Let’s celebrate the lefties in our lives! Celebrate
our uniqueness and differences because if we were all the same, life would be
pretty boring. Here’s to you, lefties!
References
Dodgson, Lindsay. August 12, 2019. The reason some people
are left-handed could have nothing to do with the brain. https://amp.businessinsider.com/why-some-people-are-left-handed-2018-1.
Retrieved August 12, 2019.
Fagard, Jacqueline; Lockman, Jeffrey J. (2005). "The
effect of task constraints on infants' (bi)manual strategy for grasping and
exploring objects". Infant Behavior and Development. 28 (3): 305–315.
Retrieved 11 August 2019.
McManus, Chris. April 14, 2012. Is It True That Left-Handed
People Are Smarter Than Right-Handed People? Scientific American. Retrieved: 11
August 2019.
Right Left Right Wrong. History of Handedness. https://www.rightleftrightwrong.com/history_recent.html.
Retrieved August 11, 2019.
No comments:
Post a Comment