Here's to the Lefties! Happy Left Hander's Day!

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 18^th and 19^th 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-20^th 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.