Sunday, August 10, 2014
Left-Handedness & Left-Handed People
1. Between 10-12% of people on earth are
“lefties.” Women are more likely to be right-handed than men by about 4
percentage points.i
2. August 13th is “Left-Hander’s Day.” Launched
in 1996, this yearly event celebrates left-handedness and raises awareness of
the difficulties and frustrations left-handers experience every day in a world
designed for right-handers.e
3. At various times in history, left-handedness
has been seen as many things: a nasty habit, a mark of the devil, a sign of
neurosis, rebellion, criminality, and homosexuality. It has also been seen as a
trait indicating creativity and musical abilities.b
4. Some scholars note that left-handers may be
one of the last unorganized minorities in society because they have no
collective power and no real sense of common identity. Additionally,
left-handers are often discriminated against by social, educational, and
religious institutions. Social customs and even language set the left-hander
apart as “different” and even “bad.”b
5. Many sources claim that left-handers may die
as many as nine years earlier than right-handers.b
6. The word left in English comes from the Anglo-Saxon
word lyft, which means weak or broken. The
Oxford English Dictionary defines left-handed as meaning crippled, defective,
awkward, clumsy, inapt, characterized by underhanded dealings, ambiguous,
doubtful, questionable, ill-omened, inauspicious, and illegitimate.b
7. Phrases in English suggest a negative view of
left-handedness. For example, a “left-handed complement” is actually an insult.
A “left-handed marriage” is not a marriage but an adulterous sexual liaison, as
in a “left-handed honeymoon with someone else’s husband.” A “left-handed wife”
is actually a mistress.b
8. Research has shown a link between trauma
during gestation or during birth with an increased chance of being left-handed.b
9. Tests conducted by St. Lawrence University in
New York found that there were more left-handed people with IQs over 140 than
right-handed people. Famous left-handed intellectuals include Albert Einstein,
Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, and Benjamin Franklin.b
10.
Mothers who are over 40 at the time of
a child’s birth are 128% more likely to have a left-handed baby than a woman in
her 20s.b
11.
In reference to a person’s sex life, a “left-hander” is a homosexual.c
12.
The German for “left-handed’ is linkisch, which
means awkward, clumsy, and maladroit. In Italian, the word is mancino, which is derived from “crooked” or “maimed” (mancus)
and is also used to mean deceitful or dishonest. In Russian, to be called a
left-hander (levja)
is a term of insult.c
13.
In Latin, the word for left is sinister, related
to the noun sinistrum. Ambisinistermeans “clumsy on both sides.”b
14.
In the Talmud, the Chief of Satans or
Prince of Demons is named Samael, which is associated with the Hebrew word for
left side, se’mol.
The angel Michael sits on God’s right-hand side, while Samael is on his
left-hand side. This attribution of evil to the left and good to the right
appears in various forms throughout the world.b
15.
Among the Eskimos, every left-handed
person is viewed as a potential sorcerer. In Morocco, left-handers are
considered to be a s’ga,
a word that means either a devil or a cursed person.c
16.
Even the word “dexterity” shows a
right-handed bias. The term dexter means “right” and refers to being
“right-handed” on both sides.c
17.
The Incas thought left-handers were
capable of healing and that they possessed magical abilities. The North
American Zuni tribe believed left-handedness signified good luck.c
18.
Herbert Hoover is believed to be the
first left-handed president, though James Garfield could write Greek with the
left hand and Latin with the right.c
19.
Research indicates that left-handers
are more likely to become alcoholics, schizophrenic, delinquent, and dyslexic.
They are also more likely to have Crohn’s disease, u lcerative colitis, or
mental disabilities. Scholars note that despite these maladies, left-handers
have survived because they are traditionally successful in combat.b
20.
Many artistic representations of the
devil show him to be left-handed.b
21.
The Boston Strangler, Jack the Ripper,
and Osama Bin Laden were lefties.b
22.
In witchcraft texts in medieval Europe,
it was the left hand that was used to harm or curse another person. To affect a
curse, witches were instructed to silently touch the recipient with the left
hand, which would convey the curse. Additionally, the devil supposedly gives
the gathering a benediction with the left hand, as opposed to the right-handed
blessing of the Christian church. He would also baptize or anoint with his left
hand.b
23.
Both the Jewish and Christian
traditions are strongly right-handed in their nature and practices. For
Catholics, Anglicans, Episcopalians, and other denominations, the priest must
present the communion wafer with the right hand, and the communicant accepts it
with the right hand. All benedictions must be made with the right hand, and a priest symbolizes the
“strong right hand of God.” b
24.
Medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides
(A.D. 1135-1204) listed 100 blemishes a Jewish priest could not have, and being
left-handed was one of them.b
25.
In Scotland there is a saying that
describes an unlucky person: “He must have been baptized by a left-handed
priest.”b
26.
The right hand is mentioned positively
100 times in the Bible, while the left hand is mentioned only 25 times, all
negatively.b
27.
In many Islamic countries, people are
forbidden to eat with their left hand, which is considered “unclean” because it
is used for cleaning the body after defecation. Additionally, “public display”
or use of the left hand is against the law in some Islamic countries, including
Saudi Arabia.c
28.
Although approximately 90% of all
humans are right-handed,cats,
rats, and mice that show handedness seem to be equally split between right- and
left-pawedness.b
29.
Human asymmetrical behavior patterns
involve the foot, eye, and ear as well as the hand. In each case, humans show
the same rightward bias they show toward handedness.b
30.
Left-handedness has also been called
mancinism, sinistromanuality, and cackhandedness. Other colloquialisms for
left-handedness include skivvy-handed, scrummy-handed, kaggy-fisted,
cawk-fisted, gibble-fisted, southpaw, cunny-and ballock-handed.b
31.
According to tradition, an itchy left
hand indicates you will lose money. An itchy right hand indicates you will
receive money.c
32.
Some scholars postulate that increased
levels of testosterone in the womb increase the chances of becoming
left-handed. This may explain the correlation that seems to exist between
left-handedness and some immune disorders, as testosterone has been linked to
immune disorders.b
33.
Studies have suggested that
left-handers are more talented in spatial awareness, math, and architecture.
Right-handers tend to be more talented verbally.b
34.
The gene LRRTM1 is a strong
contributing factor for left-handedness. Scientists discovered the gene during
a study of dyslexic children and believe it is inherited from the father.f
35.
Left-handedness runs in families.
Lefties in the British royal family include the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth
II, Prince Charles, and Prince William.b
36.
Studies show that those who have autism are more likely to be left-handed.a
37.
Many people who are left-handed draw
figures that face to the right.i
38.
Left-handers are more likely to be
dyslexic and to stutter.d
39.
One in four Apollo astronauts were
left-handers.b
40.
Connections between the right and left
sides of the brain are faster in left-handed people. This means information is
transferred faster, making left-handers more efficient in dealing with multiple
stimuli and using both sides of the brain more easily.d
41.
The left side, which is historically
seen as weaker and “bad,” is also traditionally considered to be the female
side. However, current scientific data suggests that men are more likely to be
left-handed than women.b
42.
Ultrasounds show that in the womb, 90%
of babies appear to favor the right thumb, which corresponds to population
breakdowns of right-handers and left-handers.b
43.
Researchers postulate that the
proportion of left-handers has remained constant for over 30,000 years.b
44.
Studies suggest premature babies are
more likely to be left-handed. Additionally, infants with low Apgar scores at
birth are more likely to be left-handed than children who have higher Apgar
scores.b
45.
Juniata College in Huntington,
Pennsylvania awards up to $1,500 in academic scholarships to students who have
top academic records and who are left-handed.h
46.
Researchers note that on average,
left-handers reach sexual maturity later than right-handers.b
47.
There are two divergent theories
regarding wearing the wedding ring on the left hand. One theory is that it
started with the ancient Egyptians, who believed that despite the left hand’s
supposed flaws, placing the ring on this hand brought it nearer to the heart.
Another theory attributes the origin to the Greeks and Romans, who wore the
rings to ward off evil associated with the left hand.c
48.
About 30 million people in the United
States are left-handed.i
49.
When placed on their tummies,
right-handed babies tend to turn their heads to the right. Left-handed babies
usually turn their heads to the left or they don’t show any preference.b
50.
Less than 1% of the world’s population
can be considered truly ambidextrous.b
51.
Research suggests that left-handers are
slightly more prone to allergies and asthma than right-handers are.b
52.
Studies have shown that if a
left-hander injures his dominant hand, he has an easier time learning to use
the other hand than his right-handed counterparts.c
53.
In a recent experiment, left-handers
who watched an eight-minute clip from the filmSilence of the Lambs showed more fear than right-handers.
Scientists believe that this may be because the right side of the brain is
dominant in lefties and is more involved in fear responses.d
54.
According to the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, the brains of left-handers process
emotions differently than those of right-handers and are more susceptible to
negative emotions, such as anger.b
55.
Some scientists have suggested that
left-handers were originally in the womb with a twin that did not survive, or a
“Vanishing Twin.”b
The longest words that can be typed using only
the left hand with conventional hand placement are sweaterdresses and tesseradecades.g
left handers at politics
In the past hundred years, the U.S.
presidency has veered more and more to the left — not in policy, but in
handedness. Barack Obama is the latest to join a long list of left-handed
presidents from the 20th century: James
Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Henry Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W.
Bush and Bill Clinton were all southpaws.
What makes lefties so electable? Some experts
think left-handed people have a greater aptitude for language skills, which may
help them craft the rhetoric necessary for political office. And as for the
bout of recent left-handed presidents, some think it's because teachers only
recently stopped working to convert lefties to righties at an early age.
Some of your favorite left handers sportsman’s of this era include
Some of your favorite left handers sportsman’s of this
era include
Ayrton Senna (Formula 1 legend)
Sébastien Loeb (French Rally's champion)
Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
David Ortiz (Baseball, Boston Red Sox)
Tim Tebow (Football, New York Jets Quarterback)
Arjen Robben ( Football, Bayern Munchen)
Larry Bird (former NBA player)
Manu Ginobili (NBA, San Antonio Spurs)
Petr Cech (Goalkeeper, Chelsea Football)
Sada Jacobson
laura Robson
Sachin Tendulkar (Legendary Cricketer)
Can animal or plant be southpaw?
Actually I became curious to this factor due to incident
on the way to my home.
“I come with my friends .They all are right
handed but I am left handed .The fact is
that if we are walking on the middle of
the way and on the very occasion if vehicle
comes from behind us I usually move opposite to the i.e. they usually
move to the left but I will be leaved on the right which has already happened
for many times. This is
neither an intension nor the mare coincidence. There came the popular program ,
animal kingdom on the discovery channel where the fight among the animals
for would be presented .one day i
realized the fact on tv .what had really happened was “5 or 6 zebras were going
to their destination. The zebras were not groped and they had all the space in
the world to go to left or right or any side they wished for .Immediately they
were attacked by a tiger .on that condition what happened was that some zebra
went left and some to right some of them ran straight and the tiger chasing
them without confusion started chasing the right running zebra.”
Now it made me
confuse why those animals had different direction and why that tiger headed
towards right direction, it could even follow them to left or forward
direction. Are there really the southpaws in animals as well???????
When I started
searching about this subject I found that polar bears are probably left handed
and parrots are considered to be left footed.
Similarly I
believe that plants are also probably lefty or righty.
In the same
condition there are two trees of same species one of which is bent to right and
another to left .the most probable answer may be tropism. But which tropism has
this effect .And I don’t think that on the same condition of soil and all the
climatic condition this could happen. There are many same species of flower and
they have branches in very different sides why???????
It is the
matter of suspense for the biologist .There is still not the strong proof to
state exactly weather there are lefty animals or plants.
Good myths about left handers
v
It is
believed that anyone who digs coal out of the ground from under his or her left
foot in the spring will have very good luck.
v
If you
apply an ointment with the forefinger of the right hand the sore will not heal.
This is because this finger is said to be the 'poison' finger.
v
The
ancient Zuni tribe considered left-handedness a sign of good luck. They
believed the left was the older and wiser.
v
Officials
in Mensa, the high IQ society believe as many as 20% of their members are
left-handed.
v
The
first recorded Siamese twins born in 1811 were joined at the waist. Their
names? Chang and Eng, which simply meant 'Left and Right'
Some myths about left handers
It
is not a myth that left-handers have trouble with all sorts of everyday
articles and tools but it is the threat on the heart of the left handers that
if the same situation goes on then it will be very difficult for the left
handers to compete with the right handers on theirs dominant society.
Left-handers do tend to do badly whenever there is any talk of
superstition or things that cannot be understood.
Bad myths about left handers
v It is predicted that evil spirits
lurk over the left shoulder so we need to throw salt over this shoulder to-ward
them off if any bad happens. In Roman times, salt was a very valuable
commodity, giving rise to the word "salary" and was considered a form
of money at the time. If salt was spilled, that was considered very bad luck
that could only be avoided by throwing some of the spilled salt over your left
shoulder to placate the devil.
v
Joan
of Arc (burned at the stake in 1431 for being a witch) was left-handed, if she was
not the lefthander it would probably not happen such.
v
Getting
out of bed with the left foot first means that you will have a bad day and be
bad tempered i.e getting out of bed the wrong side.
v
A
ringing in the right ear means that someone is praising you. In the left ear it
means that someone is cursing or maligning you.
v
An
itchy right palm means that you will receive money. An itchy left palm means
you will have to give money.
v
Wedding
rings worn on the third finger of the left hand originated with the Greeks and
Romans, who wore them to fend off evil associated with the left-hand
v
The
Romans originally considered the left to be the lucky side and used for augury.
However, they later changed back to the Greek methods and favored the
right-hand side.
v
The
right hand often symbolizes 'male' while the left hand is 'female'.
v
If you
hear the sound of a cuckoo from the right it will be a lucky year. If the sound
comes from the left it will be unlucky.
v
The
Meru people of Kenya believed that the left-hand of their holy man has such
evil power that he had to keep it hidden for the safety of others.
v
If
your right eye twitches you will see a friend, if it's your left eye that
twitches you'll see an enemy.
v
When
dressmaking it's believed to be bad luck to sew the left-hand sleeve onto a
garment before the right sleeve.
v
When
leaving to go on a journey, if your right foot itches you're bound to have a
good journey. If your left foot itches it will end in sorrow.
v
It is
thought to be bad luck to pass a drink to another person with your left-hand or
anti-clockwise around a table.
v
Passing
or pouring wine with the left hand leads to bad luck.
v
A
left-handed toast is tantamount to a curse on the victim.
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