I have a confession to make. I am Rightist. I am incredibly uncomfortable around left-handed people. I realize they are a minority population and the world does not recognize their special needs (just try using a pair of scissors left-handed, for example). But I cannot work up too much sympathy, let alone any empathy.
Even though they are less than 10% of the general population, they are over represented in various fields. Eight of the 44 presidents of the U.S. have been left-handed (18%), just to give you an idea. Look at actors, it seems like every other one is left-handed.
Even though they have had to cope with a right-side oriented world all their lives, they have managed to excel in almost every area of note. It's not just that most tools are designed for right-handedness, there are subtle prejudices involved in things as seemingly minor as penmanship (lefties have a tendency to use a backhand script). There is also an historical bias against left handedness.
The technical term for left-handedness is sinistrality, the root word being sinestra. The root word once only meant "left" but took on meanings of "evil" and/or "unlucky". Somewhere along the way, the left side became associated with the devil and evil. It has also been tagged to clumsiness. Think of having "two left feet". A common European expression is "have two left hands", meaning to be clumsy. And it isn't just just western culture, the Chinese have a similar tradition of the left being the bad side. Not to mention the left handed compliment.
Computer mice are often ergonomically designed for right-handers (and default is the Left button), scissors (as I said earlier), and the vast majority of cars are designed for right-handedness. Even knife blades can be biased to the right.
Don't get me wrong, some of my best friends are left-handed. I have had good friends throughout my life that happened to be left-handed. My sister-in-law is left-handed. But I cringe whenever she wields a knife, it just seems so awkward. I can't help it. I try, I don't believe I'm a bad person, but I can't overcome my Rightist nature. I have tried.
When I was in my teens, I tried to learn to write with my left hand, to throw with my left, to bat from the left. Failed miserably at all of these. My handwriting, poor as it was (still is) with my right hand, was completely unreadable when the left hand was used. Two year olds make more legible scribbles. I throw like a girl (forgive the sexism) from the left. And while I am a poor batter even from the right, I am atrocious from the left.
The Lefties are well aware of the discrimination imposed on them by the rest of us, by our cultures, by our technology.
http://graphics.stanford.edu/~lucasp/lefty.html
And I suspect they are not happy.
Maybe I should get some sensitivity training... But I am afraid the counselor will be left-handed.
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7 comments:
I spent 8 years in Catholic school with my left hand tied behind my back or beaten to a pulp because of language origin thing.
Years, later, I had to pass a series of keying tests with my right hand to get a job with the USPS. I was able to accomplish that, but it wasn't easy.
Now retired, I am happily and strictly left handed. and I treat my left hand like the rock star that it is. I don't abuse me right hand, and never have.
As I left hander, I too can't get used to seeing lefties, one of my favorite football players, Boomer Esiason was a lefty, it just looks wierd left footed kicking as well... both a curse and a god send for me, I was in a car wreck head injury the injury being on the left side being right brained safed my life. I recovered quickly paralyzed on my right side for a few months to this day I have trouble (the accident was when I was 15, 13 days from my 16th bday.
Leonardo da Vinci was a lefty
lefties tend to excel in arts
baseball is out, only position a lefty is good at is pitching, all the infield is geared right handers
a left handed golfer is better playing right handed and by the way my computer is set up right handed, the mouse as you say is a right handed thing. I think I am a little ambi.
Chi - (Can I call you "Chi"?) Terrible things have been done to children who favored their left hands and there have been terrible consequences; dyslexia, stuttering, excessive rebellion have all been linked to efforts to "correct" left-handedness. OTOH, I think the many successes of lefties have shown that having an obstacle to overcome can sometimes be a blessing.
Neo - There are many studies to support that right brain - left brain stuff. But you forgot about first basemen in baseball. Being a lefty there is an advantage. I am trying (and failing) however, to recall a famous left-handed catcher...
yes, 1st base is a lefty position, I did play that the 1 year I played as a youth.
The main use of lefties in bb are pitchers, I recall the passing of Joe Nuxall, (old leftie < nick name)
It does have advantages in boxing too, for the most part you look for the punch from your left (as most are right handed)
It does pose a challenge that you learn to over come, I find myself doing things (the other way)
Learned a long time ago, being ambi is a good way to play billiards.
Neo - Lefties who play from the right have an advantage in golf because of a stronger left side. However, the reverse does not seem to hold true. Left-handed batting was used to counter left-handed pitching. And, finally, left-handed boxers gain advantage by having a much stronger left jab. The advantages can be had by righties in athletic fields by training properly.
Yes, that pool thing... Worked on the ambi stuff myself on that. Fairly successful at that one (unlike my other attempts).
Excellent post in every way, Douglas.
I wonder why the percentage of left handers is so small.
Cheri - Excellent question. Since it is at least partly a genetic trait (there is another theory but I like this one), it may be that the cultural bias may have something to do with it. Or it could simply be that it is a genetic anomaly and the percentage of prevalence reflects that.
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