Monday, September 17, 2007

Left Handed?

Left handers are those who use that left hand for everyday purposes more than their right, such as to write, throw, point, cut, kick, etc. One in every ten people is left handed, and it is believed that males are one and a half times more likely to be left handed than females.

In the past, societies had no sympathy for left handers as it was seen as a curse. Children caught using their left hands were often scolded and forced to use their right.

But do you know that some of history's most creative minds were left handed? These include: Beethoven, Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelangelo, Albert Einstein. As a result, most people tend to associate left-handers with those that are creative. But for every creative left hander, there are probably as many wonderful creators that are right-handed. So I dont think there is any actual co-relation between left-handedness and creativity.

Why this sudden interest in left-handers? Well, everyone in the family is right handed but I have noticed that Little D's predominant hand is left. The world we live in is a right-handed world. Most things are made for right-handers (though there are now shops that cater specially to left handed people). I am just trying to imagine the task ahead for me!

8 comments:

NomadicMom said...

Left-handers uses MORE of their RIGHT brain, which is the creative side. Think most kids start off with their their left hand, and somehow slowly graduate to their right.

The ma-fann thing about left-hander is the FIGHT at the dinner table, when your RIGHT hand is trying to joust with the LEFT hander on your right. Hee hee...

KellytheCulinarian said...

In the past in America, children who were left-handed were not taught how to write properly because most of the students were right handed. Also, it's difficult to use a spiral notebook or dry erase markers if you're left handed.

bp said...

Mmm... I also say encourage D to go with her dominant hand, but agree that the world may not be that fair to left-handers. Still, like you said, they all turned out fine and fabulous!

Anonymous said...

Lefthanders are smart because they use the right brain! :P
Don't sit a right hander and left hander side by side at the dinner table coz they will keep on knocking against each other, esp their hands while they hold chopsticks or while eating.

Anonymous said...

Children should be allowed to use which hand they want and if they are left handed, it is better to leave them be.

Education materials do cater for left handers unlike my days. My poor cousin had to use a right handed scissors.

Anonymous said...

errm...if it brings any comfort...both my boys r left-handed. Imagine me trying to teach them to use the chopsticks with my useless left hand.

HA HA HA... you have another person here with the same problem!!!

Joey said...

I like to use both hands - if possible. I use my left hand for certain things like washing, taking things (not so encourage as some believe that the left hand is dirty - infact I was 'told' by an elderly man not to eat with my left hand in the public!) while I write with my right hand. Some people were amazed that I can use both hands to do all the things but also being scolded by a tutor for using my left hand to handle a prop.

just me said...

My daughter is left-handed. I have never tried to change her.