Lefties appear to have the upper hand!

It might be very hard to believe, but left-handed people make up only a minor 11% of the population! One study found that stressed-out mommies-to-be delivered more left-handed babies than their relaxed counterparts. This might indicate that handedness isn’t just genetic, it may even be influenced by cortisol levels in a pregnant woman’s body.

One way to look at the difference between lefties and righties, according to psychologist Yvonne Thomas, is how they approach problem-solving, the crucial life skill that we all need! While those on the right might apply logical solutions to an issue, she explains that lefties have the ability to come up with several options, as opposed to just one route.

Lefties process information quickly. This makes it easier for them to catch on to new tasks just after a few tries. If they decide in their early life to go into client service or teaching, they are the perfect candidates to deal with difficult clients or parents. They can digest concepts faster and come up with a solutions-driven approach in jiffy.

There’s one thing that most handedness experts can agree on: lefties have the upper hand (see what I did there) when it comes to one-on-one sports like tennis, boxing, and pitching a baseball. In his book The Puzzle of Left-Handedness, linguist Rik Smits explains that athletes, (left- and right-handed) usually train against right-handed opponents. When finally facing a southpaw, lefties can easily adjust – but righties are at a double disadvantage. 

Lefty brains are changing the ways scientists think about brain organisation. Previous understandings of brain organisation based on right-handers only may have set up the illusion that evolution led to a one-size-fits approach to wire the brain.

Be very cautious when making fun of the lefties sitting next to you in your classroom, they might just come up with a very creative and sassy way of putting you in your place, faster than you can say “righties are always right!

“All the decisive blows are struck left-handed.” 

― Walter Benjamin, One Way Street And Other Writings