Left-handed people, as the name suggests, are more comfortable using their left hand for day to day activities that would normally otherwise be done with a right hand. Here are some interesting facts about left-handed people you might not have known.
1. Fewer people use their left hands than you might think.
It is estimated that around 12% of the population is left-handed.
2. There’s a link between everyday pains and being left-handed.
It has been observed that left-handed people are more prone to allergies and migraines.
3. Many of the world’s biggest and brightest thinkers were left-handed.
Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and Charles Darwin were some of the famous left-handed intellectuals.
4. Many US Presidents had dominant left hands.
Four out of the last six presidents of the United States were left-handed.
5. With dogs, it’s 50/50!
Research carried out by veterinarian Janice Lloyd suggested that around 50% of dogs preferred their left paw over their right.
6. There’s a link between left-handedness and birth mother age.
According to a study, mothers who are over 40 when they give birth are more likely to have left-handed babies compared to a 20-year-old woman.
7. You wear a wedding ring on your left hand for a reason.
Ancient Romans are to thank for the reason why you traditionally wear your wedding rings on the left hand. They believed that the “lover’s vein” connected the fourth finger of your left hand to the heart.
8. Left-handed people find themselves learning doubly as hard.
Many left-handed people learn to be ambidextrous. Normal day to day stuff, like school desks and a mouse of your computer are designed to be used by right-handed individuals. Therefore, most lefties eventually learn to make use of both their hands.
However, it is estimated that less than 1% of the whole population is truly ambidextrous, able to use both hands just as easily.
9. Left-handed people are thought to be wired differently, emotionally, compared to right-handers.
The brains of left-handers are more prone to emotions such as anger than right-handers, as they process emotions differently.
10. Left-handed people might not like spooky movies.
They are more likely to show symptoms of PTSD after watching a horror movie than right-handers.
11. Your academic prowess really doesn’t depend on your dominant hand.
Up to $1500 in academic scholarships are awarded to left-handed students who have top academic records by Juniata College in Huntington, Pennsylvania.
12. There’s another interesting link between birth and left-handedness.
Studies have shown that premature babies are more prone to be left-handed.
13. Do left-handed people hit puberty earlier than most
Researchers have noted that left-handed people reach sexual maturity later compared to their counterparts.
14. Many astronauts are born with dominant left hands.
One in every four Apollo astronauts are left-handed.
15. Plenty of animals are, in fact, ambidextrous!
Although around 88% of humans are right-handed, animals such as cats, mice, and rats have shown that they prefer both paws the same.
FAQs about Left-Handed People
Do left-handed knitters knit differently to right handed knitters?
Yes! Right handed people knit from the needle in their left hand to the right. The length of their knitting grows on their right needle. For left handed knitters, the reverse is true.
Are more male or female people left or right-handed?
Interestingly, according to an Oxford University study, men are 2% more likely to be left-handed than women.
Why are so many left-handed boxers successful?
This is thought to be because left-handed boxers are used to fighting or sparring against right-handed opponents - meaning they have more opportunities to target weak spots. The reverse is true for right-handed fighters - they will very likely spar with other right-handers most of all, meaning they don’t have much chance to learn about ‘southpaw’ weaknesses.
Do you know any fun facts about left handed people? Share them in the comments below!