Why Are People Left-Handed?

Lefties, southpaws, goofy footers, katy-handeds, mollydookers. Whatever you call them, 10% of the population is left-handed. But are there any differences between their brains and those of their right-handed friends? Why are some people left-handed? Do genetics play a role? And are left-hand folks really more likely to be geniuses? Well you can find out all about the left-handed brain in this episode of Neuro Transmissions! Join Alie as she uncovers what differences there are in the left handed brain vs right handed brain.

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[davidfox]

Well I'm left handed.Everything is hard for me, Because the world is meant for right handed people.

[jointhestaykingdom]

Both of my parents are right handed, I’m left handed.

[lesbianmess]

Even if i hold a pen in my right hand my brain just says: ERROR

[ErebosGR]

I guess I'm cross-handed since I only use my left hand to write but I'm right-handed in everything else (tools, music, sports etc.)

[mdilc]

bro legit my WHOLE family like my great grandma, grandma, mum, dad, great grandad etc you get the pictures we’re ALL right handed and then there’s me who is LEFT HANDED

[chanelortiz]

Both of my parents are right handed... But my aunt from my moms side is a lefty just like Me and im proud to be one!!

[KhAnubis]

I just didn‘t want to be right handed, because everyone else was doing it. 🤚

[ARTiculations]

I wonder what types of effects occur for left-handed people who are forced to be right-handed. Where I grew up in China, left handed kids are slapped on the hand and forced to use their right hand. It's probably due to some old superstition and the fact that we traditionally used ink to write and you don't want to smudge over what you just wrote. I wonder if the left-handed person who is forced to use their right hand will be disadvantaged through their life because they are technically using their non-dominate hand. Or, is this something that won't really matter that much in the long run. But I guess, these types of experiences are probably difficult to study.

[rejanebrito]

During most time of my life I thought I was left handed. But, I just found out that can write and draw with both hands! I just can't write on the board with my left hand and can't write on the paper with the right hand...at least, not very well...I don't know why I'm like that...

[willwailes]

I'm mixed-handed and it seems like there's a pattern, not just random preference. I write left handed, I shoot guns right handed, I shoot pool right handed, I use scissors right handed. In all of these activities, my left hand is extended past my right. The only activity where this isn't true is my boxing stance.

[bradgodin]

I am left handed and always noticed in my life that I had an advantage over everyone else. The way I process information, in combat situations, etc.. But I quickly realized that a left handed person living in a right handed world was hard..So I adapted to become proficient in both. I succeeded.

[jasminemoon]

I'm a girl and I'm left handed

[opheliaatlas]

My dad is a lefty but her mom teach him how to write with right hand so now he can write with both hands

[drali]

Very cool to see the final result! Nicely done Neuro

[samuelhenry]

I used to be completely left handed couldn't do anything right handed, I wrote, played sports, kicked a ball, shot a bow with left hand dominance. When I was an exchanged student in japan I took a calligraphy class and a sword kendo class and the instructors made me do them right handed. I don't know what it was but now I can pick things up right handed pretty easily. Like some switch flipped and now using my right eye as dominant or holding a bat right handed doesn't feel so strange.

[KitanKate]

im cross handed, i think a lot more people are cross handed than we think tbh since the world is right handed.
One weird thing about me i that i throw a ball over arm with my right hand and under arm with my left hand (i used to throw fully left handed but as i got older i switched for some reason)

[pokrhrgood]

We need a left handed person doing the research chat, because since she is right handed I could see the bias towards lefties. It's facts more lefties are geniuses.

[MIKIVELES]

Back in the '80 at the age of 6-7 while learning to write i found it easier to write with the left hand. At the time it was believed that this was a sign of mental development problems and i was forced to learn to write with the right hand in hope to ''correct these issues'' . LOL

[reneperez]

Anyone else ever feel lonely ? Like your different from everyone else. Or is it me? I’ve always felt like growing up. I felt like I was always different from my peers. Ever since I was a young soul. I felt like I stuck out. Lefties please respond.

[nicolaiveliki]

Bilingual and crosshanded. There are only two things I can't do as well with my left hand: handling a pen (or pencil, crayon etc.) and scissors (which are mostly designed for right handed people, though I also have a hard time using lefty scissors with my left hand). Is there a known link between multilingualism and increased aptitude with the non-dominant hand?