I’m not left-handed, but lefties are my kindred spirits. Which is one of the reasons Jordan Fox is a lefty. You’re not surprised, are you?
Real lefties put up with quite a few inconveniences that we righties hardly ever think about.
Spiral notebooks, those awkward school desks with the built-in armrest on the right side, can openers, cup holders in cars…
But the world is not all righty-tighty/lefty-loosey. Oh, no. Lefties have lots of advantages, too.
A survey of more than 2,000 people found that lefties are more drawn to and excel in careers in the arts, music, sports, and IT fields than righties and “ambidext-ries.”
The journal Laterality says left-handers have a lower risk of developing arthritis and ulcers.
Lefties are more astute at picking up on changes in sound, especially syllables and intonation. It has to do with which side of their brain is dominant.
Now here’s what I see as the biggest advantage for lefties.
Left handed people are better at divergent thinking, according to the American Journal of Psychology. Which means they’re better at coming up with a whole lot of possible solutions for one problem. That is, lefties have more talent for thinking “out of the box” than the rest of us.
Lefties are more likely to have an innate talent for divergent thinking, but we right-handers are gifted with some talent in that arena, too. Like all talents, this is one that can be improved with practice until it becomes a skill. This sounds like a skill that would come in handy for a mystery author, doesn’t it?
Huh. All these years, I thought I was a Martian and that’s why my thinking is sometimes so different from “normal Earthlings.” Turns out, I’m just a latent-leftie, with a bit of lateral thinker thrown in for good measure! Who knew?
Your Favorite Martian?
Lefties have an advantage when it comes to spontaneous fighting. Their left-handed punch comes as a surprise to the opponent – like a curveball. All this time, we’ve believed Jack Reacher was a terrific street fighter and clever crime solver. Turns out, he’s a latent-leftie, too!
How About You?
I love to read your news letter. There is something that I learn from it when I read it. I am 74 and I learn something new every day. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.
Same to you, Judy, and thanks so much for reading!
I am a purebred lefty. I was not made to change to a right hander when I was little
and going to school. I know some people were and tell horror stories of the left hand
being tied to the desk and other forms of torutre to keep them from using their left hand. Sheesh
can you imagine someone trying that in these times.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Merry Christmas to you,, Earlene!
Hurray for lefties! The world is finally embracing us. Thanks for posting this!