The news site of Verona High School

The Fairviewer

The news site of Verona High School

The Fairviewer

The news site of Verona High School

The Fairviewer

Life From the Left Side

At first glance, they seem like ordinary people. They walk among us every day, going about their business like any average citizen. But there is one thing that separates them from the majority of humans: they are left-handed.

“Lefties” make up about 10-15% of the world’s population. But why are they so rare?

A common theory among scientists that explains the rarity of left-handed people is that since the left side of the brain controls important functions such as motor skills and speech and controls the right side of your body, most people use their right hand as their dominant hand.

Over the course of history, there have been countless theories on the causes of being left-handed, some of them a bit farfetched. There’s 19th century British writer Thomas Carlyle’s Darwinian explanation that medieval warriors who held their sword in their right hand and their shield in their left-over their heart- had a much greater advantage and therefore lived to reproduce more often than their lefty counterparts.  Then there’s the “identical twin theory”, which says that left-handed people might have had a right-handed twin that vanished early in pregnancy.

However, the most sensible and agreed upon cause is genetics. The gene for being right-handed is dominant, so the only way to be born left-handed is to get two left-handed genes- one from each side of the family. If someone is left-handed, it is most likely that they have relatives who are left-handed somewhere on their family tree.

Because the majority of people are right-handed, the world can be a tough place for a lefty. Items such as scissors, can openers, and the dreaded right-handed desk can all make life difficult. Special versions can be made for lefties, but they are often unavailable and left-handed people may find themselves relying on their right hand for activities other than writing.

“I think every lefty is a little ambidextrous,” said VHS English teacher Tom White, who is left-handed.

The world seems to be biased towards righties. Up until well into the 20th century, many schools forced students to become right-handed, often through corporal punishment. Even the scientific term for left-handedness, sinistrality, comes from the word “sinister”- in ancient times, being left-handed was considered a sign of the devil.

Studies show that lefties are more likely to have certain mental disorders such as schizophrenia and dyslexia. They are also more likely to get into accidents.

But is there any benefit to being left-handed? The answer is yes.

Lefties have been proven to be better at one-on-one sports such as tennis, boxing, and baseball because their opponent is used to playing against someone who uses their right hand. They are caught off guard, and the lefty has an advantage.

Researchers aren’t sure why, but left-handed people can recover faster from a stroke than right-handed people, and there is a higher proportion of lefties with high IQs. Out of the seven most recent US presidents, four have been left-handed, including our current president, Barack Obama. Lefties even have their own day, August 13.

The idea of being unique can also be a positive outcome of left-handedness.

“I love being left-handed because it’s different,” said Mr. White. “It can be annoying in little ways, but overall I enjoy it.”

VHS senior Heather Sweeney says that although she enjoys being a lefty and learning about left-handedness, it has not have a big impact on her life.

“It’s a tiny quirk,” she said “Interesting, but not profound.”

Although they are a minority and have to deal with annoyances that righties take for granted, left-handed people are thriving in a right-handed world and, for the most part, embrace their unique trait.

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All The Fairviewer Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.