Left-handedness
Left-handedness : What is it?
Facts
Social stigma and repression of left-handedness
Today
Famous lefties
Sum up
Left-handedness : What is it?
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. Most left-handed people exhibit some degree of ambidexterity.
Left-handedness is relatively uncommon; 90 to 93 percent of the adult population is right-handed.
And It's always been that way:
Analysis of ancient cave paintings indicates that humanity was right-handed long before the Bronze Age.
No-one has come up with a definitive reason for why some people are left-handed.
It is thought to be genetic, it runs in families.
Facts
In 2007 was discovered the first gene linked to the odds of being left-handed.
Hand orientation is developed in foetuses, most commonly determined by observing which hand is predominantly held close to the mouth.
Then again, as many lefties might point out, being left-handed can also offer intellectual prowess. Tests conducted by Alan Searleman from St Lawrence University in New York found there were more left-handed people with IQs over 140 than right-handed people. Famous left-handed thinkers in history from Albert Einstein to Isaac Newton to Benjamin Franklin seem to underline the point.
Handedness runs in families, although even when both parents are left-handed, there is only a 26% chance of their child being left-handed. Thus, it is clear that genetics is not the only cause. Handedness must also be influenced by some of the other theories presented here.
Social stigma and repression of left-handedness
Language
Meanings evolved from use of these terms in the ancient languages. In many European languages, "right" is not only a synonym for correctness, but also stands for authority and justice: German recht, French droit, Spanish derecho, Portuguese direito; in most Slavic languages the root prav is used in words