unique qualities of left handedness

2. The tendency to use either the right or the left hand more
naturally than the other.
Oxford Dictionaries (online)

3. • Right-handedness
• Left-handedness
• (Mixed-handedness)
• (Ambidexterity)

4. Right-handedness is most common; about 90% of people
are right-handed. Most of the current research suggests
that left-handedness has an epigenetic marker—a
combination of genetics, biology and the environment.
In human biology, handedness is the better, faster, or more
precise performance or individual preference for use of a
hand, known as the dominant hand. The incapable, less
capable or less preferred hand is called the non-dominant
hand. Handedness is often defined by one's writing hand,
as it is fairly common for people to prefer to do some tasks
with each hand.

5. The right hemisphere controls movement on the left side
of the body, while the left hemisphere controls
movement on the right side of the body.
Hand preference begins to develop before birth. It
becomes increasingly apparent in early childhood and
tends to be consistent throughout life. However, little is
known about its biological basis. Hand preference
probably arises as part of the developmental process
that differentiates the right and left sides of the body
(called right-left asymmetry). More specifically,
handedness appears to be related to differences
between the right and left halves (hemispheres) of the
brain.

7. Despite many years of research, the reason why one
person turns out to be a left-hander and another does not
remains a mystery. Handedness is partly heritable.
A characteristic that can be inherited, because genes affect
the way it develops. Left-handed parents tend to have
more left-handed children than right-handed parents do.
Studies that compared identical twins to fraternal twins
show that the heritability is around 25%, which suggests a
genetic contribution to hand preference. Note, however,
that if handedness is only 25% heritable, then the majority
of the factors contributing to left-handedness is not
straightforwardly genetic. A much debated influence is the
level of the hormone testosterone in utero (in the womb)
while an unborn child (fetus) is developing.

8. Another possibility is that handedness is influenced by
random (“chance”) processes that occur during the early
development of an unborn child, when it is still very small.
Regarding the heritable factors, researchers have found
several genes which may be involved in handedness.
Interestingly, it seems that there is not one gene which
contributes to determining whether people are left-
handed or not. Most likely, different genetic influences are
involved.

9. • Lefties are more creative.
• Left-handed people have a big advantage at
competitive sports.
• Lefties are more likely to suffer from mental illness.
• Lefties hear speech differently.
• Left-handed people tend to be more fearful.

10. • Sports –
Better spatial perception , e.g. boxing, tennis, table
tennis, fencing.
• Creativity –
Dominance of brain‘s right hemisphere: fantasy,
emotions, perception, music, art etc.
• Backwards writing/reading -
Right to left – natural direction for left-handers.

11. • Writing – smudges
• Scissors – repetitive strain injury
• Measuring tapes tend to be upside down
• School desks – no arm rest
• Crosswords are discriminatory
• Playing instruments
• Dangerous power tools
• Life expectancy - 2,500 / year killed from using
equipment meant for right- handed people

12. The word “left” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “lyft”
which meant broken or weak.
They are able to adjust to underwater vision more easily
than their right-handed counterparts.
About 5 to 10 percent of the world is left-handed.
They are usually good at sports, such as swimming,
baseball, tennis, etc.
More than 40 percent of the world’s top tennis players are
left-handed.
Several of the last US presidents are left-handed.
Left-handed college graduates are expected to become
26% richer than their right-handed peers.
They usually reach puberty later.
They are 3% more likely become alcoholics.

13. A study showed that left-handed people process emotions
differently than right-handed people, and become angry
more quickly.
Studies show that left-handed people are better in math,
architecture, and spatial awareness.
Some of the most notorious killers in human history were
left-handed: Jack the Ripper, The Boston Strangler, and
Osama Bin Laden.
They have an increased risk of insomnia.
In the case of injury to a dominant hand, a left-handed
person can learn how to use the other hand more quickly
than a right-handed person.
Left-handed people are more susceptible to allergies and
asthma.
 The fear of left-handedness is called sinistrophobia.

14. A left-handed child couldn't use a sharpener, so a
stationery company did this:
"Mummy, I am unable to sharpen my pencil, whereas all
the other kids easily do that," complained Shweta Singh’s
4-year-old daughter.
"I thought for the reason and realised that the sharpeners
available in market are manufactured for the right handed
people. It is very difficult for a 4 year old left handed
skilled kid to use it (sic)," Shweta wrote in a Facebook post
which has gone viral.
When she researched pencil sharpeners for left handers
online, she found they were steeply priced, ranging from
Rs 700 to Rs 1,200.

15. So Shweta wrote a letter to Hindustan Pencils Pvt. Ltd.,
one of India's largest pencil manufacturers and owners of
the Nataraj and Apsara brands.
What the organisation did next is winning the hearts of
many on the internet.
Hindustan Pencils acknowledged the problem and sent
five units of sharpeners that were custom made for
children, who use their left hands to write.
In her post, Shweta said, "They were very helpful. I got a
call from a person at a respectable position from the
company. He tried to understand my concern and
promised to help."
"Within a week's time I received a sharpener specially
designed for left hand writing skills. They didn't have that
available as a normal product. They took efforts and

16. designed the sharpener specially for my kid," she added.
Sanjay Tiwari, Group Marketing Manager of Hindustan
Pencils, in a letter to Shweta (a photograph of which she
has published along with her post), said that the company
was also working on regular production of these
sharpeners.

17. According to the Indian Left Hander Club, the country's
famous left-handers include:
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Mother Teresa
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Amitabh Bachchan
• Rajinikanth
• Sachin Tendulkar
• Ratan Tata