Photo: Getty
Lefties of the world: UNITE!
By Lindsay Tigar — Written on Jul 17, 2018
This past year, I discovered boxing. And while now I surprise myself with how hard I can really throw a punch, it didn't start off so rosy. In fact, in my very first boxing class, I was so confused by my hand and foot positioning that I nearly snapped at the instructor (who I now consider a friend and inspiration).
What finally helped was saying the three words I've been saying since I was five years old: "I'm a lefty."
About 10 percent of the world's population are lefties, and while we are rather rare, we also have some pretty big advantages over you right-handed folks. I take pride in using my Southpaw, not only because of my pretty killer left cross, but also because it gives me a unique perspective on a lot of things. (Even if I'm constantly washing my hands because of that dreaded side-hand smudge that comes from using a pen and paper as a lefty.)
Here's why it's pretty cool to be a left-handed person, backed by science:
1. We can kick your ass.
The next time you get into an argument and need someone to have your back, turn to your left-handed bestie.
A study at University of Montpellier in France followed nine primitive societies on five continents and discovered that more lefties got into violent encounters than their right counterparts. The kicker? We started the fights — and we ended them — usually having the upper (left) hand throughout.
2. We use more of our brain than righties.
If you're right-handed, you lean on the left hemisphere-dominant side of your brain, whereas us lefties can move between the right and left side more fluidly. Why does this matter? This makes us a little more creative and can help us recover from some medical conditions that affect our brains (like a stroke, for example).
3. We're better able to see underwater.
I always told my mom I wanted to be Ariel from The Little Mermaid. She might not have realized it then, but it could have been an indicator that I'd be left-handed. Because of how the left-handed brain works, we adjust easier to an unfamiliar world — being underwater, for example — than righties.
If you live by the sea or enjoy swimming as a lefty, you'll most literally feel like a fish in water and less afraid.
4. We have a greater chance to be brilliant (and have higher IQs!)
Did you know that 20 percent of all Mensa members — largest and oldest high IQ society in the world — are left-handed, even though only 10 percent of the population identify as lefties? Just as an example, four of the five original designers of the Macintosh (Apple) computer are listed as lefties.
Scientists aren't sure why we're so damn smart, but they hypothesize that it's because we're able to take a lot of information in at one time, process it faster and discuss it. It takes righties more time and brain energy to do the same.
5. We're excellent multitaskers.
At this given moment, I'm texting with my boyfriend, researching for this article, writing it, listening to Spotify, and have a roasted chicken in the oven. It might just be my inability to ever do just one thing at once, or it could be that I'm left-handed.
My brain has been forced to think faster over time because I live in a right-handed dominated world, so I have to quickly translate instructions so they make sense for my left-handed preference.
6. We pass our left-handed genes onto our children.
OK not really, but apparently it runs in families. Like the Royal Family, for example: Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles and Prince William are all left-handed. Princess Charlotte and Prince George have a bigger chance of being lefties too, just because dad is in their blood line and genes.
7. We discover our sexuality sooner.
If you're a lefty and you lost your virginity before your right-handed besties, you can blame your dominant hand for that. Yes, according to research, lefties reach puberty four to five months earlier than righties.
