LEFT-HANDERS MANIFESTO

Category: Repeat

This post is intended as an homage 2 all d left-handers out there. Even if lefties r relatively rare (representing ~10 % of total population), they r actually not that different from others, especially from d outside. On d other hand, d digger u deep, d more specific features become visible. Even if those distinguishing characteristics r highly individual & not every leftie necessarily posses all of them, most of them r statistically proven. So, here r few interesting facts in this regard which may be less known:

• left-handers r usually good in spatial orientation & 3D visualization since their brain promptly maps their surrounding
• of d last 5 USA Presidents 3 were lefties (Obama, Clinton, Bush Sr.)
• Lefties r 3 times more likely 2 become alcoholics 
• 20 % of all MENSA members report being left handed (some of our greatest mind like Einstein, Da Vinci, Napoleon or Churchill were lefties)
• their IQ scores r also more often found on d  both extremes of d intelligence curve
• 2 righties have only 2 % chance of having a leftie offspring (2 leftie parents have 50 % chance)
• 40+ year old mother has 128 % more chance 2 have a leftie baby than a woman in her 20s
• leftie men r on average 26 % richer than right-handed college graduates (where ? :))
• they r believed 2 reach puberty 4 -5 months after right-handers
• according 2 few studies, lefties have an average 9 years shorter life span than of righties (will come 2 this point again @ d end)
• scans show leftie fetuses sucking their left thumb,other babies commonly suck right 1
• they r usually skillful in various sports since their left handiness makes their moves harder 2 read & predict 4 d opponents. In history they were commonly successful in combats.
• even if not proven, it's not suggested 2 try 2 teach a left-handed kid 2 use other non-dominant hand as it might cause more damage than good (this explains a lot in my case as I was instructed 2 learn writing with my right hand 4 a few weeks when I was a kid :))
• some studies suggest they r better @ seeing under water (not true If u ask me)
• they may be better @ hearing small sound changing frequencies or recognizing voice differences
• lefties r more likely 2 be insomniacs or suffer from allergies
• they tend 2 be better @ multitasking since stimuli between brain hemispheres tend 2 travel faster
• lefties r more prone 2 suffer from anxiety, anger management issues or other psychosis, they also experience fear more intensively  
• D right hand is mentioned positively 100 times in d Bible, while d left 1 is mentioned only 25 times, all negatively
• they have better chances of full recovery after a stroke due 2 brains ability 2 re-wire differently
• lefties r more prone 2 suffer from dyslexia, dyscalculia or ADHD, especially kids
• commonly have developed imagination & creativity,often with expressed artistic skills 
• August 13th is pronounced Left-Handers Day 

Over d history, lefties were often stigmatized, considered stupid, weird or outcasts & left handedness was even considered a devil's mark (many artistic representations of d devil show him 2 be left-handed). English word 4 left comes from Old English word "lyft" meaning broken or weak. D Incas thought lefties were capable of healing & that they possessed magical abilities. D North American Zuni tribe believed left-handedness signified good luck, while many other nations throughout d history thought just d opposite. Even in recent times u were still able 2 encounter ppl with such unjustified prejudices. Today situation has changed (especially among younger generations & in d developed world) so both science & society began 2 appreciate unique contributions of various famous lefties in different fields (list of few of them available here).

Telling from d personal perspective, it might be quite demanding 4 a leftie 2 adjust 2 d numerous things out there, especially when u're a kid. Even seemingly simple-stupid tasks like opening a can with a little cutting knife, cutting paper with d pair of scissors or having a clean handwriting can be a real pain in d ass for a leftie. A reason is very simple - almost entire world & all those tools in it r by default designed 4 right handed majority & lefties r simply doing it "d opposite way". Nowadays situation is better since there r special stores which design & sell various gadgets only 4 lefties. Despite of those technical difficulties, 4 me being a leftie is 1 of d coolest gifts u can receive & I wouldn't trade it 4 anything.

                             

Coming back 2 d fact that an average leftie apparently lives 9 years less than right harder. It's believed that d main reason 4 this is d fact that more than 2500 lefties per year r killed by using equipment made 4 right handers. So it's a dangerous job after all, especially if u operate heavy machinery 4 example. Whatever is d reason, reading this just gave me more determination 2 live my life 2 d fullest, because @ d end it's not d years in your life that count; it's life in your years. Right?