As far back in history as 3000BC, there was a word for right but nothing for left, apparently because of the taboos associated with that side of the body. As language developed a word for left was defined and the connotations were appalling. Listen to this, in Latin, the word for left is ‘sinistre’ from which our word ‘sinister is derived, while the word for right is ‘dexter’ from which we get dextrous. In Greek, ‘skaios’ means both left-handed and awkward. In Hindi, left hand is ‘Ulta Haanth’, which simply means the wrong hand! but this one takes the cake, in French, it is ‘gauche’ which has crossed over into English with the meaning of clumsy, especially in social circumstances. I just can’t continue….
My grandmother was left handed and she used to recall stories of her teacher (who was also her aunt) making her write with her right hand. She used to sit and cry in the corner after receiving the ruler across her knuckles each time she objected to writing right handed. She wrote beautifully in the end as a right hander but was scarred for life with her experience having to change.
In my time, things have gotten better but we still have further to go. I am left handed and so is my mother, my cousin and many of my employees have been too. I remember lecture chairs at uni having the fold down table on the right only. Most gas cook tops even today have the nobs on the right hand side only, meaning we as left handers have to reach over to turn on the flames! Don’t even get me started on the moaning at having to bowl to a left-hander when I used to play softball!
But I want to celebrate us, and acknowledge all the famous people from history who have contributed so much to the world (and who have overcome prejudices to do so).
Did you know that around 10% of the population is left-handed. There is some science that suggests that left-handedness is caused by the exposure of the foetus to excess testosterone in the womb. What studies have shown though is that left-handers tend to be nature’s risk-takers. That is probably why there is a disproportionate presence of left-handers achieving great things in the world.
People such as –
Ramses the Great
Alexander the Great
Julius Caesar
Joan of Arc
Leonardo da Vinci
Michaelangelo
Raphael
Isaac Newton
Napoleon Bonaparte
Beethoven
Queen Victoria
Lewis Carroll
Mark Twain
Friedrich Nietzsche
Henry Ford
Marie Curie
Mahatma Gandhi
Jimi Hendrix
Paul McCartney
Bill Gates
Oprah Winfrey
Morgan Freeman
David Bowie
Bob Geldof
In analysing the personalities and achievements of the great lefties, some traits seem to stand out as being linked to left-handedness. Not all of us lefties have these traits but we seem to have many combinations of them.
What do you identify with?
They are: Intuitive | Empathetic | Visual-Spatial Ability | Lateral Thinking | Hot Tempered | Solitary | Iconoclastic | Self Taught | Experimental | Fantasist
We may be a little awkward at parties but let’s celebrate all that we can achieve by being risk takers and creative thinkers. We will drive innovation and challenge convention, in order to make an impact in the world like all the lefties who have gone before us.
I love human behaviour and traits!
Belinda
Reference: A left Handed History of the World by Ed Wright.