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| Captured on a summer's day a while back |
My sister PJ was left-handed, and all the rest of her five siblings are right-handed. While gathered with family, we discussed the statistics of handedness, and of course I opened my laptop to find out what the internet had to say about it. I always suspected that when I was little, I might have been forced to write with my right hand. The reason I wondered about it is that there are many things I do with my left hand, like deal cards, where a "normal" right-handed person wouldn't.
Nobody is around any more who could answer that question, but in my research I was really surprised to find out there are actually four different types of handedness: left, right, mixed, and ambidexterity. You can read what Wikipedia has to say about it here. Interestingly, I discovered that it's probable that I am naturally mixed-handed, as about a third of people are. Around ten percent are left-handed, and true ambidexterity is exceedingly rare, although it can be learned, and all the rest are right-handed.
Fascinating! In our six siblings, we had one lefty, four right-handed, and one mixed. I also learned that there are several different ways to determine your natural laterality. (Isn't that a great word?) One is to clasp your hands together. About 60% of people naturally put their left thumb on top (I put my right one). Or, even more interesting, how about folding your arms across your chest? More than 60% of people, no matter their handedness, fold their left wrist on top (so do I). I found all this information on this site about handedness statistics.
When we were at my brother's house discussing all this, he said, "I smell a blog post coming." And he was right; here it is! I'm on my way to the eye doctor's office for my annual visit in a few minutes, and I'll have to leave it here. But coming up soon: do you know how to determine which is your dominant eye?
:-)
I am very decidedly right handed. Tom is a lefty and of course had trouble in school with penmanship. He also has some dyslexic issues that made reading a struggle for a long time.
ReplyDeleteInteresting stuff, DJan.
I am right handed but have always had some left handed tendencies, I shoot a gun on my left shoulder, I golf left handed ( I don't like golf) and I bat left handed...those things came naturally to me because I never could do them right handed..but excelled left handed. Strange...I guess that makes me mixed...or weird:)
ReplyDeleteI am right handed, David is left, and our 2 daughters are right.
ReplyDeletei'm definitely right-handed, yet in the two examples of clasped hands and folded arms, i did the opposite to 'expected'. :)
ReplyDeleteI started life left handed. My parents tried to discourage it, by putting things into my right hand but didn't force the issue.
ReplyDeleteMy kindergarten teacher did. She tied my left hand behind my back. These days I am very, very right handed. I find it difficult to use my left for anything. And I didn't tell my parents about the teacher until years after the event.
Sigh.
Good luck with the eye examination.
i am right handed...i can do quite a bit with my left...even had to learn how to draw and paint so i could pass an art class after falling up a flight of steps and tearing the tendons in my right hand...
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! I'm a lefty and so is hubby; but MC is a righty. I read somewhere that it has nothing to do with genetics; that it's just how each individual is wired.
ReplyDeleteMy mom claims that she was born a lefty but the nuns wouldn't have it.
I am definitely mixed (up!), hub is a righty, and both my sons are lefties.
ReplyDeleteI just knew you were going to get to left or right eye. When it comes to hands, I think many of the people who are somewhat challenged with fine motor use of their hands may have some form of confusion as to which hand is dominant. I certainly had kids who had great fine motor skills and others who had difficulty.
ReplyDeleteLook through a telescope, which ever eye you put it up to is your dominant eye.
ReplyDeleteleft thumb, right wrist. Wow. Something new to look for. Really cool - and simple!
ReplyDeleteThis was such an "interactive" post... it had me clasping my hands & crossing my arms. :)
ReplyDeleteWith a family of archers - determining the dominant eye is important in our house, as well as when Mitch coached a school archery team, it was the first step in getting the kids started.
I'm fascinated with handedness & the facts you share. Our twins have always been considered 99% positive identical, but their largest difference lies in handedness, which always triggered conversation about "mirror image twins." Mason is very right hand & right eye dominant. Eric, however, always did many things left handed as a toddler / preschooler (eating, etc.) He is left eye dominant, so he shoots left handed & we have always had to buy both left & right handed bows. He kicks left footed in kickball and in kicking off & kicking field goals on the football team. He's a pretty good switch hitter in baseball. And last year when he had a severely broken collar bone & had his right arm / shoulder immobilized, his coaches joked that he shot so well left handed, they wouldn't be surprised if he returned to the game showing everyone up as a left. Technically, he's right handed though. It fascinates me! And he sounds like you!
My maternal grandmother was left handed, but they were very strict with her in school & "corrected" it when she was young. I'm so glad they don't do that anymore.
I just read the comments above mine - I'll let you explain the eye dominance test - it's a very simple & fascinating thing! It does not involve a telescope, but that comment did remind me of something I've always puzzled over. I'm right eye dominant. But I hold my DSLR camera to my left eye always. ALWAYS!
ReplyDeleteFascinating post DJan. You had me clasping my hands and crossing my arms. I have two sisters, my youngest sister is a leftie and the other two of us are right handed. I can do some things with my left hand but not enough to be mixed.
ReplyDeleteLove those beautiful flowers!
I'm a righty...all the way.
ReplyDeleteMy FIL was the only leftie I ever knew. Well, family that is.
In our "six" we had 4 right's, 1 lefty and one ambidextrous - I would be the latter. I write with both hands and played sports and I can remember playing softball n baseball, batting both sides of the plate - I was mainly right handed as a child, for my teacher made me write with my right hand, however, when home or keeping my diary, it was always left....H-m-m, SO, I was born a leftie, I think, encouraged to be a rightie at school, but all else went to the right and left side of the track....SO I pick ambidextrous - I also did your hand and arm stuff - end result totally different ?? H-m-m I think my right eye is dominant? Great Post DJan - I never really thought about how complex and great my fingers to my shoulders are. ha,ha
ReplyDeleteI always admired lefties for they were unique. I have always been a hard core righty till I hurt my right shoulder and was forced to wake up my left side and put it to work. It has been interesting and I am pleased with my left's progress.
ReplyDeleteLucky you to all ready be mixed. I dated a guy in high school who could pitch a baseball equally well right or left handed.
Certainly was an interesting post, DJan. I too was clasping hands and folding arms. I even went as far as to get my camera and see which eye I used. Righty all the way here.
ReplyDeleteInteresting discussion because I have a left-handed son, but we, his parents, are right-handed. I don't know about dominant eyes, but I am sure my right eye has 20-20 vision, unlike my left. Maybe that means the right eye is dominant.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely mixed here (or mixed up!).
ReplyDeleteI'm part of the 40% with the thumb and 60% with the wrist and arm. My husband, myself and our son are right handed, but our daughter is a lefty. She does use her right hand to work the mouse though. I was disturbed to learn that lefties have a shorter life span.
ReplyDeleteMy mother-in-law was forced to use her right hand so she did write with her right hand, but she did lots of other things with her left so that it seemed she was ambidextrous.
Very interesting post.. and handy. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm right handed and my left thumb found its way to the top but I was in the 40% for the arm crossing.