Anybody in here Left-Handed?

[macka]

I am dying of curiosity.

Any fellow left handers who have experienced discrimination/bias/stereotyping in any way?
Have you noticed the discrimination change over time?

If you could describe your personal experiences that would be great. I need the information for a school assessment. For anybody who knows, it's the all too important HSC year.

I'd appreciate it if you would note down your age group. (You don't have to if you really don't want to, but I wouldn't ask otherwise) :)

A: <18
B: 18-25
C: 26-35
D: 36-45
E: >46

By the way, I'd appreciate any input from the right-handed people too and any thoughts (you're just as special ;) )

Thanks.

[miloblithe]

I think left handers are good against right-handed batters. How's that for a stereotype.

[Powerbook G5]

I'm left handed and when I was in the second grade, my teacher said I was a child of the devil since the left hand shows my wicked nature. She used to hit me with her ruler, accuse me of stuff that others did, and all kinds of crap. I told my dad, who is a minister, and he told me if she hit me anymore to just hit her back and if she complains to him about it he'll come in and give her a talk. Needless to say, since my dad is a "man of the cloth" she got quite the nervous shock that she had been abusing a minister's son and was too scared to say another word to me again. Besides that, the only thing that pisses me off is how Microsoft and a few others seem to be under the impression that there is no such thing as a left handed person when designing mice, keyboards, laptops, and other hardware. Same goes with scissors, musical instruments, can openers, the little flip up tables on lecture hall desks, etc. At least God created Adam as a leftie. ;)

edit: I'm 21, by the way.

[agreenster]

Wow PBG5, we're quite a bit alike. We're both left-handed, under 25, and PK's. My kindergarden teacher forced me to use right handed scissors, and I still do to this day. Weird. I used to always use my mouse as a lefty, but now I use right handies since I use Maya and you need the three buttons.

[g30ffr3y]

im left handed and 25... i went to catholic school and no teacher or nun ever scolded me for it... i do some things right handed though... like play guitar and bowl... either way... im proud to be left handed...

[Doctor Q]

My mom is left-handed, but I escaped the dreaded curse.

I did play trumpet left-handed for a month or two when I pulled a tendon in my right middle finger playing basketball. In fact, I played the solo in the school's winter concert left-handed, and I did OK. My brain was able to send the same signals to the other hand.

I hadn't realized before that my trumpet was designed only for righties, so I learned something about the plight of the southpaw.

[macka]

My mom is left-handed, but I escaped the dreaded curse.

I did play trumpet left-handed for a month or two when I pulled a tendon in my right middle finger playing basketball. In fact, I played the solo in the school's winter concert left-handed, and I did OK. My brain was able to send the same signals to the other hand.

I hadn't realized before that my trumpet was designed only for righties, so I learned something about the plight of the southpaw.

It ain't a curse! it's a blessing. :eek: :p

Oh better watch out, you're gonna get the other lefties coming down on you like a pile of bricks. ;) :D

I must say, what I find annoying is having to shift the mouse around on somebody else's computer. Of course, only PC users have a problem with me doing that...
And sport: baseball? A right handed glove isn't common.
Nor is there such a thing as left handed hockey sticks...

Hmm. Maybe it it is a curse! :eek:

[Doctor Q]

Oh better watch out, you're gonna get the other lefties coming down on you like a pile of bricks. ;) :DAnd I won't even see them coming, right? Or should I say left?

When I've taught beginners at school to use a computer, I ask them if they are left-handed. Left-handed beginners see the mouse sitting there on the right side, and some of them won't ask about moving it if I don't offer!

[gwuMACaddict]

left handed, B age group

:D

[macka]

left handed, B age group

:D

No experiences of discrimination at all? Being left handed hasn't been a problem at all for you, like the rest of the 20% of the worlds population who are lefties?

Is it 20%?

[kiwi_the_iwik]

I'm a Leftie - and sit in Group C...

I've never encountered any problems being left-handed - in fact, it's been a benefit. My parents used to blame my clumsiness on it, but they were just down-right nasty...

It's great for my guitar playing - I play right-handed, but chords are remarkably easier. Same with the piano - I just "switch off" from thinking about what my left hand is doing, and concentrate on the lead stuff with the right.

The BEST advantage though was in Judo - I used to fight around 90% of right-handed people - so where it was a novelty for THEM to fight a leftie, it was natural for me. It worked well, as I made it into the Olympic team, with my sights on Barcelona. Unfortunately, a training accident forced me to retire from competitive Judo back in '88 (I tore the cruciate ligament in my left knee, and had an arthroscopy).

Damn. I coulda been a contender...

Boo-fricken'-hoo...

:mad:

[gerror]

How can anybody discriminate lefthanded people? I'm lefty, the only thing i do with my right hand is using the mouse.

[latergator116]

I'm a lefty in the A group, but I use the mouse and trackpad with my right hand. I have heard people say that left handers have horrible handwriting, but that is certainly not true.

[tpjunkie]

And sport: baseball? A right handed glove isn't common.
Nor is there such a thing as left handed hockey sticks...


I'm a left in group B, and I've played sports my whole life, and I played everything lefty, (except hockey, which for some reason I always felt more comfortable playing righty....go figure) and it was never too hard to get lefty equipment (like gloves), and believe me, there is certainly such thing as a lefty hockey stick, any skate shop should have a bunch, usually on the end of the rack of sticks. I also play guitar left handed. One thing I've noticed is that a lot of of artistic people tend to be left handed, which is pretty evident whenever I take a studio art class (I'm minoring in visual art).

[macka]

How can anybody discriminate lefthanded people? I'm lefty, the only thing i do with my right hand is using the mouse.

Sure people can discriminate against you for being a lefty....just in a covert way I suppose these days. In the olden days, you were a witch, the devil's child, whipped, beaten, condemned for using the left hand. Hell, even today in some countries the left hand is considered 'impure' and used for 'cleaning yourself'... :eek:
In Japan, a man could seek a divorce if he found out his wife was left handed.

Me personally, I used a laptop when I was younger so I had a trackpad which I used with my left hand, so when I switched to a desktop, I naturally set the mouse to be used with the left hand.

Also, at the dinner table, I have a fixed seating position which I must have otherwise I'll ruin everybody else's meal by bumping or knocking elbows and causing a mess everywhere.
Scissors? I still can't use them properly. :o
In the kitchen? I'm normally banned from going in there... ;)
Sports? Now that's a major issue, as schools and other institutions don't necessarily cater for the minority (even though it's not really a minority anymore, just shows how nothing much has really changed).

And um...I don't know about you latergator, but my writing is so illegible it's gotten to a point where I try and avoid it as much as I can (which is difficult considering I'm in my final year of high school). Thank heavens for computer keyboards. ;)

[MongoTheGeek]

I'm right handed but my wife and son are both lefties. I understand the seating difficulties and similar things. In terms of mousing though I am actually more likely to use the mouse with the left hand than my wife is.

I started doing it out of convenience once and stuck with it for a while.

I try to be ambidextrous but I am still not as good with the left hand.

[gerror]

I've read once that lefties are more creative and ... they die a little earlier than righties.

[wordmunger]

I am dying of curiosity.

Any fellow left handers who have experienced discrimination/bias/stereotyping in any way?
I wouldn't say I've experienced "discrimination," but I do remember the time I took the SAT test. We were in a huge lecture hall at the U. of Washington. They made all the left-handers enter the room last, so they could use the left-handed desks (which were the final column of seats on the far left side of the room). By the time I got to my seat, they were out of left-handed desks, so I had to sit in a right-handed desk. This wasn't particularly a problem because I was used to using righty desks (we didn't have special lefty desks in high school). However, because I was now sitting in the top-left corner of the room, I couldn't see the clock (on the back wall) from my seat--which made it difficult to decide how long to spend on each question. There was at least one section of the test that I didn't finish. This did not destroy my life, though--I still managed to get in to the University of Chicago, a great school where I met my future wife.


Have you noticed the discrimination change over time?
I think the public attitude has shifted from viewing my left-handedness as a "problem" to viewing it as a "fact".

I'd appreciate it if you would note down your age group.

I'm 37.


I should say that my experience (not feeling much of a problem) might be due to the fact that I'm fairly adaptable. I use a right-handed mouse. I cut with right-handed scissors. I do require a lefty baseball glove, though. One convenient thing--I don't have to switch my knife and fork around at mealtime--I just always keep the fork in my left hand.

[phrancpharmD]

Leftie and glad of it - I'm still holding out hope for my 18 month old daughter. I'm the only leftie in my family (although my Dad thinks he originally was but was "realigned" much as the attempt made against Powerbook G5) but it's pretty common on my wife's side.

C age group (just turned 30)

The only "bias" or "discrimination" that bothers me is with carrot/potato peelers. Can openers are OK, and I just turn "righty" scisors upside down and they work fine. I really don't even mind "righty" mice; probably just because I've been using a mouse for about 17 years I have better control with using my right hand than my left. . .

[latergator116]

Oh I forgot, I can only right on the back side of paper in those spiral notebook because the spiral gets in the way and it doesnt let me right.

[sonofslim]

you're all sinister! sinister, i say!!

(ugh... sorry for the bad latin-derived joke. but it's early, and i'm sick, and i have to be at work anyway, so my brain is running at half speed....)

[jelloshotsrule]

my girlfriend is a southpaw and in the c group...

one thing i've noticed with her is that she is far more ambidextrous (by necessity i'm sure) than i am... which i think benefits her. i was just realizing how helpless i feel using my left hand/arm for certain things. whereas she is at least competent if not fully functional with her right hand with many things... that said, she still uses her left handed scissors from 5th grade... haha

[Hemingray]

Yeah, I'm left-handed... at eating, throwing, kicking, and shooting. But I'm right-handed at writing and playing guitar. So technically I'm cross-dominant. But my left hand prevails at most things. Oh, I'm in group "B".

[KCK]

Another lefty here. My mom thinks I probably should have been right handed but I was stubborn when going to school and when someone would put a pencil in my right hand I would shift it to my left. The funny thing is I write much better on a blackboard using my right hand ( but I'm much slower writing with my right hand). I have always used scissors with my right hand and I kick right footed. I use my mouse/trackball with my left hand but when I have to I can use a mouse with my right ( but again I'm much slower)

[jxyama]

baseball is the only sport i know of where being a lefthanded hitter has definite advantages... (i mean "definite" by design, not by simple rarity) being a lefthanded fielder, however, is a disadvantage...

hockey: is there a definite distinction between lefty stick and righty stick? i've seen both types - the blade curved both ways. i'm a righty and like to shoot from my right side - i was told this is fairly unusual and that most righties like to shoot from the left.. :confused:

sorry to take this OT a bit - i just love discussing sports. :D

[TEG]

I'm Ambodextrious. I however favor my right side, but have many stregnths left handed. I'm a switch hitter in baseball, play left handed mini-golf, cook left handed, and drive left handed. I have passable hand writing left handed, but I cannot make certain symblos with out a little help. I usually us my left hand on my TiBook's Trackpad, and use which ever one is confortable at the time for my mouse.

My only wory about using my left more, is that my family has a history of Keinbock's disease (Deadening of Bone) in the left hand wrist, therefore, even though we use our left for cooking and lifting pots, it hurts like hell, and at sometime in the future, I won't have the stregnth to do it.

BTW: I'm 20, Ambodextrious, and an Enigma.

TEG

[jxyama]

I'm a switch hitter in baseball

yeah, forgot, this is one thing i can do lefthanded. batting lefty is just like two-handed backhand in tennis, so i can switch hit even though i'm otherwise a righty all the way...

i have also heard that lefties live shorter... those little stress from having to deal with righthanded designs (water faucets, scissors, mouse... etc.) must add up over the years... :(

[cpjakes]

I wouldn't consider myself ambidextrous by any means, but I am left-handed. I do many things with my right hand - mouse, archery, frisbee.

As for discrimination, my kindergarten teacher tried to make me write with my right hand. And apparently I switched hands between letters in words. I can't imagine how long it would take to write anything that way.

There are two other people in my family (currently) who are lefties, none of which are in my immediate family.

I'm 24, a lefty, and wouldn't want it any other way, except with spiral notebooks...

[JesseJames]

I am a southpaw. I write, play guitar, eat with my left. But I throw right-handed and have no problem driving a stick-shift. So I guess I am ambidextrous to a degree.
I remember when I was in first grade there was another lefty named Peter. The teacher put one of those little plastic sleeves on his pencil to make him write right-handed but the teacher never did that for me. Peter was Caucasian and I am not by the way.
Maybe they wanted to get him "right" and just let me fend for myself. In a way, I'm thankful though.

[idkew]

i am a lefty, but a fairly ambidextrous one. i broke my left arm twice in elementary school, so i had a few months of right hand writing. but, i strongly prefer to write left handed.

i use my mouse right handed. but, i have no problem using my trackpad with my left hand.

when drawing/painting at an easel (i got a bfa) i would often use the hand which was closer to the area i was working on.

i kick right footed, throw right handed.

i use utensils on/with either hand. use scissors right handed.

i think i am weird.

[Hemingray]

As for discrimination, my kindergarten teacher tried to make me write with my right hand. And apparently I switched hands between letters in words. I can't imagine how long it would take to write anything that way.

Yep, same here. My mom tried to get me to eat with my right hand... that is, until my grandfather (her dad) told her to leave me alone. :D

And apparently, I also wrote with my left hand when I was in preschool or kindergarten, but for some reason I switched to my right hand after that.

[bousozoku]

I'm primarily right-handed, in the D age group (ugggh!) and used to see minor discrimination in class about the left-handed. I still don't know where people got the superstition other than the Latin word for left being sinister and people warped the meaning over the centuries.

While playing baseball, I've batted left-handed and when bowling, I often switched in the middle of a game.

My trackballs and mice have all been made for either hand.

I can't write properly left-handed but found that I can write backwards quite well.

[Maverick]

I'm a lefty too. 22 years old.

As far as discrimination goes, my roommates tease me because they read in one of their textbooks for sex class that left-handed people are 33% more likely to be gay (which I'm definitely not). So that irks me a little. Dunno where the statistic came from, but it's in a textbook so it must certainly be true, right?

I guess if I wanted to, I could get bent out of shape about how everything in the world is made for right handed people...scissors, ice cream scoops, computer mice, video game joysticks...etc. etc., but I've learned to deal. I'm proud to be left-handed anyway. It just means I'm more...weird...than everyone else.

[Doctor Q]

I can think of five reasons why lefties would have a reputation for bad handwriting:

1. Discrimination, rumor, folklore, or stereotyping.

2. When lefties are taught to write right-handed, their motor skills won't be as good since they are using the lesser hand.

3. Lefties are usually taught by righties, who might not show them the correct hand position for writing left-handed.

4. When a leftie writes text that reads left-to-right, his or her hand moves over the letters as they are written. Depending on how you hold your hand, you might get less feedback because you don't see what you just wrote, leading to more errors or sloppiness.

5. When a leftie writes text that reads left-to-right, his or her hand may smear the text as it is written.

Note that all but the first are credible, and the last two become a problem that applies to righties instead of lefties when the language reads right-to-left.

[kiwi_the_iwik]

Everyone comments on my writing - it's very cursive, and neat.

They comment even more when they WATCH me write - I rotate the paper I'm writing on 90º anti-clockwise, and then write UP the page. They get a kick out of it. I do it so I can - a) see what I'm doing, and b) not smudge my work (a real pain in the butt in my younger years, considering how much I loved fountain pens...).

It used to be hilarious in exams - the person sitting immediately to my right would get an eyeful of my paper. So - if I put the wrong answer, I was pretty sure they would too. Sometimes, I'd just put the wrong answer to screw them over (and then later, change it back to what I'd intended in the FIRST place... Sucked in! :p)

I do pretty much everything with my left hand - writing, throwing, batting, leading with my left ("goofy" snowboarder!), and bitch-slapping!

I do, however, kick a rugby ball with my right foot, and play the guitar right handed. I have also been known to write with my right hand...

...but it's pretty illegible. :p

Go figure...

[MongoTheGeek]

Everyone comments on my writing - it's very cursive, and neat.

They comment even more when they WATCH me write - I rotate the paper I'm writing on 90º anti-clockwise, and then write UP the page. They get a kick out of it. I do it so I can - a) see what I'm doing, and b) not smudge my work (a real pain in the butt in my younger years, considering how much I loved fountain pens...).

Wouldn't it make more sense to turn the paper clockwise and then write down? That way you wouldn't obscure prior lines?

[bousozoku]

...

5. When a leftie writes text that reads left-to-right, his or her hand may smear the text as it is written.

...

Being a left-handed writer is an advantage when writing letters in Japanese with top to bottom, right to left text. You never smear. If right-handed Japanese write letters by hand, they usually write left to right, top to bottom to avoid smearing.

[Indiana Mac]

Left Handed, B Age Group, no discrimination. And my handwriting is illegible(though improving finally)

[macka]

Everyone comments on my writing - it's very cursive, and neat.

They comment even more when they WATCH me write - I rotate the paper I'm writing on 90º anti-clockwise, and then write UP the page. They get a kick out of it. I do it so I can - a) see what I'm doing, and b) not smudge my work (a real pain in the butt in my younger years, considering how much I loved fountain pens...).


Sorry, but I can't imagine how that works!
My page is on a 90 degree angle also but I write down, towards myself...

[rhpenguin]

Im right handed but i do a lot of things with my left hand. Such as writing (i can write with both hands, though not as legible or quick with the left, but you can make it out) play billliards and bass guitar. Aslo im 20 years old.

[janey]

ambidexterous to a point. guess it depends on what you mean.
i mouse with my left (damn microsoft and their right handed mice...and damn almost all computer users, I can use a touchpad with my right hand but cant use a regular mouse the same way i can with my left hand), write with my right more than my left, play things on the piano better with my left hand (always evident when playing bach) and can type faster on a qwerty keyboard with my left than my right, which makes what i type somewhat unreadable sometimes.
just turned 15.

[kiwi_the_iwik]

Wouldn't it make more sense to turn the paper clockwise and then write down? That way you wouldn't obscure prior lines?

Then you have your wrist in a contorted position, where it bends on itself. Not very comfortable.

THIS way, I don't have to bend my wrist at ALL - my hand sits on the lines ABOVE where I'm writing, and I can SEE all the words I've already written on the line...

Don't worry, macka - keep practicing and you'll see my way is better!!! Heh! Heh!

[macka]

Then you have your wrist in a contorted position, where it bends on itself. Not very comfortable.

THIS way, I don't have to bend my wrist at ALL - my hand sits on the lines ABOVE where I'm writing, and I can SEE all the words I've already written on the line...

Don't worry, macka - keep practicing and you'll see my way is better!!! Heh! Heh!

Well I have to admit, my way of writing sucks, cause I get massive backaches after writing for 10 min.

So say you have an A4 piece of paper in front of you...you turn it anti-clockwise to the right so that it's 90 degrees to you...then write sideways up? Is that what you do?

I turn the page 90 degree clockwise and then write towards myself...which is a problem as it restricts my use of pens to ballpoints. Anything else, and my hand smudges the writing. :(

[kiwi_the_iwik]

Well I have to admit, my way of writing sucks, cause I get massive backaches after writing for 10 min.

So say you have an A4 piece of paper in front of you...you turn it anti-clockwise to the right so that it's 90 degrees to you...then write sideways up? Is that what you do?

I turn the page 90 degree clockwise and then write towards myself...which is a problem as it restricts my use of pens to ballpoints. Anything else, and my hand smudges the writing. :(

Yeah - try rotating the paper, so that if someone is standing next to you on your right, and they look down at the paper, it'll be the correct perspective for them...

I think it's a dead-easy way to write - you can get the right slant on your letters, and it doesn't smudge, as your hand isn't near the stuff you've just wrote, but what you've written on previous lines. Of course, by then, the lines above the one you're on would be dry, so the smudging problem isn't really an issue...

It's quite a talking point as well to people who watch you!

:)

[MongoTheGeek]

Then you have your wrist in a contorted position, where it bends on itself. Not very comfortable.

THIS way, I don't have to bend my wrist at ALL - my hand sits on the lines ABOVE where I'm writing, and I can SEE all the words I've already written on the line...

Don't worry, macka - keep practicing and you'll see my way is better!!! Heh! Heh!

I just tried it both ways (results were poor being right handed, but I don't think I had to bend my wrist either way.

My way though your hand sits above the blank space you are going to be writing on.

It doesn't matter. The important thing is that it works.

[B@SS_SHOCK]

Natural left-hander but can use both hands to do anything seeing as I couldn't choose which hand to write with as a kid lol! It's why I get an A in Art and why I get an F in Calculus. Btw, I'm 16

[encro]

Left-Handed: 27years

I use the mouse in my right hand though and when playing sport it varies between hands quite a bit. I write downwards on a 90 degree angle with my left hand also.

I hate using Power Drills because the lock on button always gets jammed on when not needed. Sometimes it can be rather scary with a routing or auger bit is spinning like crazy and I can't stop it without performing silly hand manoeuvres :eek:

[wrldwzrd89]

I know, I'm kind of late in joining this thread, but I'm also a lefty. I'm in age group B. I guess I was lucky - no one ever tried to change me to a right-hander. However, I am also somewhat ambidextrous. I can write with either hand, although I usually use my left hand. Oddly enough, I can't bowl left-handed. I used to use the mouse with my left hand, but I couldn't stand the switched right and left buttons, so I became a right-handed mouse user. I eat left-handed, too. I'm not saying that people didn't pick on me at all (I got PLENTY of teasing); I am saying that I was never teased about being a southpaw.

[janey]

i forgot to mention, my english teacher is left handed. Often times you can see her write backwards (right to left as opposed to the standard left to right), not the way Leonardo da Vinci did it, but like writing normally except you do it backwards. her handwriting is neater that way too :p

[King Cobra]

Age: 18
But all of the below characterists applied when I was younger.


Left hand for:
Writing (my handwriting sucks)
Billiards
Eating with utensils
Watch
Phone


Right hand for:
Mouse
Trackpad (usually)
Throwing
Swinging objects
Remote controls
iPod

And a little joke for physicians/mathematicians:
The right-hand rule

[macka]

And a little joke for physicians/mathematicians:
The right-hand rule


Another little joke for neurosurgeons:

Only the left-handed are in their right minds.

[Frohickey]

SOUTHPAWS, UNITE!!!! (http://www.alligator.org/edit/issues/97-sprg/970306/e02left.htm)

[Westside guy]

Left handed, D age group, no discrimination except difficulty with scissors. :p Bat left, throw left, mouse right.

Funny thing is in our family - My mom's left handed, as are my sister and I. My brother and dad were outnumbered! Now my daughter is a leftie, so she and I have it over my wife. When we have a family get-together it makes things interesting, trying to arrange seating at the table.

I like to point out that while we die younger (theoretically), we also are apparently natural leaders - look at the percentage of southpaw US presidents.

(Sorry if that got mentioned by someone else, but this is a LONG thread!)

Oh and don't forget we're also much better looking. :D

[macka]

Left handed, D age group, no discrimination except difficulty with scissors. :p Bat left, throw left, mouse right.

Funny thing is in our family - My mom's left handed, as are my sister and I. My brother and dad were outnumbered! Now my daughter is a leftie, so she and I have it over my wife. When we have a family get-together it makes things interesting, trying to arrange seating at the table.

I like to point out that while we die younger (theoretically), we also are apparently natural leaders - look at the percentage of southpaw US presidents.

(Sorry if that got mentioned by someone else, but this is a LONG thread!)

Oh and don't forget we're also much better looking. :D

Agreed. It's been proven that left handed people are more creative, smarter and brighter in many aspects.

Wasn't Albert Einstein left handed? ;)
Leonardo da Vinci?
Joan of Arc?
Bart Simpson? :cool:

And yeah, I am so much better looking than my (right handed) twin bro. :D

[XnavxeMiyyep]

Left handed, age group A. No discrimination other than the occasional "You're left handed! Wow! I didn't know!" from people who discovered I was left handed a couple months before, but had forgotten.

I use my left hand for writing and eating, and my right for using a mouse. I'm ambidextrous in most other areas though, such as using a remote.

[macka]

I'm ambidextrous in most other areas though, such as using a remote.

Ah...yeah mate.
Unless your talking about a remote other than the garage...tv...stereo...I'm pretty sure even the righty's can do that. ;)

[g808]

I fall in age group C.

I don't know about discrimination, but I have problems writing in left-sided spiral notebooks. Sometime scissors is a problem. Using the mouse is not an issue. I write and eat with my left, but all sports is right-handed, which sucks. I always wished I could have been a lefty since throwing and batting left in baseball would rock!

I'm Japanese, but I guess growing up now days my grandparents and parents never fell into the traditional custom of forcing children to use their right hand.

[iMeowbot]

left, D.

Nothing like discrimination on that trait that I can recall. In an early grade one teacher did encourage me to try using the right hand once just to be sure I knew what I was doing, but she didn't try to stop me or anything.

Lots of compliments on the handwriting here too, though I think it's a jumbled mess.

[MOFS]

I am dying of curiosity.

Any fellow left handers who have experienced discrimination/bias/stereotyping in any way?
Have you noticed the discrimination change over time?

If you could describe your personal experiences that would be great. I need the information for a school assessment. For anybody who knows, it's the all too important HSC year.

I'd appreciate it if you would note down your age group. (You don't have to if you really don't want to, but I wouldn't ask otherwise) :)

A: <18
B: 18-25
C: 26-35
D: 36-45
E: >46

By the way, I'd appreciate any input from the right-handed people too and any thoughts (you're just as special ;) )

Thanks.

I'm band B, but have to say, being a leftie at school sucked. I'm pretty certain your school would get ppulled up in front of the local eduction board if it didn't have disabled access for wheelcgair users, but not left-handed scissors! I'm not saying being left-handed is a disability, but being essentially forced to be right-handed when using scissors is! Ambidextrous scissors don't work either (I think its the way the blades are orientated).

However, in racket sports (badminton, squash, tennis), I do find it an advantage in one way; I can swap hands for forehands!:D. But I think I'm both-handed anyway - probably by nurture. Both-handed means you can do some things well with your left hand but not your right, and vice versa, whereas ambidextrous means you can use both hands equally well when doing things...

[sushi]

I am dying of curiosity.

Any fellow left handers who have experienced discrimination/bias/stereotyping in any way?
Group D.

Here's an example: Flying a helicopter.

At first it was a B_tch training my right hand to hover. (The right hand goes on the cyclic and the left hand goes on the collective).

Then it was reverse jealousy among my rotorhead buddies when I could copy a clearance with my left hand without passing the controls or switching (left hand on the cyclic) hands.

Although, one time we almost died in a Frisbee when we were practicing engine out proceedures and my GD kneeboard got jammed between the collective and console. Luckily I realized what happened before our RPM got too far out of the green and took the appropriate action.

Since then, I designed my own smaller more effective kneeboard and never had the problem again. Thankfully.

Sushi

[Powerbook G5]

That's true about it being an advantage in sports. No one ever expects or knows what to do with a left handed batter in baseball and it makes playing tennis easy since you can switch hands in the middle of the game and screw the opponent up royally. :D

[blue&whiteman]

giving anyone any kind of hassle for naturally being born a certain way is so stupid that it cannot even be fully understood how stupid it really is. people like that should be taken away from us all and put on an island somewhere.

people like this only exist because we tolerate them. lets stop doing that.

[macka]

giving anyone any kind of hassle for naturally being born a certain way is so stupid that it cannot even be fully understood how stupid it really is. people like that should be taken away from us all and put on an island somewhere.

people like this only exist because we tolerate them. lets stop doing that.

Oh for sure, it's just back in the ages that it was a problem with superstitions and religious drama with the left handed being associated with devils and witches and blah blah....we've obviously come a long way from that. The discrimination is very covert now and LH's have obviously learnt to live in a RH world.

[Westside guy]

giving anyone any kind of hassle for naturally being born a certain way is so stupid that it cannot even be fully understood how stupid it really is. people like that should be taken away from us all and put on an island somewhere.

people like this only exist because we tolerate them. lets stop doing that.

But what if they're born that way? :D

[Doctor Q]

Maybe people choose to have a left-handed lifestyle and should be banned from being teachers so they won't flaunt it and encourage children to adopt the same deviant habits. ;)

And here's another, equally well thought out idea: We can cure people of left-handedness simply by having them face the other way!

[Neserk]

My husband is left handed. Mostly it is a non-issue. My scissors are for either hand and we rarely eat with anyone else. Those are the two major issue for most lefties. He has beautiful writing (better than mine) but smudging can be an issue. He is 31.

[Neserk]

I fall in age group C.

I don't know about discrimination, but I have problems writing in left-sided spiral notebooks.

so do I! But I'm right handed -- can't really explain it. I prefer notebooks that have the spiral at the top!


I'm Japanese, but I guess growing up now days my grandparents and parents never fell into the traditional custom of forcing children to use their right hand.

A teacher I had regularly as a substitute in elementary school was left handed. Her handwrititng was horrid. She told us the story of how they use to make her write with her right hand. (If *I* try to write with my left hand it all turns out backwards). There is (or was) a theory that some dyslexia (or form of it) was created in the generation where lefties were forced to use their right hands.

[Neserk]

Maybe people choose to have a left-handed lifestyle and should be banned from being teachers so they won't flaunt it and encourage children to adopt the same deviant habits. ;)

And here's another, equally well thought out idea: We can cure people of left-handedness simply by having them face the other way!


LOL... amazingly enough if we had the kind of documentation then that we did today you would see people using the same kinds of arguments for forcing lefties to become righties as you do for not allowing gay people to be gay.

[pseudobrit]

I'm ambidextrous like my grandfather, but I never honed my skills on both hands as he did, so I ended up learning/practicing things one way or the other but usually not both.

hockey: is there a definite distinction between lefty stick and righty stick? i've seen both types - the blade curved both ways. i'm a righty and like to shoot from my right side - i was told this is fairly unusual and that most righties like to shoot from the left

There is no difference in the shaft of the stick, only the blade. They're identical in curvature but opposite.

Right handed shooters shoot slap, snap and wrists shots from the right side of their body and backhanders from the left. Your left hand holds and controls the end of the stick while your right hand grips the shaft and provides support, twist and thrust control. To sum up, you were told wrong. ;)

[Powerbook G5]

Try golfing left handed. What is more frustrating than trying in a massive golf shop to find a left handed set of clubs? You'd think that the companies who make putters have never heard of the concept of a left handed golfer. I literally gave up trying to get into that sport because it was just too much of a hassle.

[Giaguara]

i am a lefty in the age group c.

discriminated? my elementary school teacher was over 60, about to go t o pension ... she hated lefties but didnt force us to write with right.

even today if / when something happesn to my left hand, i cant write using a pen with my right hand. i can write with right using only the keyboard.

i eat using the main tool (fork or sticks) on my left hand.

i do basically everything with left hand.


i HATE can openers as i cant ever use them. i have to either move my hand to an awkward position to use it, or do the opening movement in an awakward way holding the opener the wrong way.

i hate scissors that are shaped for right handed people. i just hate them.

most of the other itmes. . seems usable.

i have never cared for which side the shirts have buttons .. i got really annoyed sometiems as some complained my shirt was mens .. i don't care. if i can button and unbutton the shirt i don't care which side the buttons are on .. and i never remember which side they "should" be.
i wonder what is the logic with shirts?? all women (or all men) would be lefties to make the shirts of 50 % population to have the buttosn on a certain way??


ps. my hands are full of scars, i don't know if it is a direct result of being a lefty.

[Mike Teezie]

I play guitar left handed, but am right handed.

How ridiculous is that? Its made my life as a guitarist 500x more difficult that if I played righty. I was 6 when I started playing, and it just felt right "upside down"

[macka]

I play guitar left handed, but am right handed.

How ridiculous is that? Its made my life as a guitarist 500x more difficult that if I played righty. I was 6 when I started playing, and it just felt right "upside down"

That certainly is out of the norm. Well done! :D
I heard though that left handed guitarists who play right handed guitars play arguably better because they can grasp the strings and move their hand along the frets much easier because it feels more natural. My friend started off with a left handed guitar, then switched to ri ght handed so now she plays both.

[Doctor Q]

I went to a small concert Friday to hear a guitarist perform, and this MacRumors handedness discussion came to mind while I watched him. I realize that I don't understand why guitarists use their "good" hand to strum and their "bad" hand on the frets. Doesn't it take more dexterity and control to form the chords than to pluck the strings?

[DavidFDM]

Category D

Once in 3rd grade, I went home for lunch since we lived next door to the school. I sat at the table scrawling out my math homework. My mom walked by and asked me what I was doing. I told her. She said she meant what was I doing writing with my right hand. I told her Mrs. Garnet said I had to use my right hand from now on. Mom got that look in her eye that usually meant my brothers and I were in deep trouble. She then took my hand and marched me over to the school and she went thermal on Mrs. Garnet. That was my only case of discrimination.

My first Mac was a Mac 512 enhanced. The mouse cord was fairly short so the mouse really needed to be on the right side of the Mac. Otherwise you would have to sit pretty close to the computer so I started using the mouse in my right hand and it felt comfortable then. Now I still use my right hand 95% of the time.

Advantages? In tennis, I have 2 forehands and 2 backhands being equally comfortable with either hand. In fencing, my opponents had a harder time my coach said. I never really noticed.

Best regards,

David

[JesseJames]

Group D.

Here's an example: Flying a helicopter.

At first it was a B_tch training my right hand to hover. (The right hand goes on the cyclic and the left hand goes on the collective).

Then it was reverse jealousy among my rotorhead buddies when I could copy a clearance with my left hand without passing the controls or switching (left hand on the cyclic) hands.

Although, one time we almost died in a Frisbee when we were practicing engine out proceedures and my GD kneeboard got jammed between the collective and console. Luckily I realized what happened before our RPM got too far out of the green and took the appropriate action.

Since then, I designed my own smaller more effective kneeboard and never had the problem again. Thankfully.

Sushi

What were you flying? A R22 Robinson or a Schweizer? I can say I've logged a minute in a Robinson. I went up for a demo flight with an instructor and did some banks around the airfield. Then he demonstrated a power-off landing. He had me cut the throttle. Pretty hairy for the uninitiated.
I'm a lefty too but I'm a bit on the ambidextrous side. So no problem for me with the controls.
The unnerviest thing about flying a helicopter is power management. I seemed to be a natural with the controls. But constantly adjusting the collective was an aspect that I wasn't really use to. But then again it was just a demo flight. :D

[encrypt3d]

i eat left handed can throw a ball left handed use mouse right handed cuz less of a pain. i can wright with both hands but left handed makes that smearing thing that sucks. could be like da Vinci and wright right to left to advoid that.

[ingenious]

im basically ambidextrious, but my right hand is my primary hand for most things. But i am to cut, write, use a mouse, and many other things almost just as well as my right hand. This "trait" runs in my family, altho i dont know any lefties.. my sister did start out a leftie tho, but she switched on her own....????? BTW i am a PK too... weird huh? Im not catholic tho and neither is my dad.

[Counterfit]

I'm right handed, but due to a broken arm about 8 years ago, (radius and ulna, right near my wrist, very nasty looking) I can eat left handed. Not as well as with my right, but I manage. I never got the hang of writing though...

[rt_brained]

Left:
Write
Fork, Spoon, Butter knife
Exacto knife
Politics

Right:
Throw
Kick
Steak knife

Switch:
Bat
Chalkboard -- In H.S. & College, when called to work out problems on the chalkboard, I often switched right and left hands....whichever hand was closest to the chalk when I got to the board, I guess. Sometimes I would catch myself swapping hands in the middle of a problem and would draw a blank trying to figure out which was my normal writing hand. I had to look closely at my hands to determine which middle finger had the writing callous.

[Dahl]

I'm a leftie, but I have never heard anything bad about it, people seem to admire lefties ?? At least the people I have met.
I hoped my son might be left handed too, but no luck.

Only problem I have, is that I can't use regular ink pens without smearing my writing.
Left footed too, but that's probably normal.

[Doctor Q]

A question for all: Are left-handed people almost always left-footed too? I'm talking about which foot you'd favor if you kick a ball.

[Alte22a]

I am Right handed, but I kick a ball with my left and take pics with my left eye. Odd one.... oh I am 29.. :eek:

[Giaguara]

I don't know about my left-footedness. Not valid .. as I broke my foot when I was 9. The bones still hurt when it's cold, or if I swim too many miles .. so I pretty much use the foot that works best for the purpose.

[Powerbook G5]

I am left-footed and take pictures with my left eye, as well. I think the only thing I do dominantly with my right hand is use a mouse (you pretty much have to) and if I play tennis I always switch to my right hand instead of using my backhand since I can never quite master it. My dad is always complaining that I shouldn't switch hands in the middle of a game, but I have been known to hit some pretty sweet shots with my right hand.

[Dahl]

Left hand when flipping people off in traffic
Right hand with a mouse
Left foot playing soccer
Right eye with a camera
Both eyes when looking at the pretty "wildlife" on Venice Beach.

[sushi]

What were you flying? A R22 Robinson or a Schweizer? I can say I've logged a minute in a Robinson. I went up for a demo flight with an instructor and did some banks around the airfield. Then he demonstrated a power-off landing. He had me cut the throttle. Pretty hairy for the uninitiated.
I'm a lefty too but I'm a bit on the ambidextrous side. So no problem for me with the controls.
The unnerviest thing about flying a helicopter is power management. I seemed to be a natural with the controls. But constantly adjusting the collective was an aspect that I wasn't really use to. But then again it was just a demo flight. :D
Once you get a few hours under your belt, you begin to learn how to not move the collective all that much. Power management becomes more of a natural action vice forced.

Reference my story, I was flying an OH-58 (aka. military version of the Bell Jet Ranger). Also known in Aeroscout circles as a Frisbee.

Most fun to fly was the AH-1S(MC), currently known as the AH-1F. Nice bird. Fun to shoot.

R-22's and Schweizer's are fun to fly. Bell 47 too! Has wooden blades.

Autorotations are fun! Even the real ones if you plan ahead when you fly.

Seriously, once you learn the circle of action for a particular bird, they are pretty easy. The key to a smooth landing is to know when to start your decel -- especially for the light loaded rotor systems.

Speaking of autorotations, I always liked doing 180's. The rotor can build up if you are not careful.

Nothing beats night NOE flying with NVG's/NAD's! :eek:

Sushi

[sushi]

But then again it was just a demo flight. :D
BTW, congrats on going on the demo flight! That is what started me flying many years ago.

While I like flying starched wing AC, I love helicopters. Something about hovering in any direction that is just plain fun!

Good luck!

Sushi

[sushi]

My dad is always complaining that I shouldn't switch hands in the middle of a game, but I have been known to hit some pretty sweet shots with my right hand.
The problem with switching during a game, is there is the gray area where your brain can't decide which way to go. For me, I am a little off center on the right side. So if my opponent learns this area, I am toast. I have to force myself to decide what to do and it slows down my reaction times a lot.

Handball was fun. You have to use both hands. Love those left handed kill shots.

Racketball as well!

Sushi

[macka]

A question for all: Are left-handed people almost always left-footed too? I'm talking about which foot you'd favor if you kick a ball.

No not necessarily, apparently only about half of people who are left handed are also left footed, left eyed, left whatever.

I personally kick with my right foot, dunny why but it feels natural that way even though I'm left handed.

Like Alte is right handed but uses his left foot and his left eye...this is definitely odd as lefties are supposed to be right brain oriented and vice versa for righties.

Alte are you sure you weren't forced to switch hands as a kid? :eek: :D

[sushi]

Most fun to fly was the AH-1S(MC), currently known as the AH-1F. Nice bird. Fun to shoot.
Here is a pic of my baby! :D

Sushi

[sushi]

One thing that I really like and respect Apple for is that their products support left-handed as well as right-handed folks. The iPod is a perfect example. I saw some very innovative and neat right-handed designs. They would be great for right-handers, but terrible for left-handers.

But Apple, true to itself for designing devices with superb user experience/interface, went with the current design that is easy to use regardless of your hand preference.

Kudo's for Apple!

Sushi

[sushi]

Wow, that was quick.

The left-handed thread has already died.

Only what, 91 postings.

Surprised.

Figured that there are more lefties out there.

Oh well,

Sushi

[Ambrose Chapel]

i'm a lefty...do everything with left - left eye for photography etc. i wish apple would add an option to reverse the orientation of the cursor arrow...using a mouse with the meft hand but with the arrow facing the "wrong" way is annoying.

[minstryoffunk]

lefty, B-group

those tables in lecture halls, rings and spirals in binders, and baseball are the only things i can think of that have been a bother, no real problems, tho

i never even thought of using the mouse with my left hand until i had been using computers for some time, and at that point it was easier to stick with the right - i can do both, tho

[Doctor Q]

lefty, B-group

those tables in lecture halls, rings and spirals in binders, and baseball are the only things i can think of that have been a bother, no real problems, tho

i never even thought of using the mouse with my left hand until i had been using computers for some time, and at that point it was easier to stick with the right - i can do both, thoI don't understand the problem with spiral binders. They are symmetrical. Lefties might have trouble writing on the right-side page, but no more than righties have trouble writing on the left-side page, correct?

[MacFan26]

I'm a lefty, and 18. I'm normally left-handed for everything, except in some sports. I'd bat and golf right-handed, but play pool left-handed. Oh well, I'm weird. The only thing that bugs me sometimes is when right-handed people have to sit in a left-handed desk, they freak out, but I sit in right-handed desks every day and don't complain.

[MacFan26]

i'm a lefty...do everything with left - left eye for photography etc. i wish apple would add an option to reverse the orientation of the cursor arrow...using a mouse with the meft hand but with the arrow facing the "wrong" way is annoying.

Oh yeah, I'd probably use my mouse with my left hand if the arrow could point the other way, it's too weird for me otherwise.

[macka]

Oh yeah, I'd probably use my mouse with my left hand if the arrow could point the other way, it's too weird for me otherwise.
Computers are biased against lefties. Especially PC's.

[sushi]

Computers are biased against lefties. Especially PC's.
Yeah, that's true.

Funny thing for me, is that I usually just learn the way I am taught, which is usually by a right hander. So I end up learning most things as a right hander.

Sushi

[sushi]

How many can write with both hands? My right hand penmanship sucks, but I can do it.

What is really funny, with my left hand I can write backwards very fast. And if you hold the paper up to the light, flipped around, it is the same as my normal left hand writing. Go figure.

Sushi

Edit: spelling

[18thTomorrow]

Hi,
Thought I'd give you my two cents worth. I'm a lefty, but I'd say not a characteristic lefty. I write left (and it looks terrible if i try to do it otherwise) but I use scissors, knives, computer mouse/trackpad with my right hand. It's almost a quasi-wierd nonhandedness...if you get my drift. Sometimes it's hard to decide what hand works better for something. I'm pretty clumsy, and I can't throw worth a holler with either hand.
I have never expierienced any persecution due to my left-handedness. Most people have been like, "wow, that's cool, you're special!" I don't, however, particularly enjoy desks made for right-handed people.
I know many people who claim left-handers have superior intelligence and/or more creative/artistic skills, and I tend to agree with them. Some scientists think that left-handers are the next step in the evolution of the species...I wouldn't go that far :) However, I do notice that my left-handed friends exhibit more aptitude for creative/artistic endeavors and thinking outside the box. (That's not to knock anyone who's right-handed--I love you all too! ;) )
And I'd even take that a step further, saying my "almost non-handedness" (if you will use my goofy terms!) puts me somewhere in the middle of right- and left- brain inclinations. I do quite well in both right-brained things (art, photography, thinking outside the box) and left-brained pursuits (algebra, science) but I don't *excel* in either one--it's like knowing a fair amount of everything but all of nothing. Do you follow or am I just being silly??
That being said, my lefthandedness gives me a certain aptitude for music. I play violin, viola, guitar, string bass, and piano. All of these things require a certain skill with the left hand, and my pre-existing dexterity has helped out a lot. My left brain contributes to the mathematical and precision elements of music. Combined, it's a good situation!
Hope my comments have helped!
Britt

[macka]

I think a good way to tell which hand you most prefer would be which thumb you use to tap in the spacebar and which side you use the shift key on the computer keyboard.

[sushi]

although I can use a pair of scissors half decently with the right hand and the computer mouse as well I suppose.
I have never been able to use scissors with my left hand. Right hand is easy and feels very natura. My left hand refuses to work at this task.

Sushi

[sushi]

The only thing that bugs me sometimes is when right-handed people have to sit in a left-handed desk, they freak out, but I sit in right-handed desks every day and don't complain.
Oh the memories.

I don't ever remember even seeing a left handed desk in HS.

Sushi