Why is left-handedness so rare, and why is/was there a taboo against it in so many societies around the world?
921757
If you are left-handed you need to be careful when firing an automatic rifle. The hot shells that get ejected can get into your shirt, and cause some serious discomfort.
523803
Yes. \n\nMost chimpanzees are, in fact, left handed. This may have been a contributing factor in the speciation of humans and chimpanzees from each other.
405268
I'm a right handed chick!\n\nFact about lefties:\nOver 2500 left handed people a year are killed from using products made for right handed people!
713123
I'm not sure but my aunt had twins- she is left handed and so is her son\nMy cousin is left handed and had twins\nI have twins but neither is left handed\n\nSo twins and left handedness runs in my family
679828
that is an old wives tale, its not true.  so, if you are left handed, dont worry about it.
1152852
A person who is left-handed primarily uses their left hand, more so than their right hand; a left-hander will probably use the left hand for tasks such as personal care, cooking, and so on. Writing is not as precise an indicator of handedness as it might seem, because many people who are left-handed write with their right hand and use their left for everything else.\n\nPeople who are left-handed are technically said to be sinistral, and left-handedness is sometimes referred to as sinistrality. Both words derive from sinister, the Latin word for “left”. This word in turn derives from sinus, the Latin word for “pocket” referring to the fact that the pocket in a Roman toga was on the left side, for the convenience of a right-handed wearer\nStatistics of left-handedness\nApproximately 10% of the population is left-handed. People who can use both hands equally well are ambidextrous. True ambidexterity is rare. See laterality.\n\nGenerally, there are about 10% more male left handers than female left handers (5.24% Male, 4.76% Female). Approximately one-third of identical twins are left-handed. [1] Statistically, the twin of a left-handed person has a 76% chance of being left-handed. [1]\n\n[edit]\nCauses of left-handedness\nNo one knows for certain why the human population is right-handed-dominant, but a number of theories have been proposed.\n\n[edit]\nEvolutionary theories\n[edit]\nThe warrior and his shield\nThis theory attempts to explain why left-handedness is rare by the position of a warrior's shield and his heart. Basically, since the heart is on the left side of the body, a right-handed warrior (who holds his shield with his left hand to free the right hand for a weapon) would be better able to protect his heart and therefore more likely to survive.\n\nThere are a number of objections to this theory:\n\nThe heart is not that far off centre. Protecting it with a shield would result in a weak selective pressure. \nThere have not been enough generations since the Bronze Age to make a difference. \nAnalysis of ancient cave paintings [2] indicates that humanity was dominantly right-handed long before the Bronze Age. \nSome believe it predicts that more men would be right-handed than women. However, data indicates that more males are left-handed than females. This objection also demonstrates a misunderstanding of heredity. The theory would predict that fewer left-handed males would survive but says absolutely nothing about ratios of male: female left-handedness after that time. Nor does it explain why there would be either right-or left-handedness to begin with. \n[edit]\nAdvantage in fist-fighting\nA variant of the above argument says that left-handed people have an advantage in fighting without weapons, because of the "surprise" factor. (This fact is well known to boxers and was employed to world-record effect on Nov. 4th 1947 when Mike Collins, a natural left-hander, emerged from his corner in a right-handed stance before suddenly shifting left and delivering the fight's first and last punch, knocking out opponent Pat Brownson in 4 seconds.)\n\nA 2004 study by Charlotte Fauriet and Michel Raymond of the University of Montpellier II in France, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, argues that there is such a link. To prove their theory, Faurie and Raymond surveyed nine primitive societies in five separate continents. Through a mix of direct observation and existing data, they estimated the number of left-handed people within each population. They also looked at murder rates, thinking that those communities with higher murder rates might favor populations with more left-handed people. The more violence, the more chances lefties would have at issuing their unexpected left hook, or other such weapon, and come out on top.\n\nAmong these samples, they found strong support for the idea that, at least in primitive societies with higher levels of violence, lefties thrive. [3]\n\nLike the previous
1092854
EXCELLENT question.  One example takes us back to the middle ages and the Italian word for "left" (as in opposite of "right"\nSinistro, the same route word for Sinister, means left in Italian.  Left-handed people were thought to be in league with the devil.\n\nThat brings to mind the modern term RIGHT WING.  I'm sure it means CORRECT wing to some people.  Language usage and perception!
1017562
That was my situation.\n\nAll my family are right handed and I am the only left handed one.\n\nThe funny bit was without asking first I made friends with people at school and hung around them at lunch time to find out that all of them were left handed. It was crazy like we all attracted one another. There was a group of 8 of us.
983624
Your teacher was probably referring to ambidextrous people (im able to write, do anything actually with both hands, legs etc.) true ambidextrous people, not people that teach themselves how to do it think differently to just right handed or left handed people. Apparently i can switch my thinking to either side of my brain, over all i tend to have a "center" of thinking.  i can also read backwards and write backwards or with both hands at the same time without even thinking about it. I discovered this when i was a teenager, all my friends thought it was awesome and tried to do it! i thought it was so funny because they were all trying so hard when i didnt even have to think when i did it! \nI'm not sure if im smarter then other people, maybe i am lol! i did always get great marks in school so yer, but there are disadvantages-always have had trouble working out left from right, learning languages, trouble with figures/maths in general. All of those disadvantages are proven.\n\nYou cannot make yourself be left handed or ambidextrous and get the positives with it-like being intelligent (so they say).\nSo dont try to be, you cannot change how your brain works. \nHope this helped.
1167633
Left handed people use the right side of their brain to perform tasks such as writing, because the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, and the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body.\n\nI've heard that some, but not all, left handed people have their speech centers in different locations than most right handed people.\n\nIf a person switches their hand of dominance, for example, a left handed person starts writing with their right hand, they will eventually use both sides of their brain to perform this task.
520401
My husband is left handed and plays awesome...he teaches a lot of other people how to play! So hes pretty good...lol\n\n-Lorah
817308
When you extend your right hand toward someone facing you, it is on their left side. Perhaps when your father was holding something in his left hand and extended it to you, he was typically putting it in your right hand. Thus you were prone to use your right hand more. Similarly, if you were holding items in your dominant hand (right) and extending it forward to your son, it would go to his left hand.\n\nHandedness can be influenced by environment. For instance, only letting a child use an implement in their right (or left) hand will make them right (or left) handeded. So the natural tendency to extend something straight ahead when facing a child will put the item in their opposite side hand.
556468
Im left handed and proud!!! us poor leftys have to live in a backwards world, eveything is made for right handed people but it does make things more interesting
626954
I've done it, its hard being a lefty and all.. but its doable.  Plus it adds a little mystique to the whole experience.  Kind of like a "WHOA! Am I really alone?!!" Then go back and forth and you can really confuse yourself.  Could always trying sitting on a hand or both too, that way you really mix it up ;)
332201
You have simply found a unique viewpoint.  Americans, by percentage, are no more left-handed than any other culture.  The dominance of one hand over the other, at this point, seems to be a simply random occurance.  Right handed people, of course, ARE more prevelent..as is proven by the fact that most items used are geared toward right handed folk.  Speaking as an ambidextrous person, I have the best of both worlds..especially the time I broke my right hand. :o)
121152
Lefties tend to be more artistic since they use the right side of the brain.  Right handed people tend to be better with analytical issues since they use the left side of the brain.  There are less left-handed than right-handed people, but that makes them more special!! =o)
600745
I am a teacher and I usually teach in u-shaped rooms where the students face me with their desks in front of me. Generally, I may correct something as they're writing it, and have no problems or difficulty doing it (my handwriting is a little bit words but still quite legible). It was only when students commented on this 'ability' with amazement that it occurred to me that not all people can do it. But I've never practised or made an effort or anything. The surprised students then tried it and made a pig's ear out of it.\n\nI'm male, BTW. But I am left-handed. Maybe that's got something to do with it?\n\nOr maybe you and I are just both incredible geniuses who tower over the rest of humanity with our gifts!