Lefties

@celticeagle (176789)
Boise, Idaho
July 6, 2025 2:07pm CST
My daughter was born left handed. My mom took upon herself to train her to use her right. Now she is ambidextrous. I see her using her left sometimes and I happened to do some research on this and found some interesting facts I will share here: * People who are left-handed are called lefties, southpaws and molly dockers (Australian slang) or left hander, and in the scientific community they are known as sinistral. * Being left handed used to be seen as suspicious and dangerous. The word "sinister" comes from a Latin word (spelled the same) meaning "on the left side." * In Europe's mid eval period left handedness was thought to have ties to witchcraft. This lingered for a long time, and in the 1900s left handed school children were retrained to use their right. * By the 1970s manufacturers were producing products specifically for the left handed person. By the end of that decade the number of people using their preferred hand had risen from 2% in 1939 to 12% in 1979. * About 1 in 10 people are left handed worldwide. It tends to run in families. More men (12%) are left handed than women (10%). * Even some animals such as dogs and kangaroos can be left handed.
7 people like this
7 responses
@moffittjc (124810)
• Gainesville, Florida
6 Jul
I sometimes wonder if I was born left-handed but was trained in pre-school and elementary school to be right-handed. I kick with my left foot instead of my right, and years ago back in college I broke all the fingers on my right hand right before final exams and had to write and take all my exams with my left hand. I surprisingly was able to write smoothly and effortlessly with my left hand. I have always chalked it up to being ambidextrous, but it has always made me think that maybe I was born left-handed? I guess I'll never know for sure since both of my parents and all of my grandparents have passed and I have no one to ask for the truthful answer to that perplexing question!
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (176789)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Jul
That must have been fun. You may very well have been born a leftie.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (176789)
• Boise, Idaho
8 Jul
@moffittjc ......I hope they were able to read them.
@moffittjc (124810)
• Gainesville, Florida
7 Jul
@celticeagle Fun doesn’t even begin to describe my panic at having to take all my final exams using my left hand!
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (152872)
• United States
7 Jul
I remember one of my classmates in school was a leftie... The teachers fought with him to use his right hand all the time until you couldn't read his writing no matter which hand he used.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (176789)
• Boise, Idaho
8 Jul
Poor guy. I think it should be left up to the person.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (152872)
• United States
8 Jul
@celticeagle I think so, too.
@wolfgirl569 (118991)
• Marion, Ohio
6 Jul
I am left handed. My mom admitted at first she tried to get me to change. But even when just learning to feed myself I was extremely stubborn I heard
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (176789)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Jul
Interesting.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (86779)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
6 Jul
According to my mom I wanted to take everything in my left hand but she switched me to my right hand, I became right handed but I can write not well but somewhat with my left hand,
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (176789)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Jul
That's interesting.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (358073)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Jul
We and the teacher watched our son carefully for a few weeks before deciding he was left-handed. The teacher thought he needed to be encouraged to be either one or the other. My husband does a lot of delicate work with his left hand. I think perhaps he should have been left-handed but it wasn't encouraged when he was growing up.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (176789)
• Boise, Idaho
8 Jul
That was the same with my daughter.
1 person likes this
6 Jul
Ah dogs Yes our neighbours dog is left handed It gives me it's left paw when it wants a snack
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@celticeagle (176789)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Jul
That's really interesting. Just fascinating.
1 person likes this
6 Jul
@celticeagle I tried to get him to offer a right paw Wasn't interested
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (194078)
• United States
6 Jul
Interesting. I didn't know the percentage was so high. 1 in 10.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (176789)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Jul
It is isn't it?
1 person likes this