Interesting...

I'm surprised people still care about that; I thought by now they'd moved on to racism and gay marriage.

I'm not left-handed, but recall a newpaper article that said that left-handed people had a higher IQ. Not sure if it's true; there is probably lots of research on the subject with results going both ways.

The only moment when I mind a left-hander is when he/she is sitting to my right at a really crowded dining table. 

You can also just put your guitar upside-down.

When I was 12, I broke my left arm (compound fracture just above the elbow = 6 months of tight restraints, no cast) and, as a result, had to write with my right hand until the rods were taken out of my humerus. It was bearable for algebra homework, and that was about it... My German teacher insisted on laughing at me 3 times a week for those 6 months, telling my classmates how great it was that I was finally writing “the way God intended”! He also explained that I had been "completely wrong" until then as I had never mastered “writing from right to left” while left-handed, which was apparently more logical to him than any of the other nonsense he spat at us on a regular basis. 

Another highlight of my seemingly reprehensible left-handedness dates back to a few years ago, when I was working in Nepal. I was aware that the left hand was considered dirty in Nepalese culture (you will notice that in various other parts of the world, too) and that you were not supposed to use it at the table. I was perfectly fine with the idea of not using my evil multi-fingered extremity, until I realized that it was very difficult to eat Nepalese dishes with my right hand and without utensils. Let's just say that the complexity of that challenging new approach to prehensility made for a few memorable (and very messy) dinners.

Ambidextrous or "just plain weird"?  

I write right-handed, but use my left hand for picking up heavy objects as it's stronger.

Apparently, I eat "left-handed" but when cooking, use my right hand for chopping and slicing.

The fingers on my right hand are 0.5 cm longer than my left hand (indicating I'm naturally right handed), but I must be left-footed as my left foot is half a size bigger than my right foot.

I've been told I'm "just plain weird" on more occasions than I'd like to remember 

As a leftie, on my own computer at home I have my mouse configured for my left hand - the mouse sits on the left hand side of my computer with the buttons swapped around so that the index finger of my left hand is used for 'left-clicking' on the right-hand button and the middle-finger is used for 'right-clicking' on the left button.

There is no way that I can have any computer (at home or at work) that a rightie might have to use set up in the same way, I always have it set up for right-handed use, even if I'm the person that's going to be using it more often than not.  I don't have any trouble using a mouse in either configuration, but in my experience righties find anything other than the standard mouse set up completely unusable, they just can't adapt.  Not that I'm blaming them, the poor dears, they were born that way, as a tolerant leftie I've learned to make allowances for their shortcomings.

This was one of my favorite pranks to people who leave their desks and don't lock their PCs :) 

I personally never had any bad comment on my "condition", only good ones...

Seems like left-handed are considered as weird especially if coming from left-sided driving country.. maybe that's the reason, and not the hand ?!

Just to answer the points raised in Richard M's link:

1. They Are Left Out of Studies  - Have to say - this doesn't really bother me too much!

2. They May Get Paid Less - I would take this point us with my boss ... however, he's left-handed too.

3. They’re Easier to Scare - But apparently not as much as women who find out you're a left when you're paying for a meal!

4. They Get Angrier Faster - What a load of sh-t! Where do you get your balls talking to me like that!

5. They’re Linked to Schizophrenia - No we're not - I mean I'm not!

6. They Drink More - Hmmm. I'm ambidextrous at this one!

7. The World Is Trying to Kill Them - Bring it on! Anway, I think we're the next step of evolution!

Rotating the screen 180 degrees also works great.

And in my engineering course there was someone who combined the signals of 2 mice, so he would sit next to someone and move their cursor occasionally. 

I'm a leftie who is right-eye dominant; the "normal" mouse position has always been natural for me.  I can't use a mouse with my left hand.

As an IT professional, I don't have the luxury of switching the mouse arrangement of every system I visit.  It's the same reason why I forced myself to learn the Swiss keyboard layout.

You're too nice.  People in my area who leave their PC unlocked suffer the consequences of revealing their sexual orientation to all and sundry on facebook.

More proof of ambidesterity - I went from normal mouse to vertical mouse with no problem whatsoever, but I know several righties who just couldn't get their head around it (including the IT department!).

it was often accompanied with emails sent to colleagues asking them out to dinner, with declarations of "having often thought about you over the last few months". 

To get back on-topic: My dad is left handed and told me about the various stigmas and problems he had growing up as a kid (came home with a big red cross on his hand, was made fun of and reprimanded for writing with his left hand etc). However, we went bowling a few years ago and I (right handed) beat him. I think this says it all really. 

What do you do if you have to use a system that's been set up for a leftie?

I have watched someone (a rightie, bless them) take a left-configured mouse from the left side of a keyboard, move it to the right side and then proceed to try and use it like it was configured for a right-handed user - as if shifting it from one side to the other would automatically make things right.

Mind you, with lefties, you never know what you're going to get, I've seen them working with strange mouse configurations; left-handed with the buttons still in the standard layout and even right-handed with the buttons reversed - I fully support the notion that left-handedness can be a contributor to aberrant mental behaviour, I've never seen righties indulge in that kind of weirdness.

I was left handed at school, but the teacher used to rap my knuckels with a ruler, everytime she caught me wrting with my left. As a result i am right handed when  I write, but left handed drawing, playing darts, snooker or eating etc and virtually everything else. .. 

Navigate Windows using keyboard shortcuts.  Like a boss....

Negative associations of language

English: the word "left" itself derives from the Anglo-Saxon word lyft, "weak".

Latin -  the adjective sinister/sinistra/sinistrum originally meant "left" but took on meanings of "evil" or "unlucky" by the Classical Latin era, and this double meaning survives in European derivatives of Latin, and in the English word "sinister".

French - gauche means "left" and is also a synonym of maladroit, literally "not right", meaning "clumsy".

Italian: The contemporary Italian word sinistra has both meanings of sinister and left (the masculine adjective for sinister being sinistro), and maldestro means "clumsy".

Spanish, to do something por izquierda means to engage in corrupt conduct or employ illegitimate means, Also, in Spanish, to tell someone "Eres tan zurdo" means that they are being clumsy, though the literal meaning is "You're so lefty."

In Portuguese, the most common word for left-handed person, canhoto, was once used to identify the devil, and canhestro, a related word, means "clumsy".

In German, the word link means "left" and that someone is back-stabbing or a liar.

In Irish, Ciotóg is the left hand and is related to ciotach meaning "awkward";

In Welsh, the word chwith means "left", but can also mean "strange", "awkward", or "wrong".

The Scots term for left-handedness is corrie fistit. The term can be used to convey clumsiness.

In Swedish, vänster means "left". The term vänsterprassel means "infidelity", "adultery" and "cheating". From this term the verb vänstra (lit. "lefting") is derived.

In Hungarian, the word for left is bal, which also means "bad".

In Polish, the word lewy means: left (opposite of right), and colloquial "illegal" (opposite of legal).

In Estonian, the word pahem stands for both "left" and "worse"

In Chinese culture, the adjective "left" (Chinese character: 左, Mandarin: zuǒ) sometimes means "improper" or "out of accord". For instance, the phrase "left path" (左道, zuǒdao) stands for unorthodox or immoral means.

So apparently according to this, lefties are weak, evil, unlucky, sinister, clumsy, corrupt, sneaky, back-stabbing, liars, awkward, strange, unfaithful, cheating, adulterous, law breakers, improper and immoral.

 We also have our bad points too!

I cannot comment about all but "bal" means only left in Hungarian, the word for bad is rossz which has nothing to do. I'm sure others will comment about the other languages. I don't know where you got this stuff from but I call BS.

I'm about to prove point 4 right - you're such a pedantic little twat aren't you?

No need to get aggressive you little "weirdo" 

Your story Rich of that woman you took on a date really cracked me up! I think you had a lucky escape there! It could have taken you ages before you discovered what a psycho she is... haha! :D

I am a lefty too but never encountered any real issue due to my "condition". On the contrary, people have often kindly told me that lefties are artistic and have better chances of being a genious... might not be always true but it's always good to think positive! :D

Here is a list of 10 Proven Benefits of Being Left-Handed from the UK website http://www.anythinglefthanded.co.uk/

My Italian grand-father was a lefty too but he had his left hand tied up in his back and was forced to use his right hand at school. I hope this archaic method doesn't occur anymore...

I can only think of one occasion when I was told off for using my left hand... and I apologize in advance for the details... It was Morocco where I worked for a short period of time back in 2001... I was a guest in a Moroccan family's house and the lady of the house had prepared a delicious prune tajine. It was traditionally served in a large dish at the middle of the table and we were all supposed to eat with our hands and help ourselves with some bread. Being a lefty, I automatically used my left hand to dig into the plate... until my left hand was suddenly slapped in action! I froze in astonishment so they began laughing and explained to me that the left hand should be only used for intimate washing. In fact, in Morocco, like I assume in other countries of the world, there is no toilet paper in the bathroom and therefore people use their left hands to wash in the toilets where there will either be a bucket of water or a tap... that is if you go outside of the tourist path...

You've got the Italian point right. And to add to that, a lefty is called a "mancino" and you will find in Italian common language negative expressions such as:

Un tiro mancino = a dirty o lousy trick

Un colpo mancino = a treacherous blow

Im a leftie and proud of it!! Cant say its ever given me many problems apart from using scissors and ring binders but because I didnt get the chance to use left handed scissors when I was growing up cant use them now. I've realised only recently that I  stir things the opposite way round to right handers. I have a really bad sense of direction but i dont know if that's just me.

In Dutch we have the saying "twee linker handen" which means literary "two left hands" - it means one is clumsy ;-)

Actually the correct phrase translates to "I'm wearing two left clogs while eating Edam". I don't know where you got this stuff from but I call BS. 

Now that's classy rich. First of all you are a Brit. I'm sorry but - you needed to get all your linguistic knowledge from or Wikipedia or from google. 

So don't take all your aggression out on me - I can't help it that you have a flaw which you try to make to look good here. We wear clogs. Or at least we did. Actually my daughter sometime does? Does that make her a lesser person?  I wouldn't say so. After all they are victor and rolf clogs!  Name me one great British designer. No go back to smudging your paper whilst you are writing, you should learn to write Arabic - that's written from right to left. ;-) I do love left handed people because - my dad is one and beside that - does it make a difference? I write right handed, eat left handed and wan... Ok that's enough for now. 

You had me at Viktor & Rolf! 

* If you call someone a "leftie" in the U.S., you are most likely referring to that person's left-handedness, whereas in the UK you are calling him/her a left-winger... Both may be considered unforgivable insults in various parts of the world.   

* It is still very difficult to find scissors that do not hurt or good, "true" left-handed scissors (this applies to kitchen shears, pointed scissors, bent trimmers, dressmaker shears, "all-purpose" or soft-grip scissors, manicure scissors, etc.). Even the ones teasing you with emphatic "Right- or left-hand use!" labels will leave a painful dent in your hand and/or most used finger(s). 

* Some helpful (or perhaps merely profit-oriented) people choose to make a lot of $$$ when others simply complain about notebook & sketchbook spirals always being "in the way", or cooking utensils having been designed by obviously mean-spirited, hegemonic right-handers ("backwards" can openers & veggie peelers come to mind). Examples: www.leftyslefthanded.com and www.luniversdesgauchers.com

* I have often laughed at all the "scientific" research about left-handedness, considering that (1) much right-handedness is attributable to cultural norms & values and (2) it is nearly impossible to conduct reliable studies because the brains of left-handers are apparently improperly "wired" for accurate comparisons to the "righteous others".

This being said, the general consensus remains that left-handed people have a higher "fluid" intelligence and a better vocabulary than right-handers. They are typically more creative (especially re: divergent thinking), have better problem-solving skills, and are less ticklish (w00t!) than the right-handed majority of the population. I suppose that is good news -- or, at least, not bad for weirdos. However, lefties are also more forgetful, clumsier, and more likely to suffer from dyslexia, schizophrenia, ADHD, and certain mood disorders. Interestingly, all that is only partially due to genetics: most of our brain “wiring” is completed in utero and prenatal stress seems to significantly affect the outcome of handedness... So, gentlemen, if your kids are left- or mixed-handed, feel free to stigmatize your wives and blame them for all of the current or future psychiatric conditions, learning difficulties, behavioral issues, and developmental disabilities your children may suffer from. Ladies, just go ahead and blame your husbands for stressing you out during pregnancy. Your children will thank you all for not being in the spotlight anymore (or just forget about it, evidently) -- until kids at school notice something else to pick on... As for adult lefties, as Edward B pointed out earlier, we should be off the hook by now given all the other hot topics du jour...

-----

"You got it easy. I'm a short, ugly, one-eyed, black Jew. What do you think it's like for me?" ~ Sammy Davis, Jr.

I would love to be able to use my left hand with better skill...

I can write with my left hand but the letters are reversed :P

I'm left handed - never had problem with it - in Iran, they respect you even once they discover you are left handed ! Constantly I was called and refered to the following comments below :

" wow , lucky you ", " are you really left handed ... I tried many times ",  "you must be intelligent ", "can you paint good?!" , " what's your idea of this crazy world?!", etc

"even some doctors and surgeons told me that they always try to practice and excercise with their left hands cause it comes handy while operating !!!"

Switch to the other side

I am a happy LEFTIE and have a sign in my kitchen given to me by a wise (right-handed) friend.

"Everyone is born right-handed .... but only the creative overcome it"

Brilliant!!

....I am also driving back and forth between UK and the rest of Europe without having this problem of switching "on the right and left side of the road".... I imagine it is something to do with being a left hander .... What do you think?

anyone right handed  here tried left handed self abuse?

Being a catholic I would like to know if self flagilation feels the same left handed...

just curious...

nope it feels completely different... stranger hand :) 

if you do it too much apparently you get hairy palms as punishment from the man above. 

I remember the first time I rented a car in Scotland. I had never driven on the "other" side of the road before (NB: I don't like emphasizing the "left vs. right" distinction because you inevitably end up talking to someone who views the "right" side as not being "wrong"). I got in the car and just smiled at the fun challenge ahead of me. Upon exiting the airport, I noticed not one but two roundabouts and immediately thought, "Damn it!" -- but I conquered them as swiftly and effortlessly as the ones I had always driven around... Perhaps my brain did react faster because everything was (finally!) backwards...

Hmmm... What does that tell us about people's maddening inability to tackle circular junctions around here?!

Actually if you do it faster, the hairs burn off with the friction ... so no worries about being discovered :) 

Don't try it! Cause your sheets will catch fire and the insurance will refuse to pay out and then your insurance claim form gets posted all over the internet and ... whoops! I've said too much.

You obviously went toooo Fast DOH!!!

Left handers have reversed emotions apparently

oh im happy :) 

Well i am not really left handed any more thanks to those past interventions of the grown ups but this discussion has cought my attention and intetrest. I still have some clear cut prefernces for specific things like shooting or using a drill where I prefer to use the left hand and for others (most ) it is now the right. I do recall though that for a long time I was in a purely ambidextrous phase in my life...but generally after years of smudging my handwriting preferences migrated to the other side.

Perhaps I missed this somwhere above but the most wiedly pushed statement is that people who are left handed are more artistically inclined thanks to more stimulation of the right hemisphere in the brain. Some even believe that left handed people are generally more succesful in life and more likely to become rich... I hope I did not destroy my chance of future success by swithching to dominate with the right.

Wikipedia also mentions that a preference for the left side may have been useful in close combat as left handers had more versitility and experience dealing with both sides. I would definetly tend to second this theory .

Inn the mean time lets not forget some famous people who were lefties

Michael Angelo

Robert Plant

Paul Simon

Barack Obama

Diego Maradona

Kurt Cobain

From my personal observations the most practical advantage for those left and ambidextrous handers is that its much faster to accustom in Australia, UK and parts of Asia when driving manual transmission cars and entering the roundabouts.  as for the rest...sometimes its just fun to be different

Athletics for me

I knew you would be!!! MuuuaaahhH ! MuuuaaahhH ! MuuuaaahhH !

Some of this things are hard to believe really.

In Nigerian (well Yoruba to be exact) culture its rude to use your left hand, you are never meant to give someone something, or take something from someone using your left hand.

Also as a child I was never allow to eat food with my left hand so I'd find it strange to use my left hand for eating now.

All in all my parents allowed me to use my left hand most times, except at the above times.

My mother still likes to point out I'm left handed whenever I do something in error, like "oh poor thing its not his fault he was born that way" 

I'm so happy I'm a leftie today and had a primary school teacher determined to have me write correctly with my left hand, rather than curling my hand around. My family found me a curiosity, but not completely bizarre as an aunt also was a leftie. Now, my kids are righties, but my niece and nephew are lefties from right-handed parents, so I figure it's my genes that went to them for that.

We are more accident prone, but it's because of the right-handed tools and mechanisms.

We are more likely to find lefties in creative fields, but everything is creative these days so just notice the next time you're in a meeting who's across from you.

I had an art teacher who proposed I just do calligraphy of the alphabet as I'd never be any good at anything more complex. So my mom went out and got me left handed nibs. I had a righthand softball glove, but it didn't help - I'm no good with flying objects.

In China a man asked how I was able to stay left-handed, and I realized the concerns continue. I think there are worse things to get upset over and want to modify, like developing good hygiene habits.

interesting discussion. tx

Guess there are degrees of left-handedness. I write, paint, play racketsports, throw, kick a ball and would play guitar and violin left handed.

Use knife and fork, as well as shoot a gun and play golf right-handed though.

And when it comes to using a computermouse I have no preference. Works perfect with both.

Gives me the advantage of being able to use a mouse and take notes at the same time. Take that right-handers.

Suggests the question what defines if you are left handed.

I have a collegue who plays left-handed golf but writes with his right hand. Is he left handed?