Left-Handed People Are Truly Exceptional, According to Science
Left-handed people make up about 10% of the world’s population, and some of the most famous and smartest people in history were lefties. A long time ago, this trait was seen as bad, and people were considered outcasts because of it. However, as centuries went by and science evolved, it was made clear that lefties are equally smart, if not smarter, in certain areas than right-handed people.
Bright Side discovered some amazing facts about left-handed people and what makes them really special.
Lefties make better artists.
Research published in the American Journal of Psychology suggests that left-handed people have the upper hand when it comes to creativity. The study shows that they’re better at exploring various out-of-the-box solutions for a problem. A study conducted by The Left-Handers’ Club (a pro-leftie group dedicated to research on left-handedness) with over 2,000 left-handed, right-handed, and ambidextrous participants found that lefties tend to be drawn more to careers in the arts, music, sports, and information technology fields.
They have an advantage in sports.
Lefties are in a position of advantage in one-on-one sports like tennis, badminton, and boxing. In his book, The Puzzle of Left-Handedness, linguist Rik Smits explains that both left-handed and right-handed athletes usually train against right-handed opponents. So when right-handed players face a left-handed opponent, they are unprepared. On the other hand, the left-handed player is prepared for a right-handed opponent.
They make good fighters.
A study from 2019 found that in boxing, 17% of the male fighters and 12.5% of the female fighters are left-handed. That, compared to the 10% left-handed general population, is a big percentage. The study also found that these fighters had more than a 50% chance of winning their fights against right-handed people. This means that those who fight with their left hand are more successful in fighting sports.
Bonus: All lefties can relate to this.
How many left-handed people do you know? Do you agree with the points described above? If you’re a lefty please leave a comment below and share this article with your friends!