All this hoo-ha about Prince George being left handed had me wondering if being a leftie is a good or bad thing. For starters I was a little surprised to learn that currently less than 15% of the population is left handed, here are a few other things that I came across in my travels…..
- Any readers old enough to remember school days in the 30’s & 40’s will recall lefties being punished as if it were a sin, they had their knuckles wrapped & were forced to change their writing hand.
- Lefties are better at sports, well that’s what some say & there’s no doubt that there are a fair few superstars both past & present, John McEnroe, Arnold Palmer, Babe Ruth & Paula Radcliffe to name just a few.
- Studies suggest that babies born prematurely are more likely to be left handed
- Left-handed people are at a disadvantage in some sports like Polo. This is down to good old health & safety as rules of the game state the mallet has to be held on the right of the horse.
- Researchers in New York claim that lefties are more intelligent
There was a time when left handed people were at a distinct disadvantage however, today there are a great number of writing aids & Left Handed Pens. Since 1976 one day each year has been labelled International Left Handed Day, this year if falls on 13th August & will promote awareness of the inconvenience of being left handed in what is essentially a right handed world.
There are any number of random facts & figures around some more believable than others like the idea that lefties were possessed by the devil. Whether these statements/beliefs are fact or fiction can be proved or disproved depending upon what you read & where you look.
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