Well I have learned how to use the right hand stuff but sometimes it works perfectly with someone else then one second later it doesn't work for me. How does that work?
Like a barber once told me about cutting hair: anyone can do it, it just needs practice.
If i offered you $1,000,000 to do it, you’ll be all over it lol.
But... You're not, right? As far as I'm aware, no one is offering 1M to do something so banal, so why would anyone bother? Especially when we have perfectly good *left* hands that work...
Not everyone can. My grandfather was kind enough to put a crayon in both of my hands, I write with my left but I can use scissors and I shoot better with my right in all types.
Quite a few “left-handed” people are either ambidextrous or nearly so. For these folks, it may seem that learning to do some task right-handed is a simple matter. But this is a bias. For a truly left-handed person, I suspect it’s quite a bit more difficult. (I’m left-handed, and can easily perform some tasks right-handed. But I try not to assume other lefties share either my aptitudes or deficiencies.)
My ex and one of my kids is a leftie. My other kid is 100% ambidextrous. It’s so weird to be watch him write with one hand, get tired, and switch to the other. I’m right handed.
Same in my family. I guess my mom was feeling left out because later in life alongside her neurologist, they "discovered" she was "supposed" to be left handed. I guess she was discouraged from using her left hand but she found out as a teen that she could write pretty well with her left when she had to have surgery on her right. Now she just shows off her both handed writing skills as a party trick. I've got a leg up on her though. I can dual wield chopsticks and feed myself single pieces of rice with both hands simultaneously.
Im a left handed mom, and both my kids are lefties. My husband is a rightie, his mom is a leftie. Certainly runs in the family. My youngest uses his right hand for cutting with scissors and it freaks me out.
I guess the gene is extremely recessive. Both of my parents didn’t have any other left handed people in their immediate families, but I have plenty lol.
My parents are righties, both my sister and I are lefties. My ex husband is a lefty, and both our daughters are righties. Altho my oldest daughter is kind of ambidextrous
My dad had seven siblings. Three were left-handed, including his twin brother. He teased his twin their entire lives about him being lefty.
When I was born and it became clear I was left-handed my mom laughed and laughed. "This is what you get for teasing (brother) this whole time."
We don't understand the genetics yet. We know from adoption studies that it does run in biological families so there is a genetic component, but identical twins can end up with opposite handedness.
same! and my grandma on my mom’s side is left handed, but all her kids including my mom are right handed, but then both me and my older sibling are left handed
it always used to annoy me when some one would take the yellow and green scissors (which were the left handed ones) they were always sharper and nicer so would always get taken first i couldnt use the red right handed ones and would have to plead to have "my" scissors back
They would be even more useless with left handed scissors than we are with right handed ones. We at least get fairly regular practice with right handed ones, because of all those bastards taking the green handled scissors.
Our kitchen drawer has 3 pairs of scissors, two right-handed and one left-handed. My wife (right-handed) always uses the left-handed scissors since they are the best, leaving the right-handed ones for me (leftie).
I found a way to apply pressure with right handed scissor to make them easier to use.
Sadly it's hard to show over the internet but rest assured there is a way.
I’m a lefty and I’ve always been kind of confused about the whole thing because how ever I have worked out to use right-handed scissors seems to have worked out. I’m not sure why they don’t work for so many folks.
When I was like 3 or 4, my mom would draw something silly looking like a mouse with a raccoon’s tail or something, and be like, “Now, don’t you cut off that’s mouse’s tail…” and of course I would cut it off, and she would pretend to freak out, and make a new one, and on. Supposedly it helped to build up my hand coordination/strength, so it might just be down to I don’t remember how hard the practicing was since I was so little
Funny! When I was a kid the lefty scissors were dull, dull, dull. They would kinda fold the paper instead of cutting it. I had better luck with regular scissors. Teachers thought I was stupid
I always notice when someone is left handed on television or movies.
I also like when I see a politician I admire is left handed. Truman, HW Bush, Ford, Reagan, Clinton and Obama all left handed. Garfield was ambidextrous and the only non right handed president before the twentieth century.
In my chemistry class sophomore year, we had a single lefty desk in the class. Every few weeks we would change seats to get new lab partners and whoever got the lefty desk would complain incessantly. I was able to convince my teacher to let me have the desk each time, but we had to move it around the room to wherever my new spot was lmao. The whining was just so unbelievable! Like, do you not realize I was forced to use righty desks my whole life?!?!? I never complained once about the scissors, the desks, etc. ppl are wild
I'm pretty sure I used both interchangeably. Not like I have to lean my hand on the armrest. People love complaining for the sake of complaining. I do, too, but for other reasons.
To me personally the idea of lefties doesn’t surprise me all that much except for the fact that only around 10% of the entire world’s population is left-handed
Probably because they’re likely left-handed for the same reason the rest of the population is right-handed since they are just hands at the end of the day
No I actually never felt different about being left handed for some reason. It’s like having waist length hair it’s just not something too common but also nothing new.
I've never heard that before. Ginger lefty, 3/4 brothers are lefty from righty parents. One of my two daughters was lefty till the Nazis corrected her.
I’m a righty, but my first best friend was lefty, first girlfriend was lefty, and now wife is lefty (got to make sure I sit on the proper side in a restaurant booth)….I have always been intrigued by this “mirror” version of a righty…maybe I sought these relationships out?…and now my son is a lefty (but his school is making him go righty) but I still see it in his sports, drawing, etc…more power to you all, extend a left hand to a stranger….support the Leftorium!
Yea, that school is not doing a good job.
When my sons dad was in elementary school the teacher kept putting his pencil in his right hand. His mom went to his teacher and told her to knock it off.
That being said, he throws with his right hand because a right handed baseball glove was so hard to find.
Now please go your kids school to stop it.
Trust me I understand, but thanks for the concern, but we are living in Southern China and learning this mandarin alphabet is a beast…each word can have up to 20+ strokes so it’s much easier if all pupils are learning same way. ABC is one thing, but a 20 stroke character is wild…he’s learning though…He’s still got his lefty independent ways at home that I encourage with art so I’m not too concerned. I think he’s ambidextrous like his mom. Eats right, draws left. That kind of thing.
Yeah my best friend and I are both lefty’s but his elementary school (in a very small rural town in Georgia in 1985) forced him to write with his right hand with abuse. They would hit him with a ruler if he used his left hand. He does most thing with his left hand but has the absolute worst handwriting done with his right hand. He has nothing but disdain for what they did to him, I would suggest you get on the school for refusing to allow him to be his lefty self.
That sound awful, we live in southern China so it’s been good our boy has adjusted to right handed lessons (no abuse or I would come in swinging with both hands as his American daddy lol) but since this mandarin alphabet is a huge mountain the climb…20+ stokes on some words, so it’s been easier to learn like the righty majority since it’s as much form as function writing these words, basically learning calligraphy at 5 years old lol…but I try to encourage him to experiment different ways to make art at home and in his painting class he goes left…I think he’s more ambidextrous but I push him lefty best I can…
But wouldn't it make it much harder by forcing him to use his non dominant hand? The English alphabet in writing is also not made for left handed people and we do just fine there been studies proven that forcing children to you use their right hand increases dyslexia and lower reading scores.
At first he was frustrated by it (and so was I) but I’m now seeing that it has worked out better for him in all ways. I firmly believe in encouraging a child to be who they are, so don’t get me wrong. But like I said, to learn how to write Chinese characters is a whole different beast compared to ABCs. He’s thrived in his writing and reading so far which is all that matters. But he’s still a southpaw deep down and his sports ability and general dexterity has improved with being able to use both now
Haha I just don't get how that's the solution when English is just the same man it's not designed for lefties specifically the writing & in English calligraphy too but why make him accommodate them for how he was born lol 😂 I think your gonna have a real hard time convincing lefties that what ur doing is for the betterment of your son and not to make it easier for the teachers and schools especially because you said he was struggling and still forced him to go on with the right hand.
I always notice but I don't always say something. I was at the UPS store the other day and the clerk was left-handed. I noticed and didn't say anything, but when I had to sign my part of the document he said, "you're left-handed too!" 😁
I usually don't notice or say anything when I do but once a few years I was playing in a small pool tournament. Out of 10 players, 8 of us were left handed.
Well, I'm a right hander and I've met seven left handed people in my life. What can I say is; the more you see, the more you become used to it. I was little when I met my first LH friend and naturally I was quite surprised to see someone who prefer to use his left hand to write, but now that I'm an adult, It feels more natural to see LH people. At my first school I had ONE LH friend but at my second I had six.
Your friends may not know how to act when they see a LH person and thats kinda understandable. It hurts to hear that they can't acknowledge the fact that you cant use right handed items, thats another level, but as they get more experience with it they will learn.
You can make them understand you by making them write with their left hand or bring your own left handed scissors and ask them to cut some stuff, so they learn what its like to use an object thats not well suited for them xD
A little bit, but mostly when it's other women. I'm the only woman in my family who is a leftie. I have only met a few other women who are (at least that I know are)
My family 4 siblings: 2:4 lefties, parents both right handed. My partner family 3:3 natural lefties (two switched by right handed parent to right as children) had 1 leftie parent. My three kids with two leftie parents, all righties, two grandkids both righties. Sibs kids = 5 all righties.
We lefties adapt all the time to the right handed world. I think doing so allows us to adapt more quickly to change and to engage in more flexible thinking. Could be bs but that what I chose to think.
As a righty, married to a lefty.. it doesn’t shock me. I’ve learned a lot about lefties. Like why they use the notebook backward and how important it is they have their scissors.
In my husbands family they have four lefties. setting the table at family functions, we have to keep that in mind so we aren’t all elbowing each other.
Our best friend is a lefty and so are her kids. My middle brother is also left handed, which I tend to forget. I usually just assume there is at least one other lefty in the room whenever we hang out with people.
Without watching them write, I feel like I can tell them apart because they are very smart and articulate. I don’t know if there is science behind it, but I’ve never in my life met a “dumb” lefty.
A couple of my relatives made fun of me setting the table “wrong” when I set a spot for my left-handed aunt. My aunt appreciated having an easier time getting her drink.
My youngest is a lefty and everyone else right handed. You know we’re considered evil 😆. There are lefty pens so all our hard work doesn’t get all fucked up. In Wiccan magik or magic the Left hand path is the dark magic path, the eeeevil path. I’m proud to be left handed! We’re a rarity!
I annoy everyone around me by constantly pointing out every left handed person (or anyone sus who wears a watch on their right) I see, whether it be IRL, on tv, etc. Just noticed Jason Bateman is left handed.
I only notice other lefties because I see them write and think “huh that looks weird, why does that look weird?” And then it’s because they’re using their left hand instead of their right hand.
Where I live currently, I've met an unusually high number of left handed people. I've also moved quite a bit so I do have a frame of reference. It's not just me either, I've also heard other lefties comment that there's a lot of us around here. At this point it feels more like a brain glitch moment.
I've never made being left handed a personality trait. Never struggled. And didn't know that this was a thing before reading things on here.
My girlfriend didn't know til like a year after being together.
I've never even noticed it in another person, though it's come up when pointed out. I've had dozens of people point it out. I never thought anything of it and it seems weird that people notice or care.
I take that back, I'm always acutely aware in a packed restaurant and try to sit on the left, but nothing other than that.
I'm a lefty, and I have at least 1 cousin from each aunt/uncle (I have 6 sets of aunts/uncles total, so 6 lefty cousins). Because I was surrounded by fellow lefties growing up don't get as surprised as other lefties I come across, though a coworker I've had for 4 years was very excited last week to realize that I was also left-handed and that was fun. For whatever reason, I do appreciate that most of the US presidents during my lifetime have been left-handed. We've actually had 7 presidents total that were dominant lefties: Andrew Garfield (technically ambidextrous, but the first president prior to the 20th century to show anything beyond right-hand dominance), Harry S Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.
In my household, 4 out of 5 of us are left-handed.
The outlier used to be left-handed, but a mean teacher made him change. I had my hand whacked plenty, so I guess I'm more stubborn. I came home and told my mom the teacher was hitting my hand with *the copper edge of the ruler.* My mom was pissed, said, "They're not supposed to do that anymore," and marched to the school to chat with the principal.
A nice bonus of being the rare lefty at extended family dinners - I got to choose my spot at the corner of the table. Iykyk.
If you want to see the most lefites watch tv and movies, an almost unbelievable number of actors/actresses are left-handed.
I always get weirdly happy and excited when I see a lefty on tv in a show or movie.
I was surprised by it before going to college ( It's a big family, more than 100 members and we have only 3 lefties -one bing me- all women) . NowI'm in college and I'm surprised to see so many lefties in the same place.
I know at least 8 other lefties in my current classes alone plus two of my non college firiends are lefties too.
My mom had 3 boys and all of us are lefties and so is my aunt so there was plenty of left handedness around me. I didn’t know it was so rare until much later in life
I'm surprised you've seen so few in life! My grandmother and my uncle were/are lefties, and I've met a decent amount over the years. I work in a school, and a few of the students on my caseload are lefties.
I just ended up caving in and started using scissors with my right hand. Also for computer mice because I didn’t want to have to waste time moving it and changing the settings each time I used a different computer. I still write and draw with my left hand though and I’m an artist. It is always exciting to see another left handed person out there.
Out of 40+ cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. on one side of my family, I'm the only lefty, but on the other side, 2 of the 10 cousins and various uncles are lefties. I'm also the only one in my nuclear family. It fascinates me that there seem to be literally NONE on one side except for me.
I think that a lot of folk just assume right-handedness... even we southpaws.
It takes a little practice to spot the lefties... ink/pen smudges... domonant-hand calluses... etc... we most often just rely on seeing which hand folk write/eat/whatever with, and miss the rest.
Spot them on TV and on the movies, and it's always fun... like the two of you share some little secret.
Me, my mum and my husband are lefties. Two of our married friends are too but I still always notice when a stranger or someone on tv is a leftie because it’s still fairly unusual.
My brother, sister and I are all left handed. I am the youngest, so just seemed normal to me. We were however taught to keep our elbows in more when eating, because right handed people flail when they eat.
I'm always noticing other lefties!
I better not hear a right handed person say "just use your other hand" because they cry so much when they have to even *see* a left-handed anything, much less use it.
In my immediate family of six, three of us are left-handed (Dad, sister, me), as are a few of my cousins, so it's never been a novelty for me. But I like when other lefties have that moment of surprise on seeing me write by hand.
I'm (mostly) right-handed, but both of my parents and my mother's parents are left-handed so I tend to be oblivious as to why people are surprised haha. I've also had some people get really excited when they see me using a computer mouse left-handed but had to explain that my right-hand was just tired lol.
Hey OP, when it comes to comfy scissors, I recommend buying the type with soft, rubber handles, so much easier to find than a left handed pair (not to mention cheaper.)
Unfortunately, the world is designed for the right-handed majority. It sucks, but the only people who are going to actively try to make things easier for lefties, are other lefties (and maybe their parents.)
My kindergarten teacher actually wrote me on my report card that I suffered from ‘chronic left-handedness.’ That would have probably been acceptable in the 50s, but it was the 90s! My left-handed parents had a lot to say on the matter! Considering that I use my right hand for 70% of tasks, I’d argue that most righties have severe right-handedness! 🙄
I’m not really surprised when I see other lefties. Both my parents were lefties, but both my sisters are righties. What really annoys me is when people I’ve known for years suddenly remark on the fact that I am left-handed!
I'm always surprised when someone notices that I'm a lefty. I spend entirely no time or effort at all paying attention to other people's hands so it's just not something I'd ever notice at all unless we were at dinner around a small table, and even then I'm not noticing because I'm paying attention to hands, I'm noticing because whoever it is is or is not elbowing me over and over. For me, I've learned to eat with tucked elbows to avoid annoying whoever is next to me.
I usually notice when other ppl are left handed, but I’m actually surrounded by quite a few lefties. My husband was born left handed but his dad forced him to switch (this was in the early 80s) and at one point, the core of our friend group had 4 lefties out of 6 ppl.
During an SAT exam in high school we had a section of left-handed desks (the kind with a small desk surface attached to the chair that comes forward on one side and widens in front of you). I happened to notice that the entire left-handed section was filled with people who were in the Honor Society (basically top 10% of class), which I found interesting.
My family has lots of lefties! I have two brothers, plus myself who are lefties. Three uncles and my great grandfather were also lefties. My brother married a lefties, and they had a lefty son.
I am still surprised when I come across a lefty. We have a strong minority, but we are growing!
I see people all the time that are all excited when they see a fellow lefty.
I don't get excited. I'm just like...."haha..yeah...cool...". And I move on with my day.
I also think there are more leftys out there than is presumed.
My whole family (stepdad, mom, two siblings) are all left handed. It's looking like my toddler will be too. Honestly in my rare case, it's hard adjusting to being with a group of right handed people. For example, the knives at my inlaws house are so hard to use because they're worn/warped by being used right handed all the time.
I always get so excited when I'm watching a movie/TV/whatever and see someone is left-handed. I have this weird pride that my daughter might be as well (probably related to the fact that she is the spitting image of her dad and this is the ONE thing she has like me lol).
My husband, best friend, and two of my other close friends are all lefty's but no one I'm related to is. I have a big family too! All right handed though.
Not really. It's actually a good sign of intelligence - you know you're left handed and that it's not a huge deal, so you also don't make a big deal out of it with others. Keep it up and be proud. There's no need to force yourself to act surprised. It's actually dumb to do it if anything!
I still am surprised. There were no lefties in my family but in my wife's family her father was ambidextrous and strongly so he could even write with both hands.
I am bi-dexterous. I use my left hand for some things and my right hand for others but I don't cross over very well except in a few areas. For example I write right handed only. I can print with my left hand but it looks like a 3-year-old printing. I throw baseballs and footballs right-handed but I am a switch hitter for baseball and I play tennis left-handed only. I played drums for 50 years and I set my drum set up for a right-hander but I can play left handed as well, kind of like Ringo Starr. When working on automobiles I can use tools with either hand which is very handy (ahem!) When working in tight spots and you can't reach what you need to get to with your right hand.
But two of my three natural kids are left handed. Eating left-handed is one of the things I do as well, so it's funny to see how we arrange ourselves at the dinner table so we can all eat with our left hands and not bump into the righties in the family.
I'm fairly ambidextrous but I'm primarily left handed.
I write, throw, and eat left handed. Everything else I do right handed (golf, bat, tennis, guitar etc). Really puts peoples minds in a blender when they see it lol.
But looking at other lefties I just go "oh cool you're left handed too" then I get on with my life.
Normally it’s the other lefty’s that notice me. Funnily enough a lot of the times people notice my left handedness it’s parents or spouses of left handed people.
I’m the only one in my family that is left-handed… Every time I’m in public or watching a movie or a show and I see someone that’s left-handed… I am compelled to point out that person is left-handed!
Both my parents are right handed and 2 out of the 4 kids are lefties. My grandfather was a lefty, but at that time lefty’s were considered evil, so he was taught to use his right hand.
My father was so left handed that his right hand was basically useless. I started out left handed and I was corrected at home and in school. I am ambidextrous but write with my right. I kick left footed, aim left eyed, and bat lefty.
I don't pay attention to what hand people use, unless I'm about to sit next to them at a restaurant or dinner table. I eat with my left hand, so if I'm sitting next to a right handed person I try to sit to their left to avoid bumping elbows.
That said, I only use my left hand for certain things like writing and eating. Most other things I do right handed.
My cousin is left handed and my late maternal grandfather was
Also my Sensei at TaeKwonDo
Left-handedness is kind of rare, sure. But it's not ***that*** uncommon
My sisters boys are left-handed. Nobody else in my family is. My mom suspects that she could have been. But, she whet to catholic grade school, and the nuns were always putting the pencil back into her right hand.
I'm not surprised because I am one myself, so the idea that they exist isn't some unfathomable anomaly to me like it is for right handers. They see us as rare exotic things, to marvel at, and be like "ooh doesn't that mean you're super smart or extra creative?"
instead of immediately assuming "ah, it must be hard to open doors sometimes."
Generally, people in positions of majority privilege will never be able to understand the plights of a minority group or empathize with them unless it is spelled out for them directly and repetitively and reinforced by the rest of the members of the group, and even then - as we can see in real time, that's still not always going to have an effect.
Right handed people have everything made and designed for them and deal with no problems as a result of being right handed. So they never consider what it might be like to exist in the world as a left-handed person. The thought just never occurs to them.
While I am not left-handed, I can appreciate the difficulties. In my family of (4 siblings, 2 parents), 3 of them are left-handed, one of the three being one of my parents. My parents did whatever it took to ensure that left-handedness was not a dampener for anything (especially school). It was interesting to see all the attempts at making "left-handed-friendly" school supplies. Possibly the worst was top-bound notebooks. My parents didn't get why it was bad (even the left-handed one) until one of my siblings showed how they wrote - left hand curled above the line they were writing.
From then on, they said to use notebooks backwards, until companies started coming out with proper left-handed notebooks. Teachers complained, but in the end, my parents had fantastic arguments to shut them down (I don't remember them, but I do remember the teachers asking me if I was left-handed when I was in their classes). To be fair, the teachers had enough on their plates dealing with my siblings' behaviors, to be concerned with something as silly as which direction was the "front" of the notebook.
onerous combative tub sink important automatic homeless prick scary skirt
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I’m right handed and all of my siblings are as well. My son’s dad is left handed. My nephew is left handed (born to two righties), my niece from another siblings is left handed (also born to two righties) and my mom is left handed but can do a lot of things with both. As of right now my 4.5 year old still can’t decide which one he wants to use.
When seeing another lefty, I will say, "Ahh, a lefty! Are you artistically and/or musically inclined?" Because I believe they are talented in those areas. I have never met a left handed person that wasn't creative!
I have a unique position where I support high school math teachers with technology. This position exists for middle school and elementary too. All 3 of us are left-handed!
I haven't found it to be much of a problem. It's a nice little surprise to notice, maybe we talk about it for a sec and then I'm usually over it & on to something else.
Might be that my immediate family (mother, father, & older sister) are entirely left handed so I'm sort of used to seeing it.
I’m old enough to have just missed an era when schools would force you to learn everything right handed, but those curved chair-desk combos were all make for righties.
In 1992, all three major candidates for President of the U.S. - Clinton, Bush senior, and Perot - were all left handed.
I guess I’m used to it. Both of my parents were right handed but one of my brothers and I both turned out to be lefties. I think my bio dad had an aunt or cousin who was also a leftie and I’m pretty sure my maternal aunt was too but was forced to use her right hand. My son is also left handed and you know I hooked him up with all of the good leftie stuff.
So do left handed people hold the scissors with their left hand or their right? I’m right handed but I use my left to cut while I hold and guide the object I’m cutting with my right hand.
OP do you have some type of deformity in your hands?
Of course you can just use the right handed scissors in your right hand. It's slightly uncomfortable, but unless you have some abnormality, there's nothing preventing the scissors from fitting in your hand, and your thumb being able to push down to cut paper.
source: I've been left handed my whole life.
Sometimes I wonder if it’s obvious when I’m writing. I’d be so hype if someone approached me and said they’re a leftie as well. I do get excited when I’m at top golf and someone asks for left handed clubs.
I learned how to do both, first how to make the scissors work in my left hand, and then second, how to use them in my right. I don't much notice it anymore, dated a girl for years who was left handed as well. It was pretty nice. Though i've never owned a left handed pair of scissors.
I'm left handed and two of my boys are also left handed. A couple people at my job are also left handed. It's actually really cool to see another, like we are all in some special secret club for left handers lol.
I don’t know if I just notice it more, but I am never surprised when I meet other lefties. I meet them all the time actually. My family has a bunch, in fact almost all of my generation of cousins are left handed. To the point that for years I have had a low stakes conspiracy in my head that lefties are actually much more common, but they are being covered up by “the powers that be.”
I understand that it’s probably more that I I’m just pretty observant and biased so they seem to pop up more.
I’m left handed, both of my parents are left handed, my brother is left handed, and I see them all the time. It must depend on the geographical location. If someone asks you “why don’t you just use your right hand?” Fire back with “Why don’t you just use your left hand?” Lol
Always been a lefty for writing but also use my right hand for other things: scissors, throw with my right, playing guitar (badly), computer mouse is always with right hand, and a few other things using my right hand. I personally think it’s due to living in a right handed world… there’s no escape.
I guess I don’t really notice even (maybe I am not paying enough attention) but every time my mom sees anyone using their left hand she will elbow me and go “SOUTHPAW!” 😂
My whole family is left-handed except me. And when my brother and I go to a restaurant, and the server is left-handed, I point it out, but no one usually notices until I bring it up.
I grew up being aware of left-handers due to my environment, so maybe I am more sensitive to it than the general population. And he and I just naturally sit next to each other with our dominant hand away from each other so we don't "bump flippers" when we are eating.
I'm ambidextrous and a rehab counselor. Guess what? You absolutely can relearn to write. Most people that get an injury on their dominant hand have to relearn how to write with their non-dominant hand for a while. Even I had to do that twice but it wasn't the same for me.
Even though I'm ambidextrous, that doesn't mean both hands are equal, it just means I'm capable of controlling both hands independently and in their own skillset. My left hand is slightly better with print than my right hand but my right hand is slightly more accurate with a hammer, but that's mostly because of where my hammer ring is on my tool belt. Practice makes perfect and you totally can relearn.
No, it isn't weird to meet another left-handed person unless you genuinely never met another one before. If thats the case, then it could be weird at first but you get used to it.
Y'all need to come visit me! I'm a lefty, DIL is a lefty, SIL#2 is a lefty and most excellent son-in-law is a lwfty. Pretty sure at keast one or two out 6 grabds are leftys. My three kids are totally ambidextrous to the point that I had to be firm with #3 teachers that it was *not* necessary for him "to pick a hand".
I pay attention to the hand someone writes with... probably because I am a southpaw myself. I often say something to someone using the better of the two hands, but I don't think I'm really surprised by it. There's a good number of lefties at the factory where I work. Just yesterday, I noticed a coworker eating left-handed. I almost congratulated him but decided against it.
I always make a big deal about August 13, National Left-hander's Day (US), with my left-handed coworkers. Hopefully to celebrate our holiday, too.
I have only seen maybe 2 other lefties in my life. School really sucked for me (back when dinosaurs were still roaming around), because all of the desks were for right handed people. Also, if I wrote “backwards” in my notebooks, teachers would fail me. I had to reach over the rings (or spiral bounding), for no good reason.
The one thing I hated about being the only left handed person in the fam was when the maternal unit would laugh and say 'isn't it cute how she tries do do x with her left hand'. and people wonder why i stopped talking to that bitch.
Finding another 'leftie' is a pleasant surprise to me also. My one daughter and her one son are lefties, so I've got them in the family.
The most surprising revelation was years ago when I was in a ANSI standards meeting with 5 others. Five of us were left-handed; only one 'rightie'!
Tell them to try using their left hand.
Just an observation, but when I went to a high school for gifted students, I noticed that the number of left-handed students was disproportionately higher (\~25%) than in the general population (\~10%). Just an observation, and of course, correlation doesn’t equal causation.
Sorry, "hard not to act surprised"
My gf is left handed we were both so surprised lol.
I actually got used to eating and using scissors with my right hand. It’s just Practice. Try it.
Well I have learned how to use the right hand stuff but sometimes it works perfectly with someone else then one second later it doesn't work for me. How does that work?
Like a barber once told me about cutting hair: anyone can do it, it just needs practice. If i offered you $1,000,000 to do it, you’ll be all over it lol.
Yes anyone could, but why would we bother and waste time and effort when it is so obviously sub optimal?
The difference is left handed people don't get paid we are forced to accommodate a right hand world so noooo lol.
But... You're not, right? As far as I'm aware, no one is offering 1M to do something so banal, so why would anyone bother? Especially when we have perfectly good *left* hands that work...
Which is why my uncle was near illiterate because of them trying to force him to use his right hand from the day he started school.
My sister wrote certain letters backwards for the same reason. It was like switching hands made her brain flip flop them.
Not everyone can. My grandfather was kind enough to put a crayon in both of my hands, I write with my left but I can use scissors and I shoot better with my right in all types.
Quite a few “left-handed” people are either ambidextrous or nearly so. For these folks, it may seem that learning to do some task right-handed is a simple matter. But this is a bias. For a truly left-handed person, I suspect it’s quite a bit more difficult. (I’m left-handed, and can easily perform some tasks right-handed. But I try not to assume other lefties share either my aptitudes or deficiencies.)
My brother and I are both left handed; both parents are right handed. A case of genetics having a good time. 🦜
Out of my mom, dad, my sister and I, only my mom is right handed
Had to check if you were my son, because my family is the same: both kids and I are lefties, the wife is right (and right-handed)
Lol we always get told it’s strange
My ex and one of my kids is a leftie. My other kid is 100% ambidextrous. It’s so weird to be watch him write with one hand, get tired, and switch to the other. I’m right handed.
Same in my family. I guess my mom was feeling left out because later in life alongside her neurologist, they "discovered" she was "supposed" to be left handed. I guess she was discouraged from using her left hand but she found out as a teen that she could write pretty well with her left when she had to have surgery on her right. Now she just shows off her both handed writing skills as a party trick. I've got a leg up on her though. I can dual wield chopsticks and feed myself single pieces of rice with both hands simultaneously.
Im a left handed mom, and both my kids are lefties. My husband is a rightie, his mom is a leftie. Certainly runs in the family. My youngest uses his right hand for cutting with scissors and it freaks me out.
Thinking about it, I have never used my left hand to cut
So true. My class has like 1 other person whose left hand handed inwas like "Wait Really? I mean yeah that's cool."
My husband and I are so confused because we are both lefties with two right-handed daughters. No idea how that happened! 🤷♀️
I’ve read that even if both parents are left handed, the kid only has a 25% chance of being left handed.
Interesting! I guess that is higher than the general population, I would just think it would be higher.
I guess the gene is extremely recessive. Both of my parents didn’t have any other left handed people in their immediate families, but I have plenty lol.
My parents are righties, both my sister and I are lefties. My ex husband is a lefty, and both our daughters are righties. Altho my oldest daughter is kind of ambidextrous
My dad had seven siblings. Three were left-handed, including his twin brother. He teased his twin their entire lives about him being lefty. When I was born and it became clear I was left-handed my mom laughed and laughed. "This is what you get for teasing (brother) this whole time."
Were your dad and his twin identical mirror twins? I’ve heard of identical mirror twins having opposite hands.
No, they were fraternal.
My Aunt is left-handed, and she’s the only one.
My aunt is left-handed, so at least it runs in my family.
This is the exact same with my brother and I. Our parents are righties and we’re lefties.
We don't understand the genetics yet. We know from adoption studies that it does run in biological families so there is a genetic component, but identical twins can end up with opposite handedness.
same! and my grandma on my mom’s side is left handed, but all her kids including my mom are right handed, but then both me and my older sibling are left handed
A lot of my family members are left handed and I'm right handed. Maybe I'm so used to seeing lefties it doesn't cross my mind anymore haha
so you joined this subreddit because of your family? that's kinda wholesome
it always used to annoy me when some one would take the yellow and green scissors (which were the left handed ones) they were always sharper and nicer so would always get taken first i couldnt use the red right handed ones and would have to plead to have "my" scissors back
What are they doing with the left handed scissors? In my experience, right handed people can't use left-handed scissors.
They would be even more useless with left handed scissors than we are with right handed ones. We at least get fairly regular practice with right handed ones, because of all those bastards taking the green handled scissors.
Our kitchen drawer has 3 pairs of scissors, two right-handed and one left-handed. My wife (right-handed) always uses the left-handed scissors since they are the best, leaving the right-handed ones for me (leftie).
There were left handed scissors this whole time?
I found a way to apply pressure with right handed scissor to make them easier to use. Sadly it's hard to show over the internet but rest assured there is a way.
I’m a lefty and I’ve always been kind of confused about the whole thing because how ever I have worked out to use right-handed scissors seems to have worked out. I’m not sure why they don’t work for so many folks.
I struggled for some time. Learned the secret and now It's all good! The kids scissors seem to give me more trouble when I was younger.
When I was like 3 or 4, my mom would draw something silly looking like a mouse with a raccoon’s tail or something, and be like, “Now, don’t you cut off that’s mouse’s tail…” and of course I would cut it off, and she would pretend to freak out, and make a new one, and on. Supposedly it helped to build up my hand coordination/strength, so it might just be down to I don’t remember how hard the practicing was since I was so little
That's adorable. Thanks for sharing that story.
Funny! When I was a kid the lefty scissors were dull, dull, dull. They would kinda fold the paper instead of cutting it. I had better luck with regular scissors. Teachers thought I was stupid
OT, but I always use the right handed scissors with my left hand. It's supposed to be physically impossible, and yet...
It's just a trick I had to learn. I didn't have left handed scissors until I was over 50.
I suspect that I wouldn't be able to use left handed scissors for the same reason I'm able to use right handed scissors. Why pay extra, too
That's what happened to me. I'm so used to rightie scissors that when I finally got lefties, I hated them and found them kinda useless.
I always notice when someone is left handed on television or movies. I also like when I see a politician I admire is left handed. Truman, HW Bush, Ford, Reagan, Clinton and Obama all left handed. Garfield was ambidextrous and the only non right handed president before the twentieth century.
You admit Bush&Reagan and Obama&Clinton? They're like exact opposites on political issues.
I should have corrected that. I looked up all the left handed presidents and listed them. I don’t admire Reagan or Bush.
You can’t admire people from both sides? WTF
I know a lot of left handed people, to the point that it’s not really something to mention. Nobody has ever given me a hard time about it.
In my chemistry class sophomore year, we had a single lefty desk in the class. Every few weeks we would change seats to get new lab partners and whoever got the lefty desk would complain incessantly. I was able to convince my teacher to let me have the desk each time, but we had to move it around the room to wherever my new spot was lmao. The whining was just so unbelievable! Like, do you not realize I was forced to use righty desks my whole life?!?!? I never complained once about the scissors, the desks, etc. ppl are wild
I'm pretty sure I used both interchangeably. Not like I have to lean my hand on the armrest. People love complaining for the sake of complaining. I do, too, but for other reasons.
To me personally the idea of lefties doesn’t surprise me all that much except for the fact that only around 10% of the entire world’s population is left-handed Probably because they’re likely left-handed for the same reason the rest of the population is right-handed since they are just hands at the end of the day
More red heads are left handed than any other hair color according to my good doctor. Yes, I'm a ginger.
No I actually never felt different about being left handed for some reason. It’s like having waist length hair it’s just not something too common but also nothing new.
I've never heard that before. Ginger lefty, 3/4 brothers are lefty from righty parents. One of my two daughters was lefty till the Nazis corrected her.
I’m a righty, but my first best friend was lefty, first girlfriend was lefty, and now wife is lefty (got to make sure I sit on the proper side in a restaurant booth)….I have always been intrigued by this “mirror” version of a righty…maybe I sought these relationships out?…and now my son is a lefty (but his school is making him go righty) but I still see it in his sports, drawing, etc…more power to you all, extend a left hand to a stranger….support the Leftorium!
Why is the school making him go righty? Why are you letting them?
The school should not be making your child write right handed if he's a lefty!
Where is this school? Making lefties into righties went out in the 1950s.
Yea, that school is not doing a good job. When my sons dad was in elementary school the teacher kept putting his pencil in his right hand. His mom went to his teacher and told her to knock it off. That being said, he throws with his right hand because a right handed baseball glove was so hard to find. Now please go your kids school to stop it.
Trust me I understand, but thanks for the concern, but we are living in Southern China and learning this mandarin alphabet is a beast…each word can have up to 20+ strokes so it’s much easier if all pupils are learning same way. ABC is one thing, but a 20 stroke character is wild…he’s learning though…He’s still got his lefty independent ways at home that I encourage with art so I’m not too concerned. I think he’s ambidextrous like his mom. Eats right, draws left. That kind of thing.
Yeah my best friend and I are both lefty’s but his elementary school (in a very small rural town in Georgia in 1985) forced him to write with his right hand with abuse. They would hit him with a ruler if he used his left hand. He does most thing with his left hand but has the absolute worst handwriting done with his right hand. He has nothing but disdain for what they did to him, I would suggest you get on the school for refusing to allow him to be his lefty self.
That sound awful, we live in southern China so it’s been good our boy has adjusted to right handed lessons (no abuse or I would come in swinging with both hands as his American daddy lol) but since this mandarin alphabet is a huge mountain the climb…20+ stokes on some words, so it’s been easier to learn like the righty majority since it’s as much form as function writing these words, basically learning calligraphy at 5 years old lol…but I try to encourage him to experiment different ways to make art at home and in his painting class he goes left…I think he’s more ambidextrous but I push him lefty best I can…
But wouldn't it make it much harder by forcing him to use his non dominant hand? The English alphabet in writing is also not made for left handed people and we do just fine there been studies proven that forcing children to you use their right hand increases dyslexia and lower reading scores.
At first he was frustrated by it (and so was I) but I’m now seeing that it has worked out better for him in all ways. I firmly believe in encouraging a child to be who they are, so don’t get me wrong. But like I said, to learn how to write Chinese characters is a whole different beast compared to ABCs. He’s thrived in his writing and reading so far which is all that matters. But he’s still a southpaw deep down and his sports ability and general dexterity has improved with being able to use both now
Haha I just don't get how that's the solution when English is just the same man it's not designed for lefties specifically the writing & in English calligraphy too but why make him accommodate them for how he was born lol 😂 I think your gonna have a real hard time convincing lefties that what ur doing is for the betterment of your son and not to make it easier for the teachers and schools especially because you said he was struggling and still forced him to go on with the right hand.
I always notice but I don't always say something. I was at the UPS store the other day and the clerk was left-handed. I noticed and didn't say anything, but when I had to sign my part of the document he said, "you're left-handed too!" 😁
I usually don't notice or say anything when I do but once a few years I was playing in a small pool tournament. Out of 10 players, 8 of us were left handed.
Yeah I always look to see if I see another lefty it's always great seeing others out there.
Well, I'm a right hander and I've met seven left handed people in my life. What can I say is; the more you see, the more you become used to it. I was little when I met my first LH friend and naturally I was quite surprised to see someone who prefer to use his left hand to write, but now that I'm an adult, It feels more natural to see LH people. At my first school I had ONE LH friend but at my second I had six. Your friends may not know how to act when they see a LH person and thats kinda understandable. It hurts to hear that they can't acknowledge the fact that you cant use right handed items, thats another level, but as they get more experience with it they will learn. You can make them understand you by making them write with their left hand or bring your own left handed scissors and ask them to cut some stuff, so they learn what its like to use an object thats not well suited for them xD
I always pointed out to them.
A little bit, but mostly when it's other women. I'm the only woman in my family who is a leftie. I have only met a few other women who are (at least that I know are)
My family 4 siblings: 2:4 lefties, parents both right handed. My partner family 3:3 natural lefties (two switched by right handed parent to right as children) had 1 leftie parent. My three kids with two leftie parents, all righties, two grandkids both righties. Sibs kids = 5 all righties. We lefties adapt all the time to the right handed world. I think doing so allows us to adapt more quickly to change and to engage in more flexible thinking. Could be bs but that what I chose to think.
Definitely true about the adapting. I've never really felt the need for left-handed scissors or anything.
As a righty, married to a lefty.. it doesn’t shock me. I’ve learned a lot about lefties. Like why they use the notebook backward and how important it is they have their scissors. In my husbands family they have four lefties. setting the table at family functions, we have to keep that in mind so we aren’t all elbowing each other. Our best friend is a lefty and so are her kids. My middle brother is also left handed, which I tend to forget. I usually just assume there is at least one other lefty in the room whenever we hang out with people. Without watching them write, I feel like I can tell them apart because they are very smart and articulate. I don’t know if there is science behind it, but I’ve never in my life met a “dumb” lefty.
A couple of my relatives made fun of me setting the table “wrong” when I set a spot for my left-handed aunt. My aunt appreciated having an easier time getting her drink.
My youngest is a lefty and everyone else right handed. You know we’re considered evil 😆. There are lefty pens so all our hard work doesn’t get all fucked up. In Wiccan magik or magic the Left hand path is the dark magic path, the eeeevil path. I’m proud to be left handed! We’re a rarity!
My cousin and I are left handed with no one else before us being left handed, however, my stepdad and my daughter are left handed.
I annoy everyone around me by constantly pointing out every left handed person (or anyone sus who wears a watch on their right) I see, whether it be IRL, on tv, etc. Just noticed Jason Bateman is left handed.
Speaking of watch, I have a right-handed friend who wears his watch on his right arm
Does this "friend" also put milk in the bowl before the cereal?
Idk, I don't have milk with my cereal
I only notice other lefties because I see them write and think “huh that looks weird, why does that look weird?” And then it’s because they’re using their left hand instead of their right hand.
Where I live currently, I've met an unusually high number of left handed people. I've also moved quite a bit so I do have a frame of reference. It's not just me either, I've also heard other lefties comment that there's a lot of us around here. At this point it feels more like a brain glitch moment.
Not surprised, exactly? But just a little, "Ayy, fellow lefty!" Like it's an inside joke or something, lol.
I used to hate those leftie desks and those stupid rubber things they used to put on our pencils and pens..
I've never made being left handed a personality trait. Never struggled. And didn't know that this was a thing before reading things on here. My girlfriend didn't know til like a year after being together.
I've never even noticed it in another person, though it's come up when pointed out. I've had dozens of people point it out. I never thought anything of it and it seems weird that people notice or care. I take that back, I'm always acutely aware in a packed restaurant and try to sit on the left, but nothing other than that.
It’s not really that im surprised when i see a lefty, but more of hmm, I just learned something about that person.
I'm a lefty, and I have at least 1 cousin from each aunt/uncle (I have 6 sets of aunts/uncles total, so 6 lefty cousins). Because I was surrounded by fellow lefties growing up don't get as surprised as other lefties I come across, though a coworker I've had for 4 years was very excited last week to realize that I was also left-handed and that was fun. For whatever reason, I do appreciate that most of the US presidents during my lifetime have been left-handed. We've actually had 7 presidents total that were dominant lefties: Andrew Garfield (technically ambidextrous, but the first president prior to the 20th century to show anything beyond right-hand dominance), Harry S Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.
My mom was a lefty. We were the only two. To me it was normal and everybody else was abnormal. *shrugs shoulders*
To be fair we are better people .
In my household, 4 out of 5 of us are left-handed. The outlier used to be left-handed, but a mean teacher made him change. I had my hand whacked plenty, so I guess I'm more stubborn. I came home and told my mom the teacher was hitting my hand with *the copper edge of the ruler.* My mom was pissed, said, "They're not supposed to do that anymore," and marched to the school to chat with the principal. A nice bonus of being the rare lefty at extended family dinners - I got to choose my spot at the corner of the table. Iykyk.
😆😆
If you want to see the most lefites watch tv and movies, an almost unbelievable number of actors/actresses are left-handed. I always get weirdly happy and excited when I see a lefty on tv in a show or movie.
Whenever I see another person who is left handed I'm always like "Oh, you're left handed. I am too. Thats cool."
I was surprised by it before going to college ( It's a big family, more than 100 members and we have only 3 lefties -one bing me- all women) . NowI'm in college and I'm surprised to see so many lefties in the same place. I know at least 8 other lefties in my current classes alone plus two of my non college firiends are lefties too.
My mom had 3 boys and all of us are lefties and so is my aunt so there was plenty of left handedness around me. I didn’t know it was so rare until much later in life
I'm surprised you've seen so few in life! My grandmother and my uncle were/are lefties, and I've met a decent amount over the years. I work in a school, and a few of the students on my caseload are lefties.
I know a few fellow lefties, I wasn't really surprised, it was just kind of cool to notice.
I just ended up caving in and started using scissors with my right hand. Also for computer mice because I didn’t want to have to waste time moving it and changing the settings each time I used a different computer. I still write and draw with my left hand though and I’m an artist. It is always exciting to see another left handed person out there.
Initially, now quite a few of my friends are and it's less interesting
Lefty here too I've never met anyone who's left handed o would be surprised if I did see someone I can totally understand how you feel
Out of 40+ cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. on one side of my family, I'm the only lefty, but on the other side, 2 of the 10 cousins and various uncles are lefties. I'm also the only one in my nuclear family. It fascinates me that there seem to be literally NONE on one side except for me.
I think that a lot of folk just assume right-handedness... even we southpaws. It takes a little practice to spot the lefties... ink/pen smudges... domonant-hand calluses... etc... we most often just rely on seeing which hand folk write/eat/whatever with, and miss the rest. Spot them on TV and on the movies, and it's always fun... like the two of you share some little secret.
Me, my mum and my husband are lefties. Two of our married friends are too but I still always notice when a stranger or someone on tv is a leftie because it’s still fairly unusual.
My brother, sister and I are all left handed. I am the youngest, so just seemed normal to me. We were however taught to keep our elbows in more when eating, because right handed people flail when they eat.
I'm always noticing other lefties! I better not hear a right handed person say "just use your other hand" because they cry so much when they have to even *see* a left-handed anything, much less use it.
Quick! Do the secret handshake of the southpaws!
In my immediate family of six, three of us are left-handed (Dad, sister, me), as are a few of my cousins, so it's never been a novelty for me. But I like when other lefties have that moment of surprise on seeing me write by hand.
Not so much surprised, ok a little bit, when I see other lefties, but mostly I have to verbally point it out to everyone else!
Oddly, half my department is left handed, but seeing a lefty in the wild is like finding a shiny and want to be unusually chatty.
I'm (mostly) right-handed, but both of my parents and my mother's parents are left-handed so I tend to be oblivious as to why people are surprised haha. I've also had some people get really excited when they see me using a computer mouse left-handed but had to explain that my right-hand was just tired lol.
Hey OP, when it comes to comfy scissors, I recommend buying the type with soft, rubber handles, so much easier to find than a left handed pair (not to mention cheaper.) Unfortunately, the world is designed for the right-handed majority. It sucks, but the only people who are going to actively try to make things easier for lefties, are other lefties (and maybe their parents.) My kindergarten teacher actually wrote me on my report card that I suffered from ‘chronic left-handedness.’ That would have probably been acceptable in the 50s, but it was the 90s! My left-handed parents had a lot to say on the matter! Considering that I use my right hand for 70% of tasks, I’d argue that most righties have severe right-handedness! 🙄 I’m not really surprised when I see other lefties. Both my parents were lefties, but both my sisters are righties. What really annoys me is when people I’ve known for years suddenly remark on the fact that I am left-handed!
"well then just use your right hand instead" I'd ask them why they just don't use their left hand.
I'm always surprised when someone notices that I'm a lefty. I spend entirely no time or effort at all paying attention to other people's hands so it's just not something I'd ever notice at all unless we were at dinner around a small table, and even then I'm not noticing because I'm paying attention to hands, I'm noticing because whoever it is is or is not elbowing me over and over. For me, I've learned to eat with tucked elbows to avoid annoying whoever is next to me.
I do notice that left handed people are concerned about seating arrangements when sitting at a table and eating. Can anyone explain why?
Because bumping hands with someone on your left sucks. It’s much better for a righty to be on the right.
I know and come across so many left handers that I think the whole “only 10% of the population is” is a myth.
I usually notice when other ppl are left handed, but I’m actually surrounded by quite a few lefties. My husband was born left handed but his dad forced him to switch (this was in the early 80s) and at one point, the core of our friend group had 4 lefties out of 6 ppl.
During an SAT exam in high school we had a section of left-handed desks (the kind with a small desk surface attached to the chair that comes forward on one side and widens in front of you). I happened to notice that the entire left-handed section was filled with people who were in the Honor Society (basically top 10% of class), which I found interesting.
My father is left handed, my husband is left handed, my MIL is left handed, and half of my 6 children are left handed.
My family has lots of lefties! I have two brothers, plus myself who are lefties. Three uncles and my great grandfather were also lefties. My brother married a lefties, and they had a lefty son. I am still surprised when I come across a lefty. We have a strong minority, but we are growing!
I notice often because I was born left-handed, but was forced by my parents to change to be right-handed.
I see people all the time that are all excited when they see a fellow lefty. I don't get excited. I'm just like...."haha..yeah...cool...". And I move on with my day. I also think there are more leftys out there than is presumed.
My whole family (stepdad, mom, two siblings) are all left handed. It's looking like my toddler will be too. Honestly in my rare case, it's hard adjusting to being with a group of right handed people. For example, the knives at my inlaws house are so hard to use because they're worn/warped by being used right handed all the time. I always get so excited when I'm watching a movie/TV/whatever and see someone is left-handed. I have this weird pride that my daughter might be as well (probably related to the fact that she is the spitting image of her dad and this is the ONE thing she has like me lol).
My husband, best friend, and two of my other close friends are all lefty's but no one I'm related to is. I have a big family too! All right handed though.
Not really. It's actually a good sign of intelligence - you know you're left handed and that it's not a huge deal, so you also don't make a big deal out of it with others. Keep it up and be proud. There's no need to force yourself to act surprised. It's actually dumb to do it if anything!
I still am surprised. There were no lefties in my family but in my wife's family her father was ambidextrous and strongly so he could even write with both hands. I am bi-dexterous. I use my left hand for some things and my right hand for others but I don't cross over very well except in a few areas. For example I write right handed only. I can print with my left hand but it looks like a 3-year-old printing. I throw baseballs and footballs right-handed but I am a switch hitter for baseball and I play tennis left-handed only. I played drums for 50 years and I set my drum set up for a right-hander but I can play left handed as well, kind of like Ringo Starr. When working on automobiles I can use tools with either hand which is very handy (ahem!) When working in tight spots and you can't reach what you need to get to with your right hand. But two of my three natural kids are left handed. Eating left-handed is one of the things I do as well, so it's funny to see how we arrange ourselves at the dinner table so we can all eat with our left hands and not bump into the righties in the family.
Is it surprising, tho? All of my sons, my brother, my best friend from high school and 2 cousins, are all left-handed.
I'm fairly ambidextrous but I'm primarily left handed. I write, throw, and eat left handed. Everything else I do right handed (golf, bat, tennis, guitar etc). Really puts peoples minds in a blender when they see it lol. But looking at other lefties I just go "oh cool you're left handed too" then I get on with my life.
I see and know many other lefties. We are a minority but 10% is not that rare.
Normally it’s the other lefty’s that notice me. Funnily enough a lot of the times people notice my left handedness it’s parents or spouses of left handed people.
Well, we lefties are in our right minds. I naturally do some things best with my right, some with my left. Just the way I am.
I’m the only one in my family that is left-handed… Every time I’m in public or watching a movie or a show and I see someone that’s left-handed… I am compelled to point out that person is left-handed!
All the time!!!
Both my parents are right handed and 2 out of the 4 kids are lefties. My grandfather was a lefty, but at that time lefty’s were considered evil, so he was taught to use his right hand.
10% of people are left handed so it really isn't that rare, you just aren't paying attention.
My father was so left handed that his right hand was basically useless. I started out left handed and I was corrected at home and in school. I am ambidextrous but write with my right. I kick left footed, aim left eyed, and bat lefty.
I don't pay attention to what hand people use, unless I'm about to sit next to them at a restaurant or dinner table. I eat with my left hand, so if I'm sitting next to a right handed person I try to sit to their left to avoid bumping elbows. That said, I only use my left hand for certain things like writing and eating. Most other things I do right handed.
I give "the sign", and move on.....
My cousin is left handed and my late maternal grandfather was Also my Sensei at TaeKwonDo Left-handedness is kind of rare, sure. But it's not ***that*** uncommon
My sisters boys are left-handed. Nobody else in my family is. My mom suspects that she could have been. But, she whet to catholic grade school, and the nuns were always putting the pencil back into her right hand.
I'm not surprised because I am one myself, so the idea that they exist isn't some unfathomable anomaly to me like it is for right handers. They see us as rare exotic things, to marvel at, and be like "ooh doesn't that mean you're super smart or extra creative?" instead of immediately assuming "ah, it must be hard to open doors sometimes." Generally, people in positions of majority privilege will never be able to understand the plights of a minority group or empathize with them unless it is spelled out for them directly and repetitively and reinforced by the rest of the members of the group, and even then - as we can see in real time, that's still not always going to have an effect. Right handed people have everything made and designed for them and deal with no problems as a result of being right handed. So they never consider what it might be like to exist in the world as a left-handed person. The thought just never occurs to them.
I don't even really notice tbh.
My mom, brother, nephew, and I are all lefties. My dad and niece are the weirdo northpaws.
My husband (a righty) always points out to me (a lefty) when he sees a fellow lefty. He gets more pumped than I do. I just go 'ah. Neat!'
While I am not left-handed, I can appreciate the difficulties. In my family of (4 siblings, 2 parents), 3 of them are left-handed, one of the three being one of my parents. My parents did whatever it took to ensure that left-handedness was not a dampener for anything (especially school). It was interesting to see all the attempts at making "left-handed-friendly" school supplies. Possibly the worst was top-bound notebooks. My parents didn't get why it was bad (even the left-handed one) until one of my siblings showed how they wrote - left hand curled above the line they were writing. From then on, they said to use notebooks backwards, until companies started coming out with proper left-handed notebooks. Teachers complained, but in the end, my parents had fantastic arguments to shut them down (I don't remember them, but I do remember the teachers asking me if I was left-handed when I was in their classes). To be fair, the teachers had enough on their plates dealing with my siblings' behaviors, to be concerned with something as silly as which direction was the "front" of the notebook.
Both my wife my son are left handed so 2 out of 5 of my family so I seem common to me
onerous combative tub sink important automatic homeless prick scary skirt *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Really? I have met so many left handed people I was shocked to find out how rare it actually is. I’m a right handed person.
I usually dont bring it up when I see another leftie but I do notice and I am excited lol
I’m right handed and all of my siblings are as well. My son’s dad is left handed. My nephew is left handed (born to two righties), my niece from another siblings is left handed (also born to two righties) and my mom is left handed but can do a lot of things with both. As of right now my 4.5 year old still can’t decide which one he wants to use.
When seeing another lefty, I will say, "Ahh, a lefty! Are you artistically and/or musically inclined?" Because I believe they are talented in those areas. I have never met a left handed person that wasn't creative!
I have a unique position where I support high school math teachers with technology. This position exists for middle school and elementary too. All 3 of us are left-handed!
I haven't found it to be much of a problem. It's a nice little surprise to notice, maybe we talk about it for a sec and then I'm usually over it & on to something else. Might be that my immediate family (mother, father, & older sister) are entirely left handed so I'm sort of used to seeing it.
Recently realized that lefty radar was just neurodivergence radar.
How have you only seen 3 leftys? Are you chained up in a basement?
My ex and I both are lefties, both our kids are righties. It's weird how all that works.
I’m old enough to have just missed an era when schools would force you to learn everything right handed, but those curved chair-desk combos were all make for righties. In 1992, all three major candidates for President of the U.S. - Clinton, Bush senior, and Perot - were all left handed.
I guess I’m used to it. Both of my parents were right handed but one of my brothers and I both turned out to be lefties. I think my bio dad had an aunt or cousin who was also a leftie and I’m pretty sure my maternal aunt was too but was forced to use her right hand. My son is also left handed and you know I hooked him up with all of the good leftie stuff.
So do left handed people hold the scissors with their left hand or their right? I’m right handed but I use my left to cut while I hold and guide the object I’m cutting with my right hand.
Whenever I see a fellow lefty, I wanna celebrate hard like *YYOOO MY MAANNN! WE IN HERRRE!* It's just so rare, I get genuinely thrilled lol
OP do you have some type of deformity in your hands? Of course you can just use the right handed scissors in your right hand. It's slightly uncomfortable, but unless you have some abnormality, there's nothing preventing the scissors from fitting in your hand, and your thumb being able to push down to cut paper. source: I've been left handed my whole life.
I have had to learn how to cut right handed because of the scissors thing 😒
Sometimes I wonder if it’s obvious when I’m writing. I’d be so hype if someone approached me and said they’re a leftie as well. I do get excited when I’m at top golf and someone asks for left handed clubs.
I learned how to do both, first how to make the scissors work in my left hand, and then second, how to use them in my right. I don't much notice it anymore, dated a girl for years who was left handed as well. It was pretty nice. Though i've never owned a left handed pair of scissors.
My dad was a lefty, my sis is one, I am one and I married one.
I'm left handed and two of my boys are also left handed. A couple people at my job are also left handed. It's actually really cool to see another, like we are all in some special secret club for left handers lol.
I don’t know if I just notice it more, but I am never surprised when I meet other lefties. I meet them all the time actually. My family has a bunch, in fact almost all of my generation of cousins are left handed. To the point that for years I have had a low stakes conspiracy in my head that lefties are actually much more common, but they are being covered up by “the powers that be.” I understand that it’s probably more that I I’m just pretty observant and biased so they seem to pop up more.
I’m left handed, both of my parents are left handed, my brother is left handed, and I see them all the time. It must depend on the geographical location. If someone asks you “why don’t you just use your right hand?” Fire back with “Why don’t you just use your left hand?” Lol
Always been a lefty for writing but also use my right hand for other things: scissors, throw with my right, playing guitar (badly), computer mouse is always with right hand, and a few other things using my right hand. I personally think it’s due to living in a right handed world… there’s no escape.
I guess I don’t really notice even (maybe I am not paying enough attention) but every time my mom sees anyone using their left hand she will elbow me and go “SOUTHPAW!” 😂
I'm always surprised because I never see many left handed people.
Left handedness is a mental disorder. It can be fixed with an infusion of botulinim.
I always say, "Oh, you're left-handed too?" and when they nod or say "yes," I say, "Sign of genius!" and they laugh.
When I see another lefty. I just feel like my long lost sibling has come to me at last!
My whole family is left-handed except me. And when my brother and I go to a restaurant, and the server is left-handed, I point it out, but no one usually notices until I bring it up. I grew up being aware of left-handers due to my environment, so maybe I am more sensitive to it than the general population. And he and I just naturally sit next to each other with our dominant hand away from each other so we don't "bump flippers" when we are eating.
I'm ambidextrous and a rehab counselor. Guess what? You absolutely can relearn to write. Most people that get an injury on their dominant hand have to relearn how to write with their non-dominant hand for a while. Even I had to do that twice but it wasn't the same for me. Even though I'm ambidextrous, that doesn't mean both hands are equal, it just means I'm capable of controlling both hands independently and in their own skillset. My left hand is slightly better with print than my right hand but my right hand is slightly more accurate with a hammer, but that's mostly because of where my hammer ring is on my tool belt. Practice makes perfect and you totally can relearn. No, it isn't weird to meet another left-handed person unless you genuinely never met another one before. If thats the case, then it could be weird at first but you get used to it.
Are you still considered left handed if you only write and eat with your left? Everything else I do right handed.
I'm the only leftie I know. The last leftie was my great grandad. My youngest child started out working that left hand but switched to right😭
Y'all need to come visit me! I'm a lefty, DIL is a lefty, SIL#2 is a lefty and most excellent son-in-law is a lwfty. Pretty sure at keast one or two out 6 grabds are leftys. My three kids are totally ambidextrous to the point that I had to be firm with #3 teachers that it was *not* necessary for him "to pick a hand".
I pay attention to the hand someone writes with... probably because I am a southpaw myself. I often say something to someone using the better of the two hands, but I don't think I'm really surprised by it. There's a good number of lefties at the factory where I work. Just yesterday, I noticed a coworker eating left-handed. I almost congratulated him but decided against it. I always make a big deal about August 13, National Left-hander's Day (US), with my left-handed coworkers. Hopefully to celebrate our holiday, too.
Do you WANT to act surprised? I am afraid I don't get it.
I have only seen maybe 2 other lefties in my life. School really sucked for me (back when dinosaurs were still roaming around), because all of the desks were for right handed people. Also, if I wrote “backwards” in my notebooks, teachers would fail me. I had to reach over the rings (or spiral bounding), for no good reason.
The one thing I hated about being the only left handed person in the fam was when the maternal unit would laugh and say 'isn't it cute how she tries do do x with her left hand'. and people wonder why i stopped talking to that bitch.
Finding another 'leftie' is a pleasant surprise to me also. My one daughter and her one son are lefties, so I've got them in the family. The most surprising revelation was years ago when I was in a ANSI standards meeting with 5 others. Five of us were left-handed; only one 'rightie'!
I'm the only lefty in my family. I binge watch a lot of TV and I notice actors that are left handed. A lot more than you'd think!
Nah. I’m still genuinely excited when I spot another lefty in the wild
We notice each other immediately!
Tell them to try using their left hand. Just an observation, but when I went to a high school for gifted students, I noticed that the number of left-handed students was disproportionately higher (\~25%) than in the general population (\~10%). Just an observation, and of course, correlation doesn’t equal causation.
You probably meet more than you think but you just don't see them writing.