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The mystery of why left-handers are so much rarer (2016)

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Re: The mystery of why left-handers are so much rarer (2016)

#41

Post by retrac »

pclmulqdq wrote: post #28
leejo wrote: post #24

I'm of the generation that were forced to write with the right even though I was a natural lefty. I also broke my left arm when I was 2, which may have made things even more messed up. These days I: * Write with my right, my left is not quite as quick/tidy as my right * Swing/grip with my left (cricket / golf / etc) * Use my phone with my left * Mouse with my right * Cut (scissors) with my right (but we don't have an…

I'm not sure why people have started to make reversed musical instruments. I saw a video with a reversed piano, calling it "left-handed." I am a left-handed person who plays the piano and I had always thought the keyboard was laid out like an ascending scale on paper rather than having something to do with handedness - low notes on the left and high notes on the right. The motions involved in playing music are so wei…

Piano music is mostly written by right-handers for right-handers. I'm strongly left-hand dominant. For music that's intended to be easy to play, the primary voice is almost always on the right hand. Where the music wants the most dexterity, I have the least.

At the developed level where the composer doesn't give a damn about how easy it is for the musician to play, yes, both left and right-handers have to figure out how to realize the piece and would make use of their strengths to do so.

For instruments like guitar I think the case for reversing the handedness of the instrument is a bit stronger, since the hands serve very different roles there.

Re: The mystery of why left-handers are so much rarer (2016)

#42

Post by tokai »

gsej wrote: post #38

I lost a little faith when I saw the article referred to Neanderthals as "our ancestors"... Intrigued by the throwaway comment that we know handedness is genetically determined. Is that true? I was under the impression it was a developmental issue (identical twins with opposite orientation being one piece of evidence here).

I lose a little faith when I see people nitpick while being wrong.

Re: The mystery of why left-handers are so much rarer (2016)

#43

Post by delecti »

oneeyedpigeon wrote: post #26
mannykannot wrote: post #2

"Similarly, you can test your ears: which ear would you naturally use on the telephone?" Well, I'm right-handed, so...

Smart phones confuse this, I think. I bet most right-handers hold their phone in their left hand so they can touch the screen with their right. So it then naturally follows that, to hold the phone to the ear, we'd keep it in that left hand. Of course, sometimes I also use it one-handed, in which case it's in my right hand — on reflection, I think most phone use is probably ambidextrous.

There might be an age component to that. Anecdotally, holding the phone with the opposite hand from the one touching the screen feels correlated with age to me. I'm right-handed, and primarily use my phone one-handed with my right hand.

Re: The mystery of why left-handers are so much rarer (2016)

#44

Post by wbrd »

pclmulqdq wrote: post #28
leejo wrote: post #24

I'm of the generation that were forced to write with the right even though I was a natural lefty. I also broke my left arm when I was 2, which may have made things even more messed up. These days I: * Write with my right, my left is not quite as quick/tidy as my right * Swing/grip with my left (cricket / golf / etc) * Use my phone with my left * Mouse with my right * Cut (scissors) with my right (but we don't have an…

I'm not sure why people have started to make reversed musical instruments. I saw a video with a reversed piano, calling it "left-handed." I am a left-handed person who plays the piano and I had always thought the keyboard was laid out like an ascending scale on paper rather than having something to do with handedness - low notes on the left and high notes on the right. The motions involved in playing music are so wei…

I taught guitar for three years to groups of undergrads. I noticed that most lefties had no problem playing a right-handed guitar. However, occasionally I would have a student that just struggled mightily and things clicked when they switched to a left-handed guitar.

Re: The mystery of why left-handers are so much rarer (2016)

#45

Post by k1kingy »

leejo wrote: post #24

I'm of the generation that were forced to write with the right even though I was a natural lefty. I also broke my left arm when I was 2, which may have made things even more messed up. These days I: * Write with my right, my left is not quite as quick/tidy as my right * Swing/grip with my left (cricket / golf / etc) * Use my phone with my left * Mouse with my right * Cut (scissors) with my right (but we don't have an…

Yeah my body is all kinds of confused also:

  - Write with my left
  - Cricket/golf right
  - Tennis/squash left
  - Bowl/throw left
  - Mouse right
  - Drink left
  - Eat right (fork in left hand, knife in right)
  - Cut left (but usually don't bother because scissors never work)
  - I also kick well off both feet (although favor the left foot slightly)
I'm definitely more left dominant but can usually do most things well enough with my right. I was also never told/forced to be right-handed.

Re: The mystery of why left-handers are so much rarer (2016)

#46

Post by cynicalpeace »

"Left" probably comes from the proto-indo-european root "laiwos", which means to bend or curve. "Right" probably comes from "hregtos", which means straight and correct.

Makes sense, since most people don't write well with their left hand.

English retains this connotation strongly since "right" also literally means "correct" or "straight" (both of which come from the same root too)

Then you add in the political connotations "right wing" and "Human Rights" and the subject becomes endlessly fascinating.

Re: The mystery of why left-handers are so much rarer (2016)

#48

Post by oneeyedpigeon »

delecti wrote: post #43
oneeyedpigeon wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Smart phones confuse this, I think. I bet most right-handers hold their phone in their left hand so they can touch the screen with their right. So it then naturally follows that, to hold the phone to the ear, we'd keep it in that left hand. Of course, sometimes I also use it one-handed, in which case it's in my right hand — on reflection, I think most phone use is probably ambidextrous.

There might be an age component to that. Anecdotally, holding the phone with the opposite hand from the one touching the screen feels correlated with age to me. I'm right-handed, and primarily use my phone one-handed with my right hand.

It could be an age thing, but I feel like it's more a size & situational thing. I would definitely use a smaller phone one-handed. And when I'm out and about, I do too.

Re: The mystery of why left-handers are so much rarer (2016)

#49

Post by acureau »

deafpolygon wrote: post #14

I'm predominantly left-handed, except on the computer. Where I use the mouse with my right hand and play FPS games using the mouse on my right hand, as well. Not sure how common this is.

Yep me too, I'm sure there are many things we've subconsciously adapted to using with our right hands. Actually I've never bought a product purpose made for left-handed people.
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