Facts About Left Handed People

Most people are right handed, however anywhere from 7 to 10% of the world's population is left handed. There has never been an all inclusive study and never will be, but it is estimated that the percentage of "lefties" out there is significantly lower than their right handed peers. That's another fact about left handed people because they are frequently referred to as "lefties." Another common nickname for left handed people is "southpaw." This nickname occurred during the 1890s due to left handed baseball pitchers. When they threw the ball they did it with their arm facing the south and as a result were called "southpaws."

Another interesting fact about left handed individuals is the fact that they are more likely to become alcoholics. This is considered to be the case because left handers use the right side of their brain more, which is considered to have a lower alcohol tolerance than the left side of the brain. Although it may seem counterintuitive left handed individuals use the right side of their brain more than the left side of their brain and vice versa is true for right handed individuals.

One left hand fact that's probably not the best of news for left handed individuals is the fact that many "lefties" are prone to health issues like insomnia, allergies, migraines, and other illnesses. There is no known reason why this occurs, but it's true.

Of the small percentage of left handed individuals in the world a great percentage of them are either highly intelligent or mentally retarded. There is no known reason why this is the case, but it has been proven that many high IQ individuals are left handed and quite a large percentage of those who are mentally handicapped are as well.

A high percentage of American presidents since World War II have been left handed. In fact, six of the 12 have been. When one in 10 of the general population is left handed it seems even more likely that the high intelligence link to left handedness must be playing out with the US presidents. Interestingly enough in the most recent presidential campaign between Obama and McCain, both were left handed.

For whatever reason left handedness has been looked down upon for years. In fact, many cultures have forced their offspring to become right handed regardless of what their natural inclinations were. Many parents have strapped their left handed children's hand down and forced them to write and use the right hand.
Another interesting role culture plays in left handed individuals is that in some parts of the world the left hand is only used for "unclean" tasks such as bathing and wiping. The right hand is for "clean" tasks like shaking hands and eating. As a result, left handed individuals can have a difficult time with their natural inclination.