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The world of “lefties”

August 12, 2015

Only 10-15 per cent of all people are left-handed. We talk to Sebastian Jutzi about whether they are a disadvantage and whether they face problems in their daily lives.

https://p.dw.com/p/1GDox
Linkshänder (Symbolbild)
Image: Colourbox

DW: What is the point of left handers’ day?

Sebastian Jutzi: the point is basically to remind people about both neglected and high-profile issues – as we are doing right now in this interview. Left-handers deserve to be talked about. Not so long ago they faced discrimination and harassment in Germany. At some schools here, children were forced to write with their right hand well into the 1980s. In some countries these nonsensical attempts at re-training still exist.

DW: What is the reason for some people being left-handed? Is it genetic?

The exact reasons behind left-handedness are still unclear. As with any biological phenomenon, there is bound to be a genetic component. It is not the case, however, that two left-handers will only have left-handed children. The likelihood is greater than with right-handed parents, but is still way below 100 %.

DW: Left-handers have a reputation for being more creative and intelligent – is that true?

It’s a myth based on certain famous people being left-handed: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Paul McCartney and Jimi Hendrix. In many cases, famous individuals have been called left-handed despite there being no evidence, such as Albert Einstein or Marylin Monroe. The proportion of left-handers among particularly talented or well-known people is not conspicuously high as such. There are individual sports such as tennis and boxing, however, where left-handers are at an advantage due to their relative rarity in comparison to right-handers. Research has revealed that our assessment of the movements of left-handed tennis players is not as accurate as with right-handers. At the top of the game, of course, the smallest of advantages can make a huge difference.

DW: Many left-handed people are forcibly retrained – but does this make sense?

It’s complete nonsense. I would even go so far as to call it an intrusion on human rights. Any right-hander who has to spend the whole day doing things with their left hand will appreciate how agonizing it is. A lot of left-handed people suffer greatly from the pressure. One prominent example is Britain’s King George VI., the father of the current queen. He had a stutter, which was addressed in the movie “A King’s Speech”. He was also originally left-handed and underwent retraining. It is now believed that his speech impediment had its roots in that ordeal.

DW: Is there anything that left-handers can do particularly well?

Left-handers are just as talented or untalented as right-handers. Most of the special characteristics are just alleged. Left-handers are said to have supernatural qualities. In certain religions the left hand is the source of death and destruction, while the Bible tells of those damned at the Last Judgment being sent to the left. This is ultimately down to the human need for patterns they can recognize. Classifying individuals by criteria such as which hand they use is very simplistic. Even if it’s nonsense some people feel reassured by this classification: we are here, and you – the others – are over there.

DW: Do left-handers need special products or aids?

With activities such as writing with a fountain pen or using scissors, left-handers benefit greatly from using optimized instruments. It would be the same with right-handers who would normally have to use left-handed scissors. In Germany, at least, there is now a wide range of products specially made for left-handers – even purses with the coins compartment on the left. With the correct pen, left-handers write just as well or poorly as right-handers. The notion that they have problems writing from left to right is a myth. The only important thing is to ensure that children hold their hand straight when writing, as right-handers do, instead of adopting the widespread but unhealthy hooked-hand style.

21.07.2015 DW fit und gesund Sebastian Jutzi 2

Sebastian Jutzi is biologist and science journalist. He himself is ambidextrous, and has a number of publications on the issue of left-handed people.

http://www.fischerverlage.de/buch/nur_fuer_linkshaender/9783651000445

Interview: Marita Brinkmann