How creative is your left side?

The fingers of one hand are not all the same, and neither are human beings, who are born to be unlike one another.

Each person is distinguished by their individual differences and psychological characteristics, which include cognitive, affective, behavioural, and genetic traits.

However, some people spend much of their time trying to fit in and be like everyone else! Unfortunately, they undervalue their differences while being unaware of their real strengths and uniqueness.

These personal differences reflect each person’s unique intelligence, personality traits, and values, which are neither fiction nor a source of worry. They contribute to shaping one’s behaviours and self-worth in life.

One of the key observable individual differences that have been remarkably prominent worldwide among humans is whether one is right-handed or left-handed.

Based on stereotypes, some people tend to view left-handed individuals differently, considering them to be abnormal since most others are right-handed!

Using the left hand while writing, using a knife, or holding something seems awkward to right-handed people.

Historically, left-handedness has often been considered a bad omen and associated with evil in some cultures and countries. The preference for either the right or left hand — and what this reveals about brain function — has been studied for many years.

In the past, naturally left-handed children were encouraged or even forced to use their right hand. This was mainly due to prejudice against the awkwardness of left-handed writing and the dominance of right-handed instruments.

Though left-handed individuals experience distinct challenges, benefits, and quirks in daily life that most right-handed people usually never consider, many creative individuals are left-handed.

Throughout the centuries, many celebrated thinkers and artists have been lefties. From Aristotle and Leonardo da Vinci to Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, and Oprah Winfrey, the world would be a very different place without the numerous notable left-handed individuals.

The long list of artistic lefties and the strong connection left-handedness has to the right side of the brain, which is linked to creativity, has reinforced the idea that lefties are more creative.

Therefore, if one has a naturally left-handed child, they should not be forced to use their right hand instead. While we know little about what influences hand preference, we know that handedness reflects the connections in the individual brain.

It is believed that babies, at a certain point while in the womb, show a clear preference for sucking one thumb over the other. Hence, handedness is probably hardwired even before a baby’s birth.

However, experts say that parents do not typically get a clear sense of their child’s dominant hand until they are 2 or 3 years old.

Most importantly, genetics play a key role in determining whether a child is right- or left-handed. On the other hand, humans are not the only ones who prefer the left and right hands.

Other creatures in the animal kingdom also exhibit a 50/50 split when it comes to which hand, foot, or paw they use the most! Among the left-handed animals are kangaroos, which tend to choose their left paw for eating. Studies have also shown that 90 per cent of parrots use their left foot to pick things up.

Accordingly, we should all pay special tribute to left-handed individuals, as they are often more creative than their right-handed counterparts. They not only write differently but also think distinctively.

As Victor Hugo, a French poet, novelist, and dramatist, said, “The left-handed are precious; they take the places that are inconvenient to the rest.” Hence, lefties are in great demand but limited in supply, making up only about 10 to 12 per cent of the world’s population.