Are Left Handed People more likely to be thinkers?

[Ryan Rudolph]

It is a question I have returned to many times. I first became interested in the idea when I realized that there isn't much intellectual history in my biological family, yet It seems that I do possess intellectual ability in some areas of thinking. And being left handed, I started to wonder if 'handedness' is a critical factor in some of my mental abilities. After a bit of research, I realized that many health and mental obstacles in my early childhood could be due to my handedness. However, such significant weaknesses could give rise to the possibility of significant strengthens.

According to many statistical studies, left-handed people represent about 10% of the population, yet they occupy a disproportionate percentage of intellectual positions in society, given their current frequency. Some scientists wonder why natural selection hasn't wiped out left-handedness given how many health and mental weaknesses these individuals are usually born with. And there are many theories out there as to why left-handedness persists in the genepool.

Just for curiosity sake, post whether you are right or left handed to see if more than 10% of the GF posters here are left-handed. It would be a way to prove or disprove the above study. Moreover, if the right handedness intellectuals on the forum constitute less than 90%, then perhaps this data indicates that left-handed people have a higher probability of becoming intellectuals.

[Carl G]

Just for curiosity sake, post whether you are right or left handed to see if more than 10% of the GF posters here are left-handed.

I don't see what this would indicate, as we don't know what percentage of GF posters are thinkers.

[Ryan Rudolph]

Carl,

I think we can measure to various degrees the level of intellectual performance from members. And what the study should focus on is what strengthens do right handedness people have over left-handedness people, and vice versa - because if each individual is using different parts of the brain for cognitive activity, and if those areas in the brain are slightly different sizes between left and right handedness individuals, then a generalized pattern of differences and similarities maybe able to be observed.

[Carl G]

Ryan,

I think we would need to measure the intellectual prowess of our membership before canvassing for the biosphere of their handedness. I don't think it is wise to do both together, not and expect usable data.

How do you think we could determine the level of intellectual performance of our self-polling members (those who respond to your call for handedness)? And who is the "we" you propose would do the determining. Would it be an investigating board, for instance, composed, let's say, of yourself plus QRS?

[Cory Duchesne]

I'm a right-hander, and I'm of the sort of temperament that instinctively shuns the idea of left handers having some innate intellectual advantage over us right handers.

BUT...

If I man up, it makes sense that left handed people would be more 'right brained' in their thinking, and since the right brain has been identified as the source of spatial reasoning, it makes sense that left handed people would be unusually high in intellectual achievement. Also, lefty's appear to have more testosterone, which leads to a masculine evenness in temperament, as well as the kind of drive often needed for high achievement.

[Nick]

Cory,

Based on what I've read, the left brain's thought processes are more logical, sequential, rational, analytical, objective, and "looks at parts". While the right brain's thought processes are more random, intuitive, holistic, synthesizing, subjective, and "looks at wholes". I've also read that left handers have their brain hemisphere's reversed, meaning that the the left brain is the "intuitive" side, while right brain is the "logical" side (the opposite of right handers). Based on this, whether you are right or left handed would have nothing to do with which side of your brain your thinking most aligns with. Personally, I am right handed and I have very strong components from both the left and right brain, so I don't see any correlation of that sort in myself.

[Dan Rowden]

SRQ are all right-handed.

This myth is busted!!

[Cory Duchesne]

*smug smile* That's what I wanted to hear. Damn this left-handed supremacist Ryan Rudolph guy. Send him to the G-forum gallows.

[Dan Rowden]

This is Worldly Matters - I think he's already there.

[Cory Duchesne]

No, you should set up a gallows forum. Ryan should be condemned to that forum. So should Carl. Just those two.

I don't know if I've made myself clear.

[Dan Rowden]

I think Carl has pretty much chosen his fate. I figure he must be left handed.

[DHodges]

I am left handed.

Being left handed is not such an either-or proposition as it might seem at first. Many people are left handed for certain things, but do other things right handed (play guitar, bat, shoot, etc.). It doesn't always match up with the dominant foot or dominant eye, either.

In general, I think the left handed / right handed thing is not too big a deal. But I have noticed in the actuarial world a type of person who is left handed, blue eyed, good at music and math (of course). This type is far more common in the actuarial world than in the world in general.

So I don't think being left-handed makes you a 'good' thinker, but it might correlate with a tendancy to a certain type of thought (logical/mathematical/musical).

[Ryan Rudolph]

Dan,

SRQ are all right-handed.

The myth is not busted yet Danny. The motive behind my questioning of handedness on the forum is to determine if in a group of intellectual people, is there a disproportionate amount of lefthanders based on the numbers of lefthanders in the genepool.

For instance: because lefthanders only make up 10% of the gene pool, it would be odd if 25% of the intellectuals on the forum were left handed, it is a question of probability.

Here is the early data:

Kevin: Right
David: Right
Dan: Right
Cory: Right
Nick: Right

Ryan: Left
DHodges: Left

Early Results: In an intellectual community, 28% of the intellectuals questioned were left handed. Of course, the number is still too small to come to any sort of conclusion, but you get the idea…

Nick,

Based on what I've read, the left brain's thought processes are more logical, sequential, rational, analytical, objective, and "looks at parts". While the right brain's thought processes are more random, intuitive, holistic, synthesizing, subjective, and "looks at wholes". I've also read that left handers have their brain hemisphere's reversed, meaning that the the left brain is the "intuitive" side, while right brain is the "logical" side (the opposite of right handers). Based on this, whether you are right or left handed would have nothing to do with which side of your brain your thinking most aligns with. Personally, I am right handed and I have very strong components from both the left and right brain, so I don't see any correlation of that sort in myself.

I’m not saying that right handed people cannot be intellectuals, I’m just wondering if left handed people have some neurological advantage giving them a higher chance of becoming intellectuals.

If there is any truth to the idea, it might be based on the theory that the right hemisphere of left handed people is larger, while the left hemisphere is smaller, giving them more neurological space for the development of language and logic, which could be an advantage. However, left handed people could allocate those brain resources to other activities or talents…

Carl,

How do you think we could determine the level of intellectual performance of our self-polling members (those who respond to your call for handedness)? And who is the "we" you propose would do the determining. Would it be an investigating board, for instance, composed, let's say, of yourself plus QRS?

I could tally up two numbers, one assuming all the GF members who participate are intellectuals, but that number would have some level of error in it. And then I could tally up another number in private based on my own personal judgment.

Cory,

*smug smile* That's what I wanted to hear. Damn this left-handed supremacist Ryan Rudolph guy. Send him to the G-forum gallows.

Hey Cory, I also read another study that explains how right handedness people are ill equipped in fighting left handed people because the lack of experience gives left handers a significant advantage in combat situations… just a piece of information I thought you might find interesting old buddy…

[Diebert van Rhijn]

because if each individual is using different parts of the brain for cognitive activity, and if those areas in the brain are slightly different sizes between left and right handedness individuals, then a generalized pattern of differences and similarities maybe able to be observed.

The problem I suspect Ryan is that orientation in handedness might not be a 1:1 correlation to lateral differences in cognitive activity. This wiki article refers to research which states that only 18.8% of left-hands compared to 5% of right-hands would differ in brain usage. The difference then might not be large enough to measure by rough statistical methods as you're applying.

Nevertheless, I'm in the right camp - with some history of ambidexterity though. For example I often have my fork and knife swapped around in my hands at the table compared to the others. Although I have no problem swapping this. On these and similar occasions people at time assume I'm left-handed. My brother is actually left-handed.

[Carl G]

No, you should set up a gallows forum. Ryan should be condemned to that forum. So should Carl. Just those two.

I don't know if I've made myself clear.

Yup, you consider Ryan and myself Christ-like.

We forgive you.

[Cory Duchesne]

Forgiveness, huh? ....a peculiar and alien concept.

[Carl G]

Oh, interesting, you're extraterrestrial. From which planet do you hale?

[Cory Duchesne]

Oh, interesting, you're extraterrestrial. From which planet do you hale?

Don't be so gullible, Carl. I'm not an extraterrestrial.

[Ataraxia]

I am left handed.

Being left handed is not such an either-or proposition as it might seem at first. Many people are left handed for certain things, but do other things right handed (play guitar, bat, shoot, etc.). It doesn't always match up with the dominant foot or dominant eye, either.

Yeah,I'm left handed but bat,play golf and snowboard right handed/footed.

Strangely, I hold a rifle left handed but am right eyed--which makes me a terible shooter.No great loss as far as I'm concerned.

[DHodges]

Strangely, I hold a rifle left handed but am right eyed--which makes me a terible shooter.No great loss as far as I'm concerned.

I am right eye dominant, so I shoot rifle right handed. I have not had any problem with it. Being able to see the target is more important than the minor dexterity needed to pull a trigger.

Also, there aren't that many left handed rifles.

[MySuicide.X.MyBride]

I'm ambidextrous leaning towards left-handedness. I use a computer mouse, dribble a basketball, and currently play guitar right-handed though. I also mainly use my right leg when kicking or playing hacky sack. You'd have to take my personal opinion that I am thinker though, as my contributions so far haven't demonstrated much.

[Ignius]

I use my left hand for jacking-off. Does that count?

Guess why? (Come on...)

[MySuicide.X.MyBride]

I use my left hand for jacking-off. Does that count?

Guess why? (Come on...)

Right hand on the mouse... >.<

[Elizabeth Isabelle]

I was born left handed, but retrained to be right handed because my mother believed that left-handed people were possessed by the devil. I tried to un-re-train myself, but when I learned that switching handedness causes stuttering (and I did have a stuttering problem) I just stayed with right-handedness.

[mansman]

I was amazed to learn that at least many though it appeared to be most of the last several presidential candidates and presidents including Obama are left-handed, very odd indeed wouldnt you say.

Me, well i shake with the right and wipe with the left-- guess its a tie.

M