The way I view it, everyone needs to be who he or she really is and no one deserves to be “left” out because they fail to fall into the majority category.

The number of left-handed people has increased from three per cent 100 years ago, to 11 per cent today, according to a study by University College London Psychology Professor, Chris McManus.

McManus believes the increase is due to the reduction in the attempts in forcing people to write with their right hands. He also commented on the difficulty of actually defining left-handedness, as there is no clear-cut reason. Historically some people have claimed that left-handed people have suffered severe discrimination in the 18th and 19th centuries and were known as “gibble-fists.”

Victorians forced their children to utilize their right hands and occasionally some schoolchildren in the 1960s had their left hands tied behind their backs, which made it impossible to use them.

For thousands of years, the devil has also been linked with the left hand in various ways. In the 17th century, it was believed that the devil baptized his followers with his left hand and there are many references to the left side being associated with evil. There was also the myth that we can only see ghosts if we look over our left shoulder and that the devil watches us from that direction. In addition there are many other superstitions associated with the left side such as: getting out of bed with the left foot signifying a bad day, or if the right eye twitches you will see a friend and a left eye that twitches means you’ll see an enemy. There are many more besides these demonstrating that the left hand or side pertains to negativity, but there are some positives as well such as the belief that left-handedness is a sign of good luck.

Some accomplished lefthanders

Many theories have evolved concerning left-handed people. There has been this interesting connection between left-handed people and creative genius. When it comes to the art world, both Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were left-handed. In music, Ludwig van Beethoven was left-handed, and so were Benjamin Franklin, Issac Newton and Albert Einstein. In addition others are Charles Chaplin, Bobby Fisher, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Alexander the Great, Bill Clinton, Marilyn Monroe and Wynton Marsalis.

But coping in the real world being left handed in addition to being so exceptional than most people, is not an easy matter either.

A study has proven that connections between the left and right hand sides or hemispheres of the brain are faster in left-handed people. The fast transfer of information in the brain makes left-handers more efficient when dealing with multiple stimuli and researchers have discovered that left-handers tended to use both sides of the brain more efficiently. Research in Sweden has also shown some interesting results that may determine why some people are left-handed. They have stated that women who have children later in life are more likely to give birth to a left-handed individual. In addition they have discovered that there is a 30 percent increase in the child being left handed if the mother has an ultrasound scan.

Dr. Lance Workman, psychologist and lecturer at the University of Glamorgan in South Wales, comments that many of the past left-handed negativity is due to minority prejudice and the fact that the Bible has always said that the right hand is positive and the left hand has a sinister side. There are no definite conclusions and proof of anything. The reasoning behind handedness centers on protection, convenience, genetics, environment, brain hemisphere dominances, birthing processes, and the effect of body chemical levels. Researchers have been somewhat reluctant to explore this realm because of the endless contradictions. Perhaps in the future more inquiry will be conducted to see why we are the way we are.

Years ago, when I was teaching at an elementary school, I would have to rummage around throughout the school and in the stores for a left- handed pair of scissors for that child in my class who needed them. She would try to cut with the right- handed pair but it was impossible to do a good job and eventually someone would have to cut for her. To be perfectly honest, it was quite rare to have a left-handed child in the class, but today there are many more and they are no longer struggling to fit in.

The handedness situation does tend to run in families, although, even when both parents are left-handed, there is only a 26 per cent chance of their child being left-handed. Genetics is not the sole cause, therefore handedness must also be influenced by other theories. It is also quite interesting to note that many members of the British royal family are left-handed; the Queen, Prince Charles, and Prince William.

There is no doubt that we do exist in a right-handed society, which manufactures most basics for a right-handed nation. But left-handed individuals should not feel too badly as they belong to a very elite society of the greatest geniuses such as artists, scientists, royalty, celebrities and leaders and people who have made fascinating and memorable contributions to the world.