Study shows that only 1 out of 10 people are left-handed. It is often noticed that among the population, only a few are left-handed. However, not one hypothesis or theory has been able to definitely explain the reason behind it.
For more than a century, countless scientists have created their own hypotheses to explain the mystery behind the disproportionate numbers of left-handed people to right-handed individuals.
Most of the evidence they gathered is pointed towards the genetic influence because the number of lefties is roughly the same anywhere around the world.
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Why Are Left-Handed People Only 10% of the Population?
According to one theory, more people are right-handed because of social cooperation. That happens when communities act together using the same hand as everyone else because it is more beneficial.
While others suggest that it is based on how the brains are arranged in two hemispheres or known as the left-brain-right-brain theory. If the left brain is commonly used, it results to control of intensive language and fine motor skills and a dominant hand.
Alasdair Wilkins explains back in 2011 that left-handedness is a genetic mutation in humans' distant past caused the language centers in the brain to shift to the left hemisphere.
Although genetics likely play a role in determining a person's handedness, it is not the whole answer. Typically, left-handed parents are more likely to have left-handed children than their right-handed counterparts. But left-handed parents can still have more right-handed children overall.
There are also studies saying that estrogen levels and birth position could influence at varying levels being a left-handed or right-handed person.
In other words, there are many factors to consider in explaining why only a few of the population is left-handed, and scientists cannot tell yet the reason for being a right- or left-handed. If they do, then they will have to explain why some people tend to be ambidextrous too.
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Left-handed Personality Characteristics
Educational psychologist, author, and former UCLA associate professor Charlotte Reznick, Ph.D., said that the left-handed people like herself see the world in a different lens. But how does this impact the way they perform?
One, they are used to putting up to challenges. Since they grow up in a world full of right-handed people, they tend to be trained both as a right-handed and left-handed. According to Reznick, it is one of the most common ways that left-handed work. That makes them more flexible in a lot of work settings.
Second, lefties see and feel the general idea of every issue. Psychologist Yvonne Thomas said that left-handed people have the innate ability to come up with several options when solving a problem instead of just one black-and-white route.
Third, lefties follow their creative intuition during information processing. They do not fear approaching life or their work differently from others since they do not question their ideas so much.
Fourth, they process information much quicker, making them fast-learners who quickly catch on to new tasks. They can easily digest concepts and come up with a solution immediately.
Last but not least, left-handed people are more independent. This is partly because they have always been different from the group, so they are left to work more on their own.
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