The majority of humanity is right-handed. Therefore, people often refer to their closest ones as “the right hand”, and never as “the left hand”. But why do people use their left hand so infrequently? Approximately 95-98% of people are right-handed. Physiology calls this a beneficial phenomenon and explains that it is due to influences inherited from the labor and combat practices of our distant ancestors.
Rooted in Deep Causes
During the Stone Age, humans lived in groups, and when fighting wild animals, they would instinctively wield spears or axes with their right hand while keeping their left hand bent to protect the most vital part of their body, the heart, located in the left chest. Many ancient cave paintings from thousands of years ago illustrate this. Later on, warriors used weapons with their right hand, while their left hand held shields for protection. Natural selection, combined with training and practice, made this beneficial phenomenon increasingly common.
Historically, most tools have been designed for right-handed use. As a result, left-handed people may encounter some challenges in daily life. However, due to early adaptation, most left-handed individuals find this normal. Left-handed people tend to be more agile than right-handed individuals. Statistics show that out of every 15 students in the French fencing team, 8 are left-handed. At one point, more than half of the members of the Chinese table tennis team were not right-handed. Not only are left-handed individuals more active, but with diligent practice, they can also enhance their intelligence!
Are Left-Handed People Smarter?
The brain is divided into two hemispheres: left and right. Each side has functions related to the opposite side of the body. The left hemisphere controls most of the activities on the right side of the body and is particularly associated with language development, known as the “language-dominant hemisphere.” Here, sensory impulses converge to form language signals and abstract concepts. Consequently, the left hemisphere is more oriented towards rational cognitive stages and the formation of abstract thinking.
The right hemisphere controls the left side of the body. Through integration, sensory impulses create concrete images of objects, people, space, and time. Therefore, the right hemisphere tends to focus on emotional cognition, referred to as the “non-verbal dominant hemisphere.” The left hemisphere controls the right hand, while the right hemisphere controls the left hand. When we move our hands (especially our fingers), we can stimulate cells in specific areas, promoting brain development. This means that if someone frequently uses their right hand, their left hemisphere will develop more, and vice versa.
The process from visual perception to reaction differs between right-handed and left-handed individuals. For right-handed people, the neural pathway takes the form of “left hemisphere – right hand.” For left-handed individuals, it is “right hemisphere – left hand.” Clearly, the information from vision to movement in left-handed individuals bypasses one step, allowing for quicker reactions.
Should You Train Your Left Hand?
In reality, the two hemispheres of the brain both have distinct roles and collaborate to complement each other, while also restricting and compensating for each other. Typically, the two hemispheres work together for coordinated action. This is how you achieve precise movements. Training your left hand does not mean you will become left-handed; it simply enhances the activity of the left side, stimulating balanced brain development.
The first step is to flex and extend your left fingers, one by one. Repeat this until you master it. The second step is to perform some dexterous tasks with your left hand, such as threading a needle or drawing. The third step is to do tasks that were previously done only with the right hand using the left hand until you become proficient. Be persistent, and you will gradually find that not only do you have more dexterous hands, but your body will also become more agile, think faster, and exhibit noticeable intelligence growth.
Whether one is right-handed or left-handed is partly innate. Some people view left-handedness as a flaw and strive to correct it. This is a misconception. Scientists conducted interviews with two groups of children. The first group consisted of left-handed children who were “corrected” to be right-handed, while the second group consisted of naturally left-handed children. The results showed that many children in the first group struggled with fluency of speech and had slower cognitive development. In contrast, the second group responded fluently like any other normal children. Thus, attempting to correct left-handed individuals is pointless.
Women Always Hold Their Babies with Their Left Hand.
Another interesting fact about the left hand: Women always hold their babies with their left hand. A recent study revealed that women’s right hemisphere (which controls the left side of the body) processes information about faces. Therefore, when cradling the baby on the left, they can monitor the child’s condition better.
Brenda Todd and Victoria Bourne, two psychologists from the University of Sussex (UK), examined the baby-holding habits of right-handed individuals. These individuals were also tested to see which part of the brain they used to assess faces. When asked to hold a baby or a doll, in two-thirds of cases, women held it on their left side. Among men, there was no such disparity.
Researchers found that women who held children with their left hand activated their right brain in processing facial information. Meanwhile, no such correlation was found in men.
Scientists suggest that the right hemisphere of women has adapted to recognize facial changes and emotions. This means that information in their left visual field (such as when holding the baby on the left) goes directly to the right hemisphere of the brain. Thus, cradling a child on the left side is the optimal position for mothers to assess their child’s condition.
