Aristotle, Einstein, Freud or even Beethoven had one thing in common: they were left-handed. Indeed, this characteristic, which concerns only about 10% of the population, is found more often among artists and creators.
From here to claiming that left-handed people are more creative than right-handed people, there is only one step. That can be crossed, it seems, because, indeed, left-handed people seem to have a more creative mind.
Scientists first explain it by a different cerebral lateralization. This refers to the use of both hemispheres of the brain.
Right-handed people mainly use the left hemisphere, which is particularly associated with speech, language and understanding. For their part, left-handed people more often use the right hemisphere of the brain, the source of imagination, intuition and creativity.
To take just one example, less than 1% of people mainly use their right hemisphere for language, and among them a very large majority are left-handed.
If left-handers seem to manifest, as a whole, a more developed creative mind than right-handers, it would be mainly because of this particular cerebral lateralization.
Indeed, they would use more the right hemisphere of the brain where most right-handed people will rely on the left hemisphere. In addition, studies show that, in left-handed people, the two hemispheres of the brain would be connected by a better connection.
But there is another, more prosaic reason. If left-handed people show more creativity, it's because they live in a world that is not made for them. In fact, everything is organized, in daily life, for right-handers who represent the vast majority of the population.
Also, left-handed people must demonstrate greater inventiveness to perform many daily tasks. It would be this need to adapt to a world not designed for them that would have developed the creativity of left-handed people.
It should also be noted that they seem superior to right-handers in other areas. They would thus have more facility to express themselves in public and would be capable of better sports performances.
12 unknown facts about left-handers
Here are some little-known facts about left-handers :
1- Left-handers make up about 10% of the population.
2- Left-handedness is more common in twins than in single births.
3- Lefties tend to be more independent and adaptable, as they have to navigate a world that is largely built for right-handed individuals.
4- Lefties are more likely to pursue creative careers in the arts, music, sports, and information-technology fields.
5- Left-handed people may have an IQ of 131 or higher, and some famous lefties include Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, and Albert Einstein.
6- Lefties are more likely to have allergies than right-handed people.
7- Left-handedness is more common in men than in women.
8- Lefties are better at multitasking and may approach task and memory performance differently than right-handed people.
9- Left-handedness may be associated with a higher risk of certain health conditions, such as psychosis.
10- Left-handedness is sometimes referred to as "southpaw" in sports, as left-handers would pitch "south" of the diamond in order to accommodate their left-handed throws.
11- Left-handed people are better drivers than righties.
12- International Left-Handers Day was established in 1976 to raise awareness of the challenges lefties face in a right-handed world.
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