18 reasons why being left-handed will give your kid a leg up in life
Six of the last 12 U.S. presidents were lefties — coincidence or sign of greatness?
They're More Likely to Be President
They're More Likely To Be President
Prepare to have your mind blown: Six out of the last 12 U.S. presidents have been left-handed. Only 1 out of 10 people in the general population share that same trait, so that's a pretty wild percentage. What is it that makes a leftie so presidential? No one is quite sure of the exact reason, but one Stanford study found that those with a dominant left hand are better at "divergent thinking," which means they're good at coming up with fresh ideas from existing information — definitely a useful skill for a president.
They're More Likely to Be a Genius Billionaire
They're More Likely To Be A Genius
Lefties can count Apple founder Steve Jobs, Facebook whiz Mark Zuckerberg, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, former richest man in the world Bill Gates and actress-turned-humanitarian Angelina Jolie among their ranks. One possible reason for the link between lefties and huge wealth? A study published in the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Neuropsychology found that lefties possess key traits related leadership — including inhibitory control and working memory operations — which may make them better suited for business.
They're More Creative Thinkers
They're More Creative Thinkers
You may have heard that left-handed people are more creative than right-handed ones and there may be a grain of truth to the old adage. Lefties have more "mental flexibility" than the rest of the population, according to that JECN study. Translation? A leftie is more likely to think out-of-the-box and be creative — perhaps like fellow lefties Justin Beiber, Lady Gaga, Jon Stewart and Jerry Seinfeld.
They Have Less Risk of Some Diseases
They Have Less Risk Of Some Diseases
Lefties seem to have some protection against ulcers and arthritis, according to a surprising study published in the journal "Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition." Why? It's likely nothing to do with left-handedness itself but rather the underlying DNA — genes associated with being a southpaw may also mitigate risk for those diseases, the researchers found.
They Get Lost Less
They Get Lost Less
Spatial skills are one of the most underrated superpowers — having a good awareness of your surroundings and how you fit into them can help with everything from remembering where you parked to reading a map. And left-handed folk have better spatial abilities than their right-handed counterparts, according to the JECN study.
They Recover Faster From Some Injuries
They Recover Faster From Some Injuries
Of course you hope that your child never suffers a stroke or other event that causes brain damage, but if that does happen over the course of their life, they may recover better if they're a leftie, according to research published in the journal "Nature." The cognitive functions of left-handed people appear to be spread over more parts of the brain, making them less likely to be affected by a stroke, the researchers found.
They Exhibit More Self-Control
They Exhibit More Self-Control
According to the famous "marshmallow test" — in which children are given a marshmallow and then told they must wait to eat it — there is perhaps no trait that better predicts future success than self-control. Kids who can control their impulses and delay gratification do better in school and in their future careers. Good news for lefties: Left-handed people have better "inhibitory control," helping them do just that, according to the JECN study.
They're More Efficient at Multitasking
They're More Efficient At Multitasking
Another key finding from the JECN study was that lefties have a better working memory than righties. The working memory is the part of your brain that juggles short-term and on-going tasks, giving left-handed kids an edge at school and at video games.
They're Better at Secret Handshakes
They're Better At Secret Handshakes
Secret handshakes are always cool, but if it's two right-handed kids then you're limited to the same moves. Throw in a leftie and they can mirror each other which everyone knows looks way cooler.
They Have Surprise Advantages At Sports
They Have Surprise Advantages At Sports
Sports like gymnastics, baseball, tennis, basketball and pole vaulting change significantly depending on which hand is the dominant one. Aside from style differences, this may give some practical advantages to left-handed athletes. For example, the same tumbling move done with a different hand placement may look novel, attracting more attention from judges or a left-handed batter may throw off a pitcher's spatial perception by standing on the opposite side of the base. The advantage is particularly strong in tennis and baseball, according to a study done by Penn State.
They Get Their Own Personal Scissors
They Get Their Own Personal Scissors
Left-handed scissors are a rare find, but they're worth every penny for the added comfort and dexterity they offer. So, while all the other kids in kindergarten have to fight over the box of communal scissors, your child will have their pair all to themselves.
They're More Competitive
They're More Competitive
A kid with a competitive edge can go a long way in this dog-eat-dog world and lefties are more likely to be competitive than cooperative, according to a Northwestern study. Chalk it up to evolution: The more importance cooperation is to a society, the more likely the society is to exhibit same-handedness. Being an anomaly doesn't mean your child will be mean but rather that they may be willing to buck societal norms to accomplish their dreams.
They Get First Dibs On Seats At the Table
They Get First Dibs On Seats At The Table
Lefties eat with their opposite elbow out, which often leaves dining companions to choose between getting elbowed periodically through the meal or simply letting the left-handed kid have the left edge seat. Most people learn pretty quickly it's better for everyone's digestion if you just let them have their pick of the chairs first.
They Earn Extra Attention From Teachers
They Earn Extra Attention From Teachers
Learning to write is tricky enough, but for the 10% of children who write left-handed, it can be even harder — not the writing itself, but the fact that the lessons are usually done by right-handed teachers. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it means lefties may get more one-on-one instruction.
They're More Likely to Be a Twin
They're More Likely To Be A Twin
If you're a twin or a parent of a twin, you know that being a twin is awesome for many reasons — for starters, you have built-in best friend, confidante and clothing-sharer. FYI: Twins are twice as likely to be left-handed, found a Belgian study. It was previously thought that twins mirrored each other, with one being a rightie and the other a leftie, but this study disproved the common myth and found 21% of all twins are left-handed.
They Get Their Own Baseball Glove
They Get Their Own Baseball Glove
Right-handed kids catch with their left hands and have to wear gloves designed for that. This means that your left-handed child will usually get the one right mitt in gym class — which is hopefully the newer, less stinky option.
They're Better Fighters
They're Better Fighters
Left-handed people are better at fighting — at least in primitive societies. French researchers found that in peaceful societies, just 3% of citizens were left-handed, but that number rose to nearly 30% in the most war-like societies. While you may not want your child to come out swinging, this instinct can be channeled into more positive traits — like not being afraid to stand up for themselves or their friends and family.
They Use a Bowling Ball Designed Just for Them
They Use A Bowling Bowl Designed Just For Them
Bowling balls are actually designed to be either right- or left- handed. While they all have the same three holes drilled, the length of each hole varies depending on which finger is intended to go into it. This means that, similar to a baseball glove and scissors, a left-handed kid needs his or her very own ball.
They're More Likely to Be President
They're More Likely To Be President
Prepare to have your mind blown: Six out of the last 12 U.S. presidents have been left-handed. Only 1 out of 10 people in the general population share that same trait, so that's a pretty wild percentage. What is it that makes a leftie so presidential? No one is quite sure of the exact reason, but one Stanford study found that those with a dominant left hand are better at "divergent thinking," which means they're good at coming up with fresh ideas from existing information — definitely a useful skill for a president.
They're More Likely to Be a Genius Billionaire
They're More Likely To Be A Genius
Lefties can count Apple founder Steve Jobs, Facebook whiz Mark Zuckerberg, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, former richest man in the world Bill Gates and actress-turned-humanitarian Angelina Jolie among their ranks. One possible reason for the link between lefties and huge wealth? A study published in the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Neuropsychology found that lefties possess key traits related leadership — including inhibitory control and working memory operations — which may make them better suited for business.
They're More Creative Thinkers
They're More Creative Thinkers
You may have heard that left-handed people are more creative than right-handed ones and there may be a grain of truth to the old adage. Lefties have more "mental flexibility" than the rest of the population, according to that JECN study. Translation? A leftie is more likely to think out-of-the-box and be creative — perhaps like fellow lefties Justin Beiber, Lady Gaga, Jon Stewart and Jerry Seinfeld.
They Have Less Risk of Some Diseases
They Have Less Risk Of Some Diseases
Lefties seem to have some protection against ulcers and arthritis, according to a surprising study published in the journal "Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition." Why? It's likely nothing to do with left-handedness itself but rather the underlying DNA — genes associated with being a southpaw may also mitigate risk for those diseases, the researchers found.
They Get Lost Less
They Get Lost Less
Spatial skills are one of the most underrated superpowers — having a good awareness of your surroundings and how you fit into them can help with everything from remembering where you parked to reading a map. And left-handed folk have better spatial abilities than their right-handed counterparts, according to the JECN study.
They Recover Faster From Some Injuries
They Recover Faster From Some Injuries
Of course you hope that your child never suffers a stroke or other event that causes brain damage, but if that does happen over the course of their life, they may recover better if they're a leftie, according to research published in the journal "Nature." The cognitive functions of left-handed people appear to be spread over more parts of the brain, making them less likely to be affected by a stroke, the researchers found.
They Exhibit More Self-Control
They Exhibit More Self-Control
According to the famous "marshmallow test" — in which children are given a marshmallow and then told they must wait to eat it — there is perhaps no trait that better predicts future success than self-control. Kids who can control their impulses and delay gratification do better in school and in their future careers. Good news for lefties: Left-handed people have better "inhibitory control," helping them do just that, according to the JECN study.
They're More Efficient at Multitasking
They're More Efficient At Multitasking
Another key finding from the JECN study was that lefties have a better working memory than righties. The working memory is the part of your brain that juggles short-term and on-going tasks, giving left-handed kids an edge at school and at video games.
They're Better at Secret Handshakes
They're Better At Secret Handshakes
Secret handshakes are always cool, but if it's two right-handed kids then you're limited to the same moves. Throw in a leftie and they can mirror each other which everyone knows looks way cooler.
They Have Surprise Advantages At Sports
They Have Surprise Advantages At Sports
Sports like gymnastics, baseball, tennis, basketball and pole vaulting change significantly depending on which hand is the dominant one. Aside from style differences, this may give some practical advantages to left-handed athletes. For example, the same tumbling move done with a different hand placement may look novel, attracting more attention from judges or a left-handed batter may throw off a pitcher's spatial perception by standing on the opposite side of the base. The advantage is particularly strong in tennis and baseball, according to a study done by Penn State.
They Get Their Own Personal Scissors
They Get Their Own Personal Scissors
Left-handed scissors are a rare find, but they're worth every penny for the added comfort and dexterity they offer. So, while all the other kids in kindergarten have to fight over the box of communal scissors, your child will have their pair all to themselves.
They're More Competitive
They're More Competitive
A kid with a competitive edge can go a long way in this dog-eat-dog world and lefties are more likely to be competitive than cooperative, according to a Northwestern study. Chalk it up to evolution: The more importance cooperation is to a society, the more likely the society is to exhibit same-handedness. Being an anomaly doesn't mean your child will be mean but rather that they may be willing to buck societal norms to accomplish their dreams.
They Get First Dibs On Seats At the Table
They Get First Dibs On Seats At The Table
Lefties eat with their opposite elbow out, which often leaves dining companions to choose between getting elbowed periodically through the meal or simply letting the left-handed kid have the left edge seat. Most people learn pretty quickly it's better for everyone's digestion if you just let them have their pick of the chairs first.
They Earn Extra Attention From Teachers
They Earn Extra Attention From Teachers
Learning to write is tricky enough, but for the 10% of children who write left-handed, it can be even harder — not the writing itself, but the fact that the lessons are usually done by right-handed teachers. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it means lefties may get more one-on-one instruction.
They're More Likely to Be a Twin
They're More Likely To Be A Twin
If you're a twin or a parent of a twin, you know that being a twin is awesome for many reasons — for starters, you have built-in best friend, confidante and clothing-sharer. FYI: Twins are twice as likely to be left-handed, found a Belgian study. It was previously thought that twins mirrored each other, with one being a rightie and the other a leftie, but this study disproved the common myth and found 21% of all twins are left-handed.
They Get Their Own Baseball Glove
They Get Their Own Baseball Glove
Right-handed kids catch with their left hands and have to wear gloves designed for that. This means that your left-handed child will usually get the one right mitt in gym class — which is hopefully the newer, less stinky option.
They're Better Fighters
They're Better Fighters
Left-handed people are better at fighting — at least in primitive societies. French researchers found that in peaceful societies, just 3% of citizens were left-handed, but that number rose to nearly 30% in the most war-like societies. While you may not want your child to come out swinging, this instinct can be channeled into more positive traits — like not being afraid to stand up for themselves or their friends and family.
They Use a Bowling Ball Designed Just for Them
They Use A Bowling Bowl Designed Just For Them
Bowling balls are actually designed to be either right- or left- handed. While they all have the same three holes drilled, the length of each hole varies depending on which finger is intended to go into it. This means that, similar to a baseball glove and scissors, a left-handed kid needs his or her very own ball.
They're More Likely to Be President
They're More Likely To Be President
Prepare to have your mind blown: Six out of the last 12 U.S. presidents have been left-handed. Only 1 out of 10 people in the general population share that same trait, so that's a pretty wild percentage. What is it that makes a leftie so presidential? No one is quite sure of the exact reason, but one Stanford study found that those with a dominant left hand are better at "divergent thinking," which means they're good at coming up with fresh ideas from existing information — definitely a useful skill for a president.
They're More Likely to Be a Genius Billionaire
They're More Likely To Be A Genius
Lefties can count Apple founder Steve Jobs, Facebook whiz Mark Zuckerberg, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, former richest man in the world Bill Gates and actress-turned-humanitarian Angelina Jolie among their ranks. One possible reason for the link between lefties and huge wealth? A study published in the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Neuropsychology found that lefties possess key traits related leadership — including inhibitory control and working memory operations — which may make them better suited for business.
They're More Creative Thinkers
They're More Creative Thinkers
You may have heard that left-handed people are more creative than right-handed ones and there may be a grain of truth to the old adage. Lefties have more "mental flexibility" than the rest of the population, according to that JECN study. Translation? A leftie is more likely to think out-of-the-box and be creative — perhaps like fellow lefties Justin Beiber, Lady Gaga, Jon Stewart and Jerry Seinfeld.
They Have Less Risk of Some Diseases
They Have Less Risk Of Some Diseases
Lefties seem to have some protection against ulcers and arthritis, according to a surprising study published in the journal "Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition." Why? It's likely nothing to do with left-handedness itself but rather the underlying DNA — genes associated with being a southpaw may also mitigate risk for those diseases, the researchers found.
They Get Lost Less
They Get Lost Less
Spatial skills are one of the most underrated superpowers — having a good awareness of your surroundings and how you fit into them can help with everything from remembering where you parked to reading a map. And left-handed folk have better spatial abilities than their right-handed counterparts, according to the JECN study.
They Recover Faster From Some Injuries
They Recover Faster From Some Injuries
Of course you hope that your child never suffers a stroke or other event that causes brain damage, but if that does happen over the course of their life, they may recover better if they're a leftie, according to research published in the journal "Nature." The cognitive functions of left-handed people appear to be spread over more parts of the brain, making them less likely to be affected by a stroke, the researchers found.
They Exhibit More Self-Control
They Exhibit More Self-Control
According to the famous "marshmallow test" — in which children are given a marshmallow and then told they must wait to eat it — there is perhaps no trait that better predicts future success than self-control. Kids who can control their impulses and delay gratification do better in school and in their future careers. Good news for lefties: Left-handed people have better "inhibitory control," helping them do just that, according to the JECN study.
They're More Efficient at Multitasking
They're More Efficient At Multitasking
Another key finding from the JECN study was that lefties have a better working memory than righties. The working memory is the part of your brain that juggles short-term and on-going tasks, giving left-handed kids an edge at school and at video games.
They're Better at Secret Handshakes
They're Better At Secret Handshakes
Secret handshakes are always cool, but if it's two right-handed kids then you're limited to the same moves. Throw in a leftie and they can mirror each other which everyone knows looks way cooler.
They Have Surprise Advantages At Sports
They Have Surprise Advantages At Sports
Sports like gymnastics, baseball, tennis, basketball and pole vaulting change significantly depending on which hand is the dominant one. Aside from style differences, this may give some practical advantages to left-handed athletes. For example, the same tumbling move done with a different hand placement may look novel, attracting more attention from judges or a left-handed batter may throw off a pitcher's spatial perception by standing on the opposite side of the base. The advantage is particularly strong in tennis and baseball, according to a study done by Penn State.
They Get Their Own Personal Scissors
They Get Their Own Personal Scissors
Left-handed scissors are a rare find, but they're worth every penny for the added comfort and dexterity they offer. So, while all the other kids in kindergarten have to fight over the box of communal scissors, your child will have their pair all to themselves.
They're More Competitive
They're More Competitive
A kid with a competitive edge can go a long way in this dog-eat-dog world and lefties are more likely to be competitive than cooperative, according to a Northwestern study. Chalk it up to evolution: The more importance cooperation is to a society, the more likely the society is to exhibit same-handedness. Being an anomaly doesn't mean your child will be mean but rather that they may be willing to buck societal norms to accomplish their dreams.
They Get First Dibs On Seats At the Table
They Get First Dibs On Seats At The Table
Lefties eat with their opposite elbow out, which often leaves dining companions to choose between getting elbowed periodically through the meal or simply letting the left-handed kid have the left edge seat. Most people learn pretty quickly it's better for everyone's digestion if you just let them have their pick of the chairs first.
They Earn Extra Attention From Teachers
They Earn Extra Attention From Teachers
Learning to write is tricky enough, but for the 10% of children who write left-handed, it can be even harder — not the writing itself, but the fact that the lessons are usually done by right-handed teachers. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as it means lefties may get more one-on-one instruction.
They're More Likely to Be a Twin
They're More Likely To Be A Twin
If you're a twin or a parent of a twin, you know that being a twin is awesome for many reasons — for starters, you have built-in best friend, confidante and clothing-sharer. FYI: Twins are twice as likely to be left-handed, found a Belgian study. It was previously thought that twins mirrored each other, with one being a rightie and the other a leftie, but this study disproved the common myth and found 21% of all twins are left-handed.
They Get Their Own Baseball Glove
They Get Their Own Baseball Glove
Right-handed kids catch with their left hands and have to wear gloves designed for that. This means that your left-handed child will usually get the one right mitt in gym class — which is hopefully the newer, less stinky option.
They're Better Fighters
They're Better Fighters
Left-handed people are better at fighting — at least in primitive societies. French researchers found that in peaceful societies, just 3% of citizens were left-handed, but that number rose to nearly 30% in the most war-like societies. While you may not want your child to come out swinging, this instinct can be channeled into more positive traits — like not being afraid to stand up for themselves or their friends and family.
They Use a Bowling Ball Designed Just for Them
They Use A Bowling Bowl Designed Just For Them
Bowling balls are actually designed to be either right- or left- handed. While they all have the same three holes drilled, the length of each hole varies depending on which finger is intended to go into it. This means that, similar to a baseball glove and scissors, a left-handed kid needs his or her very own ball.
Six of the last 12 U.S. presidents were lefties — coincidence or sign of greatness?
From lowered chance of certain diseases and a larger probability of becoming genius billionaire, being a leftie isn't all that bad!