Right / Left Handed

[nailit]

Is being left/right handed a human trait or are animals (or at least some animals) also left/right handed? (or paw, clawed etc)
And why do we have a dominant hand? Wouldn't evolution be better served by equiping us with two hands that both worked equally well?

[waterboatman]

I'm left handed, but I use a knife and fork right handed, but a spoon left handed. I shoot right handed, rifle and pistol.

[waterboatman]

I'm left footed too.

[Ken4155]

I am right handed but have psoriasis on that hand and, when it flares up, i find it impossible to do almost anything with it. Does my left hand step up to the plate? No it does not! I've rock climbed, abseiled, parachuted (sort of), canoed in fast water (not quite white water) and patrolled the streets of Belfast on 3 tours of Northern Ireland. Yet the most dangerous thing i have ever done is to attempt chopping veg with my left hand :- And when i used to play football, my left foot was for standing only. I couldn't pass a ball even a few yards accurately with my left.

[naomi24]

I write with my right hand but deal cards with my left, and fan them the wrong way. I also use a snooker cue left-handedly – and attempt to hold a rifle to my left shoulder but put my right hand to the trigger. I’ve even been known to transpose momentarily the notes on sheet music, playing the top stave with my left hand and the bottom with my right!! That ends up sounding something like Eric Morecambe’s musical efforts – playing all the right notes but not necessary in the right order! I guess I’ve got my Broca's in twist. :o)

[Kathyan]

My sister was ambidextrous. She could start writing with her left hand and take over with her right hand and you couldn't tell where she had changed hands.

[douglas9401]

Brocan Britain. :-P

[gollob]

I would give my left hand to be ambidextrous

[DTCwordfan]

increasingly left handed as life goes on - can draw with both...have been known to bat and hit a golf ball left handed as well as right but can't bowl left handed, football and rugby more left than right...mouse left handed....

Now for the useless info - more of our national leaders are left handed...Presidents O'Bama, Clinton, Bush as in Shrub, Reagan and I think Carter....Prime Ministers Cameron, Brown, Blair, Major.....Napoleon as well and it's one of the reasons that we ended up with the Americans on the wrong side of the road (think jousting or duelling on horse back) as with Napoleon moving his troops over to the other side, the Americans in having a spat with Britain followed suit....

[mibn2cweus]

My right hand insists on swinging the hatchet leaving my left to remember to let go in the nick of time. Never felt the need to see what would happen if I switched off hands once in a while.

[waterboatman]

As long as the job in hand gets done it doesn't really matter, just curious, isn't it!

[spathiphyllum]

"Wouldn't evolution be better served by equiping us with two hands that both worked equally well?"

Jack of all trades, master of none.

I'd rather one very good, stronger arm than two, OK ones.

[vulcan42]

This just goes to prove what I've always believed, only the left handed are right in the head.