lefty? or a righty?

[4getmenot]

What exactly makes us left handed or right handed. I am right handed so obviously my left hand is weaker as such. But what made me right handed? Was it just because that was the hand I used when I picked up my first object? Or is there something in the genes? Or is one hand always stronger than the other from birth?

[123everton]

I'd give my right arm to be ambi-dextrous.

[petal54]

depends which side of your brain is dominant

[4getmenot]

but is that from birth petal or something that gets stronger as you're growing?

[coccinelle]

I think it's hereditary but can miss a generation, that's why some families have more left handers than other families. I for one am left-handed but had to do things like use right-handed scissors when I was a kid so got used to that; My great-uncle wasn't allowed to write with his left hand at school so ended up being able to use both. So I'd say there's a bit of being born with it and also getting used to doing things a certain way.

[Sqad]

Genetic and congenital. You are born with one cerebral cortex dominant.

[boxtops]

My dad was like that coccinelle, naturally left handed but was not allowed to write with it. Caused all sorts of problems for him, goodness knows what the reasoning was behind that. By the time my LH sister went to school, things were different.

[jno]

the cricketer David Gower was a famous left-handed batsman. But he's actually right-handed in real life. I don't know how this works. Maybe his cerebral cortex changes sides when he's on grass. Yes, I think it can be taught - right-handedness used to be beaten into lefties (goodness knows why, but the Latin word for left is 'sinister' and I think they might have been seen as suspicious characters). And amputees have to change sides, which I think they do without too much trouble.

[piggynose]

is it me or do most right handed people find it almost impossible to answer the phone using the right hand. my only theory is i must got used to using the right hand for taking notes etc whilst holding the phone in the left hand

[4getmenot]

I hold phone into my neck so as a right handed person always pick up phone with right hand

[caslass]

I am left handed. When I was at school I was constantly smacked for it. It may help you to know i was taught by nuns. I will also add that no one in my family or my parents family were lefties.

[bld767]

When I was at school (many years ago now) the teachers apparently tried to get me to write right-handedly, and I started to develop a stammer. My mother went to see the staff and asked them not to try this and I've been left-handed ever since, but I can't use left-handed scissors after years of using them in my right hand and I used to get moaned at at home if I laid the table with the spoon handles facing left.

[Eve]

I'm righthanded but do quite a few things lefthanded. My mum is lefthanded but doesn't do some of the things I do naturally lefthanded like the fact that I eat with my fork in my right hand.

When I first picked up a guitar it felt more natural to play lefthanded until my teacher made me swap and learn righthanded.

She suffered through school with it though too, them trying to get her to use her right hand.