Corporations, governments and academic institutions are investing a lot of resources in a highly commendable goal – a fight against discrimination.
Still, if you choose a 100 people from any group, regardless of religion, skin colour, ethnicity or sexual orientation, consistently, around 10% will be left-handed, i.e. will be having a physiological property that definitely has everyday practical implications.
And yet, have you ever been at the lecture theatre which had seats with a left-sided fold or at the bank where the pen with the spiral cable was attached to the till on the left side?
During the human history, being “sinister” (Latin for left) was associated with being motorically challenged, dirty and/or evil. For example, in my native Serbian, as well as in Czech language, being a “lefty” implies clumsiness. In some cultures, people only use their left hand for wiping their bottom, whereas in English language, “sinister” may even imply something associated with the Devil.
And yet, the most famous goal in the 1986 World Cup match between Argentina and England was quite nimbly scored by Maradona’s left hand, which from then on became known as “la mano de Dios” or the Hand of God.
Joke aside, this is not a trivial issue: left-handed kids were until recently beaten at schools worldwide in the attempt to convert them to the “right” side, while in the modern labour environment, so obsessed with health and safety, the emergency red buttons on dangerous machines are still mainly on the right.
On the other hand (no pun intended), being left-handed is a biological trait that comes from the brain – it is still not clear what makes a person left-handed, but it seems to be associated with the evolutionary ancient lateralisation of the functions between brain hemispheres. In our development as individuals, it can be seen in fetuses sucking their right or left thumb in utero. In our evolution as a species, it goes all the way back to Neanderthals, based on the hand prints they left on the walls of the caves.
Research shows that being left-handed is associated with having a higher IQ and that disproportionate percentage of top athletes are left-handed/left-footed, but only in sports where it matters (i.e. interactive sports, such as fencing, boxing or tennis), whereas in non-interactive sports (swimming, gymnastics) the effect is not seen.
Now, if I am wrong about what may not be an overt discrimination of the left-handed people (but is definitely a form of neglect), go to the stationary cabinet in your office and tell me if you have ever seen left-handed scissors there?
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