Are you looking for a desk that is different from the “normal” ones or do you know someone who does it frequently? Left-Handed People’s Day seeks to make these and other daily challenges of people with this characteristic visible.
According to the definition of the Royal Academy of Language (RAE), a left-handed person is someone who has a natural tendency to use their left hand or the foot on the same side.
In this regard, science goes one step further. There are some studies that show that the brain of a left-handed person may function differently than that of a right-handed person.
According to the University of Navarra Clinic, in most right-handed people, the left hemisphere of the brain tends to predominate in language tasks. In the case of left-handed people, this lateralization could be in the right or distributed between both hemispheres, experts indicate.
Why is August 13th Left-Handers Day?
Every August 13, International Left-Handers Day is celebrated to raise awareness among the world’s population regarding the problems that left-handed people experience in their daily lives, from using a spiral notebook to playing musical instruments..
“Making left-handed people visible is essential to recognizing and valuing their diversity. Promoting inclusion and adapting the environment helps each person to stand out and develop without barriers,” says María Renée Ordóñez, a Guatemalan psychologist.
According to the organization Lefthanders DayThe self-proclaimed Left-Handers Club (England) organised the first official celebration in 1992. The organisation mentions that these events have helped to raise awareness of the difficulties and frustrations that left-handed people experience in everyday life.
Among the achievements of this celebration are the improvement in product design and the awareness that some right-handed people have developed regarding the needs of the left-handed population.However, activists point out that there is still a long way to go in terms of recognising these needs.
However, although the official date dates back to 1992, the idea arose in 1976, when Dean Campbell, an American citizen, selected August 13 to compare this number associated with bad luck and the difficulties that left-handed people face in a right-handed world, according to the website Isabel I University and other sources.
What characteristics do left-handed people have?
In general, Left-handed people have a natural tendency to perform most activities with their left hand or foot.There is also a predominant use of the right hemisphere of the brain, which regulates the movements of the left side of the body.
Research indicates that when the right hemisphere predominates over the left, a person may develop their creativity better, as well as other virtues related to emotionality, holistic thinking and artistic activities. However, this may vary, since each individual develops their personality according to the environment that surrounds them and their particular characteristics.
What are the advantages of being left-handed?
- Several studies indicate that left-handed people tend to be more creative.
- According to the University of Navarra Clinic, left-handed people can excel in sports such as baseball and tennis.
- In general, left-handed people can excel in any sporting activity.
- Both hemispheres of the brain can develop over time.
- According to studies, visual-spatial skills are better developed. Three-dimensional designs can also be visualized more easily.
- According to various sources, left-handed people are less likely to suffer from arthritis.
What are the disadvantages of being left-handed?
Being left-handed can lead to certain everyday challenges. According to some left-handed people and those close to them, these are some of them:
- When eating, right-handed people may touch left-handed people with their elbows. There may also be problems when placing cutlery, since it is usually placed on the right side.
- While driving, the accelerator can be confused with the brake.
- When making a craft, it should be done in reverse, since the perspective is different.
- If you use “normal” scissors, you experience pain in your fingers.
- The letter G in crafts must be written backwards to be correct.
- Difficulties may arise when playing musical instruments such as drums or flute if they are not specifically designed for left-handed people.
This date encourages us to view the world from another perspective for a few seconds so that our surroundings are less “skilled” and more empathetic.
#celebrated #August #13th
