Around 10% of people are left-handed and in the past it has carried some rather negative stigma as well as some practical difficulties in every day life.
At a younger age, in the days of cheque books, it was a real struggle to write a cheque from the left hand side with the stubs in the way, not to mention the smudged ink as one’s hand trails through the fresh ink across the page!
Even trying to write in straight lines is difficult once the writing disappears under one’s hand.
Many tools and utensils were only designed for right handed people such as scissors.
But do the left-handers have any advantages? Does the brain structure lead to a certain side preference and is it a cause or consequence of certain social and/or personal characteristics?
Notable left-handed scientists include Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Sir Isaac Newton and Alan Turing.
And the BIG question: Are left-handers better traders?
"Only about 10 percent of the population is left-handed, which may explain why everything from scissors, spiral notebooks, power tools, can openers, and, yes, even the driver’s cup holder are all designed with dominant handedness in mind. But, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Psychology, left-handers actually have the upper hand over their right-handed counterparts in one area—math.
The study tested 2,300 students in primary and secondary schools, who were all asked to perform a variety of numerical and creative tasks, including writing, drawing, and problem solving. Researchers found that left-handers outperformed the others as the math problems got progressively harder, particularly when the students had to apply complex reasoning and logic. As suggested in the study, the link between handedness and and mathematical ability comes down to which parts of the brain are being used. In this case, left-handers’ brains are generally more developed on the right hemisphere, which is the side that controls nonverbal, spatial skills and the left side of the body, as well as visual imagery…"
So could I - but it didn’t mean I ever actually hit the ball! Same with a tennis racquet, I really cannot say which hand is stronger, it feels the same in either - but I cannot hit a tennis ball regardless of which!
But when I used to play golf many years back I could only play with a left hand set of clubs, there is no way I could swing a RH club.
Had you noticed that you can always tell a left-hander because they always wear their watch on their right hand wrist? (and right handers vice versa) - at least as far as I have witnessed
In what way “sinister”? That we put the wrong hand up in class? Should we be put up against a wall and shot for being “different”? Or dunked in the village pond for practising witchcraft as in olden times? or just forced to write with the “right” hand in spite of our natural tendencies?
Nowadays it is the “in” thing to be a minority and those in the majority that point a finger are swiftly reminded that their other three fingers are actually pointing at themselves!
But we can now conclude from this huge and comprehensive survey poll that over 20% of all traders are actually left-handed - that is twice the global average of around 10%. But the next question is are these 20% the same 20% that ESMA brokers state lose money from trading!
Well if you’re cricket fan, they used to say that Ted “Dexter” was a left -hander - but was one of those forced to “comply” and therefore changed his name to “Dexter” to remind himself
As far as “sinister” is concerned -
"… Is sinister unfair to the left-handed?
Sinister has an etymology that might seem a bit biased against the left-handed portion of the population, as this word, which has had naught but disagreeable meanings for over five hundred years now, comes from a Latin word of the same spelling that means “on the left side.” We find this root in other English words, such as the adjective sinistral (“left-handed”) and the adverb sinistrad (“toward the left side”). To make things even more unfair, the Latin word dexter (“on the right side”) has given rise to English words with largely positive meanings, such as dexterity and ambidextrous…"
I read somewhere they used to think that being left-handed meant you were under an “evil influence.” Isn’t that crazy! People treated you differently just based on your dominant hand.
Thankfully, nowadays I think it’s considered kinda cool.
I had a look at some views of early Ford Model Ts to see what side the steering wheel is on, just out of curiosity, and came across this article. Some quite interesting claims regarding the considerations and development of which side of the road. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/right.cfm
Logically speaking, since the vast majority of people are right handed then it would seem most natural that the right hand is used for the most sensitive work such as holding the reins or the steering wheel whilst the left does the other rough work like hand brakes and gear levers. When these levers were outside the vehicle and on the left then it made sense that the driver is also on the left but once these items were inside the vehicle then it was more practical for the driver to sit on the right.
Also, logically, i would have expected jousting horses to pass/drive on the right because the shield is in the left hand and would most sensibly be towards the opponent and not away from?
But anyway apparently kangaroos are actually predominantly left-handed… But i am not sure on which side they pass each other!
But it is now the 14th and our special day is over and we can go back to our struggles with which way to string a guitar, etc.
Thanks to all for the enthusiastic and enlightening input here!
PS after writing the above i have just noticed that most posts have been moved by the mods to a new thread!
I did not ask for that nor do i agree with it, but that’s the way the mods apparently wanted it (and all while i was happily in the never never land enjoying my beauty sleep)
I would have hoped that posters who are designated “Regulars” and are trusted with other rights would also be allowed to decide what is on and off topic on their own threads…
Same with a tennis racquet, I really cannot say which hand is stronger, it feels the same in either - but I cannot hit a tennis ball regardless of which! 
