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For those of you who don't now, Sunday August 13th is International Left-Handers Day, so in homage to lefties everywhere, Bored Panda has compiled this list of annoying problems that all left-handers face on a daily basis.

If you're left-handed then you're probably aware that, whether you like it or not, this is a right-handed world. From scissors and desks to ring binders and ice-cream scoopers, everything seems to be designed with the righties in mind, which isn't really surprising when you realize that around 90% of the world's population is right-handed.

Still, there's a pretty impressive list of lefties crammed into that remaining 10%. Did you know that Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Aristotle and Julius Caesar were all left-handed for instance? And let's not forget Albert Einstein, Neil Armstrong, Winston Churchill, Bill Gates, and Barack Obama. And Jimi Hendrix. And Kurt Cobain. And Paul McCartney. And David Bowie, Charlie Chaplin, Robert de Niro, Angelina Jolie, Keanu Reeves, Bruce Willis, Tom Cruise, and Jon Stewart, plus a whole bunch of other people we don't have the space to write about. If we haven't made our point yet then what we're trying to say is that, although left-handed people might be in the minority, that doesn't make them any less awesome, and some of the world's most important contributions have in fact come from left-handers.

Despite this however, non-righties have had a pretty hard time throughout history. The word "left" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "lyft", meaning "weak", and the word "sinister" actually derives from the Latin word meaning "left". Left-handers were also thought to consort with the devil, and being left-handed was sometimes considered proof that a woman was a witch and should therefore be persecuted or even executed! Fortunately those days are long gone though, and the only things left-handers have to worry about these days are using a can opener without making a mess, and trying to write without getting ink all over the side of their hand. Scroll down to see some other problems that the modern leftie has to face. Can you relate? Then let us know in the comments below and don't forget to vote. Happy International Left-Handers Day everybody!

#1

As A Left Handed Person... F*ck

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Funny-left-handers-problems

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Sasy
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This just made me think of being tall, and getting all those 'What is the weather like up there' queries from smarty pants short people.

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Michel M. Prins
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Are you left handed?" and "How can you write like that?" Are sometimes a bit in the same percentages.

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#7

Silver Surfer Syndrome

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Daria B
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Again, right handers are not spared the silver (and blue, when you use a pen) surfer syndrome.

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Abigail Kreiss
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But left handers shafts drag their hands over what they've just written. Eighties always have a clean spot.

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Nikki Chatelain
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As an artist this is everywhere and all over everything. Even my face

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Connie Davis Jensen
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always feel bad for my left-handed students when I'm teaching calligraphy in art class. For part of the unit, I let them use a dip pen, and inevitably the ink smears. There is a specific way for a lefty to hold their pen, but they still struggle, because it's not a natural position. It's difficult to hold your pen so you're nib is it a 45° angle, even if you're right-handed. ...In the end, if I require the use of an actual dip pen for a project, I would have no problem allowing a lefty to use a calligraphy marker, instead. There's absolutely no reason to add to their frustration.

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Richelle agor
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Jesus Christ why does every right hander in the comments want to feel special? And this is coming from a right handed person

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Sashana Maitland-Walker
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ikr! xD It's like they post saying "I have the flu" and we of the right-hander nation are like "Well I sneeze too". It's pathetic bros...

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Sashana Maitland-Walker
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I understand what they mean. We right-handed people won't have this much a mess. Writing is from left to right. They smudge everything xD

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Ianthez
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I draw with charcoal I have this problem even though I'm right-handed.

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Candace Formosa
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Haha, I have a friend who loves to draw and I always see her erasing her hand.

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Kim Berly Ann
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

always! day in the life of a left handed teacher.... pencil marks, and dry erase markers. ugh!

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Zoe Drake
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember that from when I was in school! Nowadays I mainly write on Microsoft word so I don't get that smudge, but I still get ink all over my hand when I make lists almost every day! The struggle is real and it's so annoying!

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Andrea Miller Blum
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hebrew is the only written language that does not cause me to have that pinky ink smear!!!

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Deyan Atanasov
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not hebrew only... arabic too. :) Left-hand people - learn hebrew or arabic! :) :) :)

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Mark Robson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a Lifetime Leftie this is the thing I hate most about Left-handed, it also depends upon what kind of pen I'm using & the different types of paper I'm writing on 😭😭 it really boils my piss 😈😈

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Crystal Williams
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I am old enough to remember when teachers still tried to make the few left handed kids learn to write with their right hands. They tried with me, once.

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Marion Moccio
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can relate to that! It was worse trying to draw with charcoal in art class!

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Sumien Van Eeden
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Have you ever tried writing on a black board? As a teacher it is a struggle not removing what you just wrote with your hand.

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Charlotte Symons
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually, yeah, I'm right handed and love to write and draw. Needless to say, my hands are permanently silver. :P

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Tolga IŞIKYILDIZ
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are languages written right to left (e.g. arabic) than being left handed is an advantage for them.

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Lucie Burg
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And forget trying to use pastels. There's "smudging" and then there's a left handed composition.

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Nancy Bouchard
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ring finger doesn't get stained like that. Source: am left-handed.

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Nancy Bouchard
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Only little finger and side of palm get stained. Source: am left-handed.

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WhiteFox
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

does anybody know how to get rid of that pen marks because its so annoying

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CrystalPanda Gaming
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This happens to me every time I write Also you cant block your paper when people are cheating when you are left handed so annoying. Especially when you know the answer

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Dorlinda Chong
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This used to drive me crazy. It got to the point where i would wear disposable gloves to avoid this. I also used to place another piece of paper under my hand (whenever I lifted my hand it usually fell onto the floor, though, hence the evolution to wearing a glove.)

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Celestial Lynx
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get that even as a right handed person! I LOVE to draw and write short-stories using pencil. This is a known problem for ANYONE who has a creative mind that is always being expressed on paper.

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Sky
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have that too and I'm right handed, but mostly when I draw.

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Skeledab
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One time I was writing on a dry erase board.... my hand erased my work while I was writing

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Kizzy Kizzy
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I draw and the side of my hand is always black when I'm done and I'm right handed

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Erin welch
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

THE INK ON THE SIDE OF HAND THING HAS HAPPEBED TO ME THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME I'VE WRITTEN WITH MY LEFT HAND! AND SASHANA SOMETIMES WE DO SMUDGE SOME THINGS

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Janus Kramer Møller
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When i write arabic with my right hand, I don't get graphite all over my hands...

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Amélie Bougie
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm right hander, and I live that too... I write naturally with my hand pointing to the top of the page, and my wrist twisted.

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marloes.91
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

With a pencil right handers probably have this almost as bad as left handers as pencil doesn't dry. With a pen though, this is worse for left handers because your hand is on the one-second-ago written ink.

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Leni
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6 years ago

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I do get this too when I'm drawing with my right hand... not when writing but I don't write with a pencil?

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#8

Funny Left Handers Problems

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Daria B
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The notebook rings problem, I'd just turn the notebook upside down, because I don't care.

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#10

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Michel M. Prins
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then when you say you're lefthanded, they just don't know what to say anymore

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#14

Funny-left-handers-problems

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Daria B
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We right handers get our pencils and pens on the side of our hands too. Yeah, no one's afe.

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#18

Funny-left-handers-problems

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Michelle Mendoza
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ooh you've never seen a left handed person in all your life? Do you get this surprised like this every time you see a left handed person use their left hand to write? Cause I still get grown people who are like this...

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#21

Funny Left Handers Problems

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varwenea
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those are not worth buying anyway. They don't cut into hard frozen ice cream well enough. Use the scoop/dipper kind or the wide-spoon variety; I have the latter.

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#25

Funny-left-handers-problems

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Michel M. Prins
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For everyone who uses a drawing tablet I advice to try to make it as easy as possible. I have 4 buttons and a ring. The buttons I linked to the functions: Undo (CTRL+Z), redo (Shift+CTRL+Z), brush (B), eraser (E). And for the rocker ring I did this: Brush size increase ( [ key), brush size decrease ( ] key), zoom in (CTRL + =), zoom out (CTRL + - And now everything goes a lot more easily for me personally. Maybe this will work for you too. rm-ip-tab-...1ea14a.jpg rm-ip-tab-default-598ffc81ea14a.jpg

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#27

Funny-left-handers-problems

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Rhon
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm right handed and I'm currently scrolling with my left thumb! Just being lazy!

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#28

Funny-left-handers-problems

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HauntedForests
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have this problem too, but I'm right handed. So, needless to say, I don't know how to properly use a can opener. I've even broken a few. :/

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#35

Funny-left-handers-problems

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Jane Van Balen
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Helps being a lefty on the tennis court... can be quite off putting to opponents who are more used to playing against right handers (even for other lefties!)

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#36

Maybe He Was Clever... Nope. Just Didn't Want To Get His Hand Dirty

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Šimon Špaček
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do you poor lefties know that Jewish write and read from right to left? Think about all those poor right-handed Jews!

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#37

Funny-left-handers-problems

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Yasna Minkovska
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a mother of a left handed kid, I've felt the same way, trying to use her lefty scissors :)

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#38

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alexa pretchet
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Me as a right-hander always thought, the designs are for the others, not for me (Because I already know whats on my mug so the design would cheerish the others). Having it on "my side" keeps confusing me a little bit...

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#39

Just Yet Another Leftie Problem

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Sk123 ILP123
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Is it a thing where people only lift cups with their dominant hand, I subconsciously alternate between the two

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#40

Funny-left-handers-problems

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HauntedForests
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think the reason for this is because it would be really cool to meet someone who is ambidextrous? That's my guess anyway.

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