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!
This post may include affiliate links.
"Are you left handed?" and "How can you write like that?" Are sometimes a bit in the same percentages.
And then when you say you're lefthanded, they just don't know what to say anymore
Can we just take a moment to admire that solid straight line she erased?
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...
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
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. :/
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!)
Do you poor lefties know that Jewish write and read from right to left? Think about all those poor right-handed Jews!
As a mother of a left handed kid, I've felt the same way, trying to use her lefty scissors :)
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...
Is it a thing where people only lift cups with their dominant hand, I subconsciously alternate between the two
I think the reason for this is because it would be really cool to meet someone who is ambidextrous? That's my guess anyway.
When you see another lefty and you feel a littke excuted like "well hello, we are 9% of the worlds population don't you know?"
I'm so used to Japanese manga, I instinctively do this for every graphic novel.
This is the second time in my life I see that kind of spoon. The first time was also in this gallery, a few minutes ago.
The struggle is looking at someone holding a pen like that! I write with my left hand, but I have no idea how to write if I held a pen that way!
Exactly!! Went to Interpreter Training and as I signed , the instructor (DEAF) said something is not right.....so I learned to to use right hand as dominant. Had 30 year career as Interp and once in a while I would screw up and switch to left as dominant.
I'm so glad it's not just me. I never thought about this being a righthand design but I can only get them to work half the time and then not well lol
Are there right-handed pens, or is this just a nerd problem? *whispers* Cross Tech 3 is pretty awesome.
I am a touch confused by this one, I understand the motion aspect, but I guess I believed check marks were like symbols, they have to be the way intended ? example is the L in Lefties it is essentially the same thing, but left hand writers don't write them the opposite way...sorry not trying to be a rightie just had never experienced a left handed checkmark before
Not surprising, is it, considering 90% of people are right-handed...
I'm not sure about your pot but on mine you just need a screwdriver and about ten seconds to change this.
I had similar. In Europe. So when I hold it my right hand I saw US. But then I found a trick! Just hold the jar in the less handy hand and my problem was fixed! And I didn't share it on Internet.
You think yours is bad? I'm right-handed, and my handwriting is fairly atrocious!
The only thing I use the right-handed way. Can't get used to a lefty mouse...
Gross motor skills are not difficult with the opposite hand. So it should not be difficult turn on a tap or pull a lever etc. Writing is another story.
I initially thought that I was supposed to be looking at the nail polish that seriously needs to be removed or touched up.
My mother is also left handed, and she just took a normal guitar, a non-cutaway design, and reversed the string order. Voila, a left hand strung guitar.
The strange thing with me is: I am left-handed with writing and drawing, but everything else (using scissors, playing guitar, using the mouse) I'm doing with my right hand. I have only met one other person in my life who has exactly this same thing.
I used to think of myself as being left handed, because I write left handed and use it for all of my dexterity. However, I also do things right handed, and do a lot of power movement right handed. Its called "Cross-Dominance(or mixed laterality) , and is considered rare. I'm surprised so many here are addressing this. But take heart, people with cross-dominance are usually smarter, and more imaginative. But we have more depression on the negative side. I just thought I would chime in here on something that has been on my mind for decades. :D
Load More Replies...You know what? I'm a lefty and I don't think about it. It's a first-world problem and I have so many other legitimate hurdles in life--
The strange thing with me is: I am left-handed with writing and drawing, but everything else (using scissors, playing guitar, using the mouse) I'm doing with my right hand. I have only met one other person in my life who has exactly this same thing.
I used to think of myself as being left handed, because I write left handed and use it for all of my dexterity. However, I also do things right handed, and do a lot of power movement right handed. Its called "Cross-Dominance(or mixed laterality) , and is considered rare. I'm surprised so many here are addressing this. But take heart, people with cross-dominance are usually smarter, and more imaginative. But we have more depression on the negative side. I just thought I would chime in here on something that has been on my mind for decades. :D
Load More Replies...You know what? I'm a lefty and I don't think about it. It's a first-world problem and I have so many other legitimate hurdles in life--