By the way . . . going left is the right way for some

LAST month we celebrated International Left-Handers Day. While 90% of us favour the right, 10% of the nation is hard-wired to be citeog. The fact that we have a specific name for it in Irish speaks volumes, and fits with my memory of left-handers being singled out in school as being stupid.

A colleague recently told me of how he had his left hand tied behind his back in primary school to encourage the development of the right handedness.

This exercise was, of course, not only cruel but a waste of time because we know our hand preference is developed in the womb, not in the classroom.

Ultrasound research shows a predominance for babies to suck their right thumbs, move their right arms and lie on their right sides while in the womb.

What’s interesting is our close relations (the apes) don’t seem to be as rigid when it comes to handedness — anything goes. So in human terms, it seems we have evolved to favour the right.

What we do know is that only 25% of the preference for the left side is inherited, so you can blame some — but not all — of your quirkiness on your parents.

The rest is thought to be down to chance, changes that occur in the womb and a whole host of other stuff we simply don’t know about.

What we do know is the brains of right and left handers differ but it’s no big deal. The brains of elite athletes, obese people and addicts all differ. Human beings come off the conveyor belt generically the same but with lots of differences. That’s what makes us unique.

Handedness is quite simply just one of those things you are born with. It bears no relationship to intelligence. Who knows, in the future through a combination or nature and nurture we may all evolve to be right-handed or evolution may create a 50:50 split. Whatever happens we need to be cognisant of the one in ten of us who aren’t doing it ‘right’ and recognise that actually they are! Keep left, folks, you’re doing a grand job.