Ambidextrous?

[Peter Parker]

Okay, Im comfortable with both my hands when Im writing. Although I am most comfortable with my right. For certain things, i am most comfortable with my left. The problem is, I heard ambidextrous people are brain damaged and are more susceptible to cerebral problems and diseases such as schizophrenia when they get older.

Does anyone know anything about this? Is this true?

[Fatstep]

I cannot answer your questions, but I have been able to write with both hands since I broke my right arm 6 years ago, it really is useful.

[CraigD]

I’ve read a few studies correlating ambidexterity, or more commonly, left-handedness, to very small increases in the incidence of physical or mental disease. A more significant issue for left-handed people is that, in a world of equipment designed primarily for right-handed people, their chance of being injured or killed in an accident due to mistakes using equipment is higher.

 

I wouldn’t much worry about being ambidextrous. Any increased risk of disease is, if it exists at all, very slight. Because you can use your right hand well, I don’t think your risk of accidental mishap is higher than normal, and being able to use your left hand in emergencies better than most people, might actually be lower.

 

Like many single-handed people, I envy the ambidextrous their ability. Even after training at certain activities (eg: swordfighting) with my left hand, I remain at a disadvantage to an ambidextrious person in many areas, especially sports. The one fully ambidextrous tennis players I knew use to drive me to near madness – a big, fast person, he was almost impossible to pass if he could make it in good shape to the net!

[Boerseun]

I wouldn't worry too much about it, although it is pretty interesting, and in some cases, pretty weird.

 

I can write 100% with my left hand, but only in reverse. It doesn't help much. In order to read it, you need to turn the paper over and hold it against the light, or use a mirror. I suppose that's simply the mirroring of muscle movements.

 

There are other things which I can only do with my left hand, like brushing my teeth, for instance. If ever I try to brush with my right hand, I'll likely poke an eye out or something. I've simply got no toothbrush control with my right hand, although I prefer my right hand for writing, etc. Also, when I draw or paint, the left hand works better than the right.

 

Weird...

 

I personally think the 'Right-brain / Left brain' delineations of tasks and muscle control contains way too many gray areas for it to be universal.

[Johnson]

I write with my left, kick with my left, but bat in sports (cricket, baseball) with my right.

 

kind of off-topic, it got me thinking as I reached for my mouse....does almost everybody use their right hand to use their mouse?

 

Technology could lead to changing genes, with the whole "right-hand on mouse issue", maybe.

 

Sometimes, I've used my left to direct my mouse, and found it very uncomfortable...

[Monomer]

kind of off-topic, it got me thinking as I reached for my mouse....does almost everybody use their right hand to use their mouse?

 

Technology could lead to changing genes, with the whole "right-hand on mouse issue", maybe.

 

Sometimes, I've used my left to direct my mouse, and found it very uncomfortable...

 

 

I've wondered that too, but there is a left-handed mouse available. I've tried to use the mouse with my left hand but found it too awkward, although I'm sure I'd get use to it if I had to.

 

I pretty much use my right hand for everything, but sometimes I find it easier to open a jar with my left hand. Perhaps because I use my right hand all the time it's a little more fatigued.

[Johnson]

I pretty much use my right hand for everything, but sometimes I find it easier to open a jar with my left hand. Perhaps because I use my right hand all the time it's a little more fatigued.

 

I never thought of that, I'm the opposite, left-handed, turn jar lids with my right hand.....

[CraigD]

...does almost everybody use their right hand to use their mouse?

 

Technology could lead to changing genes, with the whole "right-hand on mouse issue", maybe.

 

Sometimes, I've used my left to direct my mouse, and found it very uncomfortable...

Compared with oldest and most frequent lefty disadvantage, such as the hanging of inward-swinging doors with the hinges on the right, knob on the left, I don’t thinks computers offer a very great disadvantages to lefties.

 

Many power tools have latches and levers that make them difficult for a lefty to use, as do many guns, grenades, swords, shields, and other weapons. The list of incontinences to the lefty is long, and the least expected one can be surprisingly critical.

I've wondered that too, but there is a left-handed mouse available. I've tried to use the mouse with my left hand but found it too awkward, although I'm sure I'd get use to it if I had to.

That is one big, fancy, $100 mouse!

 

Every lefty I know who uses a mouse for length periods uses their left hand. Most of them use the OEM-supplied or an inexpensive replacement mouse, most of which are ambidextrous – just go to “mouse” in “control panel” (or the non-Windows equivalent), and swap the left and right mouse buttons by changing the left/right hand setting. Only high-end, asymmetrical mice, trackballs, and similar input devices seem to come in left and right-handed models. A “leftclick” is then actually done with the right mouse button, a rightclick with the left. When I (a righty) have to grab the mouse on any of these machines, I suffer a moment’s disorientation before my index and middle fingers manage to swap roles.

 

I know a few lefties who learned to leftclick with their left middle finder rather than their index, so never invert the mouse buttons. I think they suffer a slight disadvantage, as the index fingers seems slightly better coordinated then the middle in left-handed, right-handed, or ambidextrous people.

 

The navigation and numeric keys on a standard keyboard are, I think, more of a burden for lefties, though specialty manufacturers and retailers (among them, the same one Monomer linked to) offer left-handed keyboards.

 

The one-handed Dvorak keyboard layout, which most computers can quickly be configured to support, (but few people have even heard of) comes in left and right-handed versions.

[Turtle]

Compared with oldest and most frequent lefty disadvantage, such as the hanging of inward-swinging doors with the hinges on the right, knob on the left, ...

 

:D Now think about what said door looks like from the other side...wait for it...:D :)

 

Post Script: In the trades, doors have 'handedness', i.e. doors are chiral. Regardless if you get a door size correct in an order, if you order a left-hand door and need a right-hand door, you are screwed. Here is how to determine the 'hand' of a door. Stand (or imagine yourself standing) facing the door (or proposed door) so that it swings away from you; whichever side the hinges are on (or proposed to be on) is the 'hand' of the door. ;)

[tmaromine]

For a while I've wanted to become ambidextrous. But, writing (literately) takes much more skill than my left hand has ever had in writing and it seemed daunting to become lefthanded via writing. A few days ago I realised, that I do something with my righthand that requires a fair amount of precision, and I do it much more than writing: using my mouse. I've decided to start using my mouse with my left hand, and hopefully it'll train it some and I could write with it... My mouse is an Apple Mighty Mouse, and I just now realised that it more or less considers either-handed people, since it's exactly symmetric.

 

Like one's said, if I write with my left hand I reverse all of my writing – is it muscles ?, what causes this ? I would have a hard time reversing my writing with my right hand...

 

And, who here is 'naturally' (is there such ?) ambidextrous, and who has trained themselves to write with both hands ?