are people born lefties/righties? or do they chose to become?

[rahvin]

Originally posted by: conjur
Well...don't be surprised if Bush enacts a new Amendment making righties the only accepted way.



My daughter, in her earlier years, would sometimes use her left hand to write or draw but always used her right hand for eating/drinking/picking up things/etc. I never tried to stop her from writing w/her left hand but she doesn't do that anymore.

Children are ambidextious until "handedness" develops. I'm not sure of the age but at a certain point you develop priorty in usage of your limbs. It's undoubtably a function of brain maturity as the brain is not fully formed until several years old.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: dullard
People are born that way. Clasp your hands together and intertwine the fingers. Which thumb is on top? Now switch fingers such that the other thumb is on top. Doesn't it feel really odd that way? Do you honestly think you chose that or that you were trianed by parents to put one thumb on top? Same goes with crossing your arms (which hand is on top of the bicep, and which is underneath) or any of the other multitude of tasks where one just feels right.

That was my left thumb..and I'm right handed. It doesn't feel strange either way.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

Originally posted by: djheater

Originally posted by: Lifer
from the useless fact thread, 83% of the population are right handed.
so is that humans inherently right handed, and lefties subconciously chose to become lefties?
do genes determine whether you're righty or lefty, i.e. lefties are a recessive gene.

i know a few people who instinctively used their left hands primarily when they were young (probably lefties by nature), and their parents would train them to use their right hands instead. and now they use their right hands exclusively.

I think it's more complicated than a single gene, I believe it has to due with brain structure.

My wife is an identical twin. She's right handed, got her degree in biology with an emphasis in genetics, will be pursuing a masters in Paleoethnobotany. A scientist.

Her genetically identical sister is left handed, was a punk rocker, is a drummer, got her degree for Chicago Columbia in photography. An artist.

They're "mirror twins" The cowlick on thier heads goes in the opposite direction of each other (one CW, one CCW). They each have a slightly misaligned wisdom tooth each diametrically opposed.

Very interesting.

I do believe you've hit the nail on the head. In my experience, lefties seem to have a set of personality traits that sets them apart, ambidextrious people tend to have a higher rate of dyslexia.
My little brother is a leftie, and I remember watching him try to draw when he was younger, he would use both hands but he used his left hand more, and he made more mistakes with his right hand.