The History of Left-Handedness: Why Is This a Bias?

The majority of the world is right-handed; left-handers find themselves buying special scissors, can openers, and even pens and pencils. But even a global rate of 10% is a drastic increase from 100 years ago. Historically, those with left-handed laterality have been considered inferior and unclean—the word “sinister” comes from “sinistrality,” the scientific term for left-handedness. So, when did these ideas start, and how did they express themselves? Moreover, where are we still seeing them today?

Although it is unclear exactly where or when the sentiments of handedness-related bias began, it can be seen throughout several thousand years. In Mayan art from the Classic Period (ca. 400-900 BCE), the left hand represents weakness, even malice. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle believed left-handedness was the result of poor mothers or physical inferiority. In a study of almost 1,200 artworks dating back 5,000 years, Stanley Coren and Clare Porac discovered that 93% of subjects depicted using tools were operating them with their right hand. It appears, as Coren puts it, that “man has always been right-handed.”

However, tragically little information exists on rates of left-handedness before the 19th century, when it began to be studied in depth. But given Coren and Porac’s findings and the extensive history of texts citing left-handedness as a physical and moral failing, we can assume that the rate has been consistently low.

How Can We Learn More About Historical Handedness?

It is generally accepted that the majority of the world has been right-handed since the first early humans emerged 3 to 4 million years ago. However, there is very little information on the rate of left-handedness before the 19th century—so little that archeologist Nigel Sadler described left-handers as “a people without a history.”

This changed when revolutionary physicians, including Ernest Auburtin, Paul Broca, and Marc Dax, began theorizing that different parts of the brain are responsible for different behaviors and functions. Shortly afterward, physician William Ogle asked 2,000 patients at St. George’s Hospital in London what hand they favored. Approximately 4.25% of patients responded that they favored the left, and Ogle’s study is considered the first of its kind.

Unfortunately, historians and anthropologists have very few ways to study rates of handedness prior to this era. As a result, experts in multiple fields have turned to working on indirect evidence in order to bridge the gap of knowledge. For some archeologists, this means turning to ancient biology, specifically osteology, the study of bones. Investigators in these studies have argued that bone asymmetries are a factor by which we can determine the laterality of an individual; however, many of these studies have been refuted, as this has been proved to be an unreliable indicator of handedness.

However, studies of tools such as hammers, knives, and writing instruments have shown great promise.  An experiment with a group of stone-knappers showed that handedness greatly affected factors such as the shape, ridges, and impact point of stone tools. More studies, including those actually using stone tools rather than just making them, continue to give archeologists hope for uncovering sinistrality’s hidden past.

Negative views of sinistrality date thousands of years in the past, and many of these ideas trace back to religion. In the Bible, the image of God’s “right hand” as a good and righteous place is referenced numerous times throughout the text—but nowhere does the Bible mention God’s left hand. The left hand appears to be associated with sin and wickedness, something that contributed to the development of the term “sinistrality” as a term for left-handedness. In Matthew 6:3, it is written: “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (NIV). Priests were required to do rituals with their right hand, and some even believed left-handers to be possessed by the devil.

Likewise, such discrimination is also seen in Judaism. The Jewish scholar Maimonides considered left-handedness to be a “blemish,” and he went so far as to list it as a quality that would disqualify an individual from serving in the Jerusalem Temple. Left and right symbolism is seen throughout Judaism: the yetzer hara, or “evil urge,” is traditionally associated with the left side. Likewise, the mezuzah, a scroll with important Torah verses that remind Jews of their obligations to God, is attached to the right side of the doorway.

Christianity and Judaism are not alone in this bias. Similar symbols and ideas are seen in religions throughout the world, including Hinduism and Islam, and have contributed to the negative views of sinistrality throughout history.

Being born left-handed in medieval Europe did not earn you any favors; you were considered cursed or, in the worst cases, devil-possessed. An excellent example of how this bias manifested in medieval Europe is the Gesta Romanorum, a well-known collection of moral stories published in the 14th century. One tale of note is the story of Guido (or “Gwido”), a poor man who rescues a wealthy steward from an animal attack. Instead of being grateful, the steward ignores him and denies ever knowing Guido. After being beaten when trying to seek out the steward, Guido is found by his wife:

“When his wife heard this, she came with her donkey / and gave the steward her blessing with the left / hand; and carried home her husband, and spent / on him all that she might get, till he had his health” (trans. by author).

It has been argued that Guido’s wife using her left hand is meant to be facetious or sarcastic. After all, she is “blessing” the man who has just beaten her husband unconscious. The left (or “lift” in Middle English) was often meant to be sinister or unfortunate and, when paired with “honde” (hand), referred to a curse.

Interestingly, this line appears to be missing from later translations. It appears to have been added by Middle English translator Wynkyn de Worde, perhaps as a bit of “flavor.” This addition presents an interesting piece of evidence that the “blessing” given by Guido’s wife is actually a curse, especially since blessings, such as the one above, were done exclusively with the right hand.

“Throw salt over your left shoulder” is a popular superstition for those looking to rid themselves of bad luck. The superstition, sometimes attributed to Judas Iscariot spilling salt at the Last Supper, reflects the old belief of a devil that sits on or stalks behind the left shoulder (Dent & Brewer, 2013). Throwing the salt back is meant to blind him, thus ridding you of his influence. Other superstitions, such as wearing rings on the left hand for protection or babies who reject the left breast of their mothers, are to become saints, are now outdated (Dent & Brewer, 2013). However, all of these bygone myths offer more evidence of a long-standing bias toward the left-handed.

However, such bias can be seen even in the scientific community. Over the past 200 years, many theories have been proposed that left-handers are inclined to malevolence and disabilities and are even more accident-prone. Two opposing researchers, Cesare Lombroso and Robert Hertz, penned paramount works on the matter. Lombroso’s theory stated that the left-handed were inherently criminal, whereas Hertz defended left-handers and called for an end to handedness-based discrimination.

Today, works such as Stanley Coren’s The Left-Hander Syndrome which theorize that left-handers are more prone to illness, among other things, have sparked discourse in the scientific community (Coren, 2012). Conversely, researchers such as Clare Porac, who has spent more than 40 years investigating handedness, believe that this is simply not the case. Porac argues that left-handers show no particular inclination towards any of these negative traits. In her book Laterality: Exploring the Enigma of Left-Handedness, Porac actually showcases many advantages, such as their skills in interactive sports and talent in science and mathematics (Porac, 2015).

According to Porac, left-handers are often simply victims of circumstance, living in a world that is not designed for them—one that is sometimes even outright hostile.

One of the reasons for the rising number of left-handers is almost certainly increased cultural acceptance. During the Industrial Revolution, it was not uncommon to see children discouraged or even punished for using their left hand. Such punishments were not exclusive to Europe or the Americas; in Australia, left-handed children sometimes had their left hands tied to chairs or were forced to sit on them while writing. Likewise, the bias toward left-handers is not a thing of the past, either. China has among the lowest rates of left-handedness, and many school children are similarly pressured to use their right hands for everyday activities such as writing.

It is estimated that up to two-thirds of the world still faces handedness-based discrimination. Being forced to change handedness can lead to myriad mental and physical problems—forcibly switching a child’s handedness has been linked to speech disorders, poor motor skills, and low self-esteem. All of these contribute to lower test scores in the classroom, bullying from peers, and can negatively affect an individual’s outlook on writing and learning for the rest of their life.

A less talked-about consequence of right-handed bias is simply the lack of availability of left-hand-oriented products. Can openers, musical instruments, notebooks, and writing utensils are usually designed for right-handed users. Entire stores specialize in creating products designed to suit left-handed users, as most stores do not carry suitable options. Even small things, like school desks with right-hand surfaces or the orientation of cup holders in cars, are daily annoyances for the left-handed.

As society becomes less conservative and old biases toward those who are different begin to fade, we will almost certainly begin to see an increase in left-handed individuals. Although these results will certainly be much more apparent 100 years from now, even in the short term, cultural acceptance has allowed more individuals to grow up more comfortable with using their left hand. Many famous left-handers include actor Tom Cruise, singer Paul McCartney, and former US President Barack Obama.

A study of 1,200 Japanese students in 1993 showed a significant increase in the rate of left-handedness compared with the first data set, which was taken in 1973. Among other factors, such as the nature of writing katakana, the authors attribute cultural change from World War II as part of the reason for such a change. The original study estimated that approximately 3.09% of the Japanese population was right-handed. Although Japan remains one of the countries with the fewest left-handed individuals at only 4.7%, the discrepancy between that and the original 1974 sample suggests that Japan’s left-handed population will likely continue to increase.

As numbers rise in countries with lower rates of left-handedness, such as Japan and China, there is a good chance we will see this reflected in the global percentage. Left-handers are gaining more traction in the world through little things like left-handed scissors or opportunities like the Frederick and Mary F. Buckley scholarship created specifically for left-handers.

So next time you find yourself bumping elbows with a left-handed friend at dinner or see them struggling with a right-handed can opener, give them a smile and some space. And when the holidays come around, maybe even surprise them with a gift card for their favorite left-handed store.

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