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Sunday, 18 August 2002  
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Dexters plead... : Please understand the 'leftys'

Always left-handers are discriminated against all at times. Anti-lefty bias in the form of school desks that are unusable, power tools (such as skill saws) that are dangerous or even life-threatening, pens that smear and make writing illegible, computer mice that cause hand cramps. Teachers in School try to force lefty children to write with their right hand. Language also certainly discriminates against the left-hander. A "Left-handed compliment" is not something you want to hear.The following is a closer look at the lefthander's worls in commemoration of the world left-hander's day on August 13.

The above words used in different languages clearly show how those societies are anti-lefty bias. This is adding insult to injuries. At this juncture it is more appropriate to know about left-handedness, left handers can throw some light in the minds of "Rightys".

Lefthandedness

The human brain is divided into two hemispheres, the left and the right hemispheres. The two sides have several connection lobes (bundles of nerve fibers called corpus callosum), the bridge between the two halves of the brain. The corpus callosum is statistically more likely to be thicker (11% thicker) in the left-handers than their right handed kin, resulting in efficient information transfer and redundancy in the brain. In terms of interconnecting nerve fibres this comes to 25,000,000 more for the left handers which is a plus point to leftys. Just what sort of information flows along these myriad pathways is not known, although we know that left-handers have greater bihemispheric representation of cognistive functions; i.e. the brain functions are not so specialised in each half of the brain. Further skills that are normally found in one or the other side of the brain can be found in the oposite side or on both sides for left handers. For example, while language skills are located on the left side of the brain over the ear in right-handed males, they can often be found on the right side or even on both sides for left-handers. This results in a greater recovery rate for left-handers from stroke and other head or brain injuries.

It is clear that the brain is "cross wired" so that the left hemisphere controls the right handed body and vice-versa and hand dominance is connected with brain dominance oposite side - which is why we say that only left-handers are in their right mind. The left hemisphere (right hand control) controls Speech, Language, Logic, Mathematics, Science, this is the linear thinking mode. The right (left hand control) controls Music, Art, Creativity, Perception, Emotion - this is the holistic thinking mode.

The brain dominance makes left-handers more likely than right handers to be geniuses. Left-handers are generally better at 3 - diamensional perception and thinking. leading to more left architects than normal. Left-handers are also usually pretty good at most things involving hand-to-eye co-ordination.

Fascinating left-handed facts

* Most left-handers draw figures facing to the right.
* There is a high tendency in twins for one to be left-handed.
* Stuttering and dyslexia occur more often in left-handers (particularly if they are forced to change their writing hand as a child, like king George VI).
* Left-handers adjust more readily to seeing underwater.
* Left-handers excel particularly in baseball, swimming and fencing
* 4 of the 5 original designers of Macintosh computer were left-handers.

Dexter world

Leftys live in a right-handed world (world designed by right handers to suit their life - i.e. the world is configured for right handed people) Left- handedness has been, and in some cases still is considered an inconvenience, a bad habit, or a symbol of the "sinster". Studies still attempt to link left-handers with socially undesirable behaviours, such as psychosis or criminal activity. The social implication of these stigmas are immense. "Left-handers may be one of the last unorganized minoroties in the world society with no collective power and no real sense of common identity", says Stanley Coren. It is pity to note that left-handedness reduces the "survival fitness" making them accident prone. Further changing social patterns force left-handers gradually to change to right-handedness.

Conclusion

It is interesting to note that in this dexter world the leftys' excelled in all sphere. Joan of Arc. (French heroine), Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar (Roman Emperor), Napoleon Bonaparte (French Emperor), Helen Keller (Advocate for Blind), Michelangelo (Artist), Albert Eienstein (Scientist)....are some prominent leftys whose names are engraved in world history.

A final word! Please try to understand 'leftys'. Let them live and lead a life in their own way not on the way you follow. Make products, equipment etc to their needs and use. The western world is now in the, process. why not eastern?

Compiled by Gnaala Zcirthy MeeNilankco

www.lanka.info

www.eagle.com.lk

Sampathnet

Crescat Development Ltd.

www.priu.gov.lk

www.helpheroes.lk


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