Why are some people left-handed? - Daniel M. Abrams 

Real life: 90% right handed people and 10% left handed people The comments section: 10% right handed people and 90% left handed people

Everyone: How do you write with your left hand? Me : The way you write with your right

My mom was a left handed person, and she was forced to write with her right hand. She writes with her right hand, but chopping, sewing and all is done left hand. I'm very grateful I wasn't forced. I was asked to by the school, but my mother made sure that it did not happen. I'm grateful to her. 🥰🥰

Being leftie in sports is always an advantage. As he said that in baseball, the same applies for soccer... a leftie NEVER misses a penalty kick. We are all so used to everything and everyone doing things from the right, and when we face a leftie, it completely catches us by surprise and kinda throws us "off balance"; I myself have experienced that a few times, and IT DOES work.

A lot of times when i write people always like "wow you're left handed?!" like im alien

the real question is, why are so many of you right handed

Being a leftie I had to learn to use right-handed golf clubs growing up, but in Ireland we have a sport called hurling and because of playing this sport I learned to hit on both sides and as a result I can play golf with both sets of clubs (right and left handed). I also had to use right-handed objects like scissors so like most lefties I have become slightly ambidextrous. I was also led to believe that many left-handed people are more artistic and creative than normal and as a matter of fact I have noticed that a great majority of artists that I see working SEM to be fellow lefties. Long live the left-handed person , it used to be known as the "Devils hand" when I was growing up in Ireland.

As a left-handed person, I was forced by my uncle as a child to use my right hand. When my mum found out, she was mad. I'm happy to be the only left-handed person in my family and almost everywhere because when I take out a pen to write, a lot of people are awed🥰

Worst thing for lefties is when we're made sit next to a rightie in school. I have made so many enemies just because of elbow clashing😂😂🙄

No, the real question is: *_Why are most people right handed?_*

I’m left handed, my grandmother is too. I was force to write right handed in school for years in elementary . I was the only student left handed in our small school system. Eventually they gave up because I just couldn’t write right handed. But still use some things right handed. My grandmother was my biggest help in life through all that 💕

I am left handed and right handed. When I was in Grade school, we are not allowed to use left hand in writing, my mom, got scold me everytime she saw me using left hand so I was forced to used right handed. They didnt know that I got easily done everything by using my left hand.Whenever they are around I always use right hand (even its too hard for me) and when they are not around I always used left, I was always dependent on my Left hand. Now, I am an architect, I used both hands.No one scold me, they say, its cool.

Whenever I see another left-handed person I feel a kinship with them "Ah my fellow lefty"

My classmates are always like “dude you’re left handed?” Then they ask the exact same question a few months later -_-

I’ve been a total left-hander my whole life (29y/o). When I was little they tried to make me write with my right hand and I just remembered telling them over and over “this doesn’t feel right, this doesn’t feel natural”. So I taught myself how to hold a pencil and I’m forever grateful I’m left handed still. Also, anyone realize it wouldn’t be so rare to be a leftie if our schools didn’t force students into being right handed? I would’ve been one if I didn’t stick to saying no!

I'm a lefty. A few years ago in school I broke my left arm and was forced to use my right hand for most activities, and honestly looking back I'm not sure how I did it. But worst of all, I was taking Chinese. Dang near impossible to write Chinese characters with your non-dominant hand, I can tell you that. Thankfully my teacher was forgiving with my handwriting and still gave me an A by the end of the year 😅

You know what the worst thing is for left handed people? It’s not scissors, or computer mouses, or pencil smudges or anything like that. It’s NOTEBOOKS. Those huge three ring binders and the spiral notebooks are impossible.

Me: **starts writing** Everyone: oH mY gOd YoUrE LeFt-HaNdEd?!!!

I'm a lefty and have honestly never had a real problem with anything...I was never forced to be a righty, and my grandmother the teacher showed me how to do everything right-handed (because she was a righty) and let me adapt everything in my own way to being left-handed. SHe DID however, make SURE that my handwriting didn't look like a typical lefty...I have ALWAYS held a writing implement properly, which I REALLY appreciate :)

I’m a leftie. I’m also Asian. My parents and entire family forced me to be right handed bc it’s Witchery and demonic to be a leftie. My family got all teachers to force me to write with my right and I constantly got yelled at by everyone and bullied bc of it. Teachers yelled at me, classmates noticed, I got bullied. I got pushed around physically and emotionally at school and home. I never felt safe anywhere. I had no friends or family to ask for help. All bc I couldn’t change my left handedness. Don’t get me wrong - I tried my best but i struggled a lot. Detentions bc I couldn’t write properly and neat enough, teachers made me sit inside and made me hyper focus on my writing so much that I didn’t have time for any other subjects (I was always told that I needed to change my hand before I can do anything else) so u can already tell how I struggle with other subjects growing up (side note - on a happier tone, I started doing better in highschool). I’m about to be 26 and I still haven’t changed. Family means nothing to me (they were INSANELY abusive and I’m glad to escape out alive (without being so grim)…all bc I’m a leftie…I was always in the wrong in their eyes and everything I sucked at or failed at was due to my “demonic left hand and nature” 😂🙄 It took me until the age of 20 to know that it’s normal to be left or right handed. Like it doesn’t matter at all and there’s nothing “demonic” about it. I wish I could go back in time to tell my younger self it’s okay bc I felt so alone all this time.

When you get smudge marks on your hand from writing across the paper 🙄

So apparently 99.99 percent of people in the comments are left handed...

I've been left-handed for the enirety of my life and have OUTRIGHT REFUSED to even try to change it, regardless of anyone's "suggestion". Not my parents, not my teachers, my grandparent (who had even tried to pay me to try), NOT ANYONE could change this! I've never felt the pressure, because it stopped before settling in, as I'm PROUD AND EVEN FEEL SUPERIOR (and not fearful to admit it) because of it! Even statistically, THIS IS A POWER! This IS special and whoever disagrees CAN'T offer any argument, just stereotypical bs! My left-handed fellows, WE ROCK! ;)

I have always been asking this question that why more people are right handed, and what in the first place causes some people to be left handed, but now that I have watched your video and you used evolution and natural selection to explain it, it makes so much sense, thank you so much for the great explanation and reasoning :)

Everyone after seeing me use my left hand: "woooah you're left handed?"

To my fellow lefties out there: left handed scissors are the best investment ever

I competed in many combat sports. Being left handed is a huge advantage. But when Right handed people tried to teach me as a child they got frustrated with me and would make me feel like there was something wrong with me. But when it came to the actual fighting I would win with a surprising ease. I realized I needed to train myself in ways no one else could. I also did this in learning guitar. I find I make Right handed teachers mad at me... And now I realize their frustration is more about themselves not being able to do it left handed more so then me not being able to do it right handed. But they don't want to look bad so they usually look at me weird and try to make me feel like I don't know what I am doing.

im ambidextrous, but i use my left hand mostly for doing chores and eating and my right hand for writing and drawing. my parents thought it was pretty cool that i can use both of my hands for anything lol

don’t get me STARTED on having a massive ink smudge on the side of my hand bro 😔

see mom. i am special

I’m left handed and left footed, but when it comes to sports where you swing a bat, club, stick etc, I’ve always naturally went right. But when it comes to throwing a ball, dribbling, or shooting a basketball I like my left. Being left handed in the public school system really sucked. Those little desks were meant for right handed people so I never had a place to wrest my arm while I was writing. My teachers could never understand why my hand writing sucked. I would always have notebook spirals indented into my hand or ink or pencil graphite smeared all over it. Binders were the worst. Scissors you have to just use them right handed and just accept a lesser grade usually.

Awesome! Great work. The quantitative lens provides the perfect balance.

Does anyone else find it hard when your left handed and the person on you left is right handed and keeps bumping there elbow off you while you write

me a lefty : spring notebooks : *imma end this guy's career*

A good thing about being a lefty for me is that it constantly reminds me of how it feels to be minority. Growing up in a quite homogeneous rural community in Japan as a majority, I had rarely encountered difficulties in society which minorities might have -- except for being a lefty. Whenever I have a discussion about making inclusive society, I always remind myself of the inconveniences living as a lefty in a right-hand dominant world and sympathize with minorities in other fields. It's not necessarily easy for the majority to be aware of what kind of inconveniences and hardships minorities are going through until they become the minority themselves. I often talk about inconveniences that I feel as a lefty, and my right handed friends' reaction is always "oh I've never even thought about it because it worked totally fine for me". Being a lefty has been a life lesson for me to keep in mind, not to judge someone's struggles from the majority standard and think about what it truly means for society to be inclusive.

I definitely thought handedness was a 50/50 chance either way, but I'm someone with one left-handed parent and one right-handed parent, so the fact that I actually only had a 17% chance of being left-handed and it actually happened is kind of cool!

Who's a 10% leftie with me? :-D

I believe The entire population of lefties exist in this comment section lol

I'm both right and left handed. I was forced to write with my right, but can write with my left, just not as fast. I can use hand tools with either hand. Played baseball righty, but hockey lefty. I can use a mouse with my left hand while taking notes with my right. I find it to be very helpful.

I’m a lefty and I’m always so grateful I wasn’t made to use my right hand. In school here in Scotland in the late 80s my brother and I were the only left handed people in our entire school of approximately 600 pupils. My father was left handed and my mother is right handed and myself and brother are left handed and our sister right handed. My husband and I are both left handed and have one son who is a lefty and one right handed. My brother has one son who is left handed and one who is a righty and my sister has one lefty and one righty and both my brother and sisters partners are both right handed. I really enjoyed this video! Very informative

Sentences we all know: "Omg how can u write with ur left hand?" "Wait ur left handed?" "I know someone whos also left handed!"

I am a literal demon according to ancient cultures Here’s why: - I’m left handed - I’m short - I’m a redhead IM COMING FOR YOU

In my childhood I was right handed, and an accident happened where I broke my right hand and It was hang on my neck for months where in this period I used doing all things with left hand, and from that day I remained using my left hand, I 'm thankful because I found my inner power through using left hand, I've learnt all kind of Artistic activities so easily, I tried alot to use my right hand but I could not be able use it I'm in my 30 now.

My life is more music based, but I had to learn all of these instruments right handed. And it was frustrating learning the wrong way then I was meant to play. But I’m still thankful that there are still some ways to still be left handed.

A difficulties of being left handed become very apparent when you try to eat with a fork next to someone who is right handed.

As someone who’s left handed, I’m very grateful that I wasn’t forced to learn how to write with my right hand

I noticed the thumbnail is incorrect. the red prints are meant to be left hands, and blue, right hands. however, through observations, you can see it is the palm of the hand facing the screen. This means that the red prints are actually, RIGHT Hands, and vice versa for the blue prints.

I agree whole-heartedly about the 3-ring Binders! 😄

me: *reads title* me: BECAUSE WE'RE SPECIAL GODDAMNIT!!!

Left handed people know the struggle of when you write, you get led all over the side of your hand. I get so MAD!

As a left handed person, it was hard. When my grandma would take care of me, she would tie my left hand behind my back and make me write with my right, I had to use things that were for right handed people, and struggle in school as a left handed when I was with right handed people.

As a naturally lefty, i tend to use my left hand more often in things rather than using right. But with my own interest i learned how to write with right hand too. So now i can work with both of my hand but i still find it comfortable to use lefty. As a kid i felt odd one out but now i feel happy.

Being in the rare 10 percent is one of the few things I'm proud of about myself.

Proud of being a lefty and having elbow clashes with bench partner at the same time is my life in a nutshell ~

I think one of the things that happens, I'm sure if or how it effects evolution, is that a lot of left handers learn to use tools and devices designed for right handers with their right hand. There are also a lot of left handers that are almost completely ambidextrous.

I haven't seen this mentioned - but when you get a mug with an awesome print but when you use the mug it's backwards ._. it's a really small thing, but it's super annoying.

When you're the only one in your whole family left handed..

As a left handed it's not easy to write in the white board with marker.😂😥

Excellent Report - I shared it with my Southpaw Son. Thx!! 🤓🖖

I decided to stop watching Ted talks a few minutes ago but I'm still seeking a new topic. Why Ted speakers can find such exquisitely entertaining mysteries?

I can’t arm wrestle with anyone because they always go right handed, but if I can get them to go left handed, well it’s all smooth sailing from there

No one: my left hand while taking notes: imma just smear the ink

I and my mother are both left-handed, my mother, as a child was often forced to use her right hand, thankfully though, I'm not, I honestly find it very unique, being different from the majority of people, finding it hard to use things the same way others would, it actually sort of sounds cool, sticking out in the crowd is awesome! and, the video is so true, left-handedness gives me a big advantage in volleyball, I've heard numerous times that a left-handed spiker is harder to deal with

It always makes me feel good to see the surprise on someones face when they see I’m left handed. Makes me feel special.

My classmates keep forgetting that im left handed. Like theyre gonna ask "Omg. Are you left handed?". And then theyre gonna ask the same questionin the other day

Me when I write something in class Me: *writes* Kid next to me: OMFG your left handed!?!?!? Me: Yea so? Kid next to me: Wow that means you are an alien Me: *shows this video*

The funny thing is that every left handed person I know have some of the best handwriting ever (number 1 spot by far goes to my grade 4 English teacher, you're impressive Mrs Mulholland)

My parents had 4 kids together and 1 child (my mom) and 1 with one of the way (my dad). I'm the only lefty currently. Both my mom and dad are right-handed, so we definitely live up to these statistics. I'm quite curious how the new baby will be born, since my dad's wife and stepmom are both left-handed. A lot things are created and taught with only right-handed people in mind, like some instruments, notebooks, lots of school desks, some scissors (although there are some brands that offer versions for us lefties), the list goes on. I'm a Violinist, and while I'm incredibly skilled and love playing, I was taught how to play as a right-handed person. This makes some sense, as everyone else was right-handed, and having someone playing in the opposite direction could make us look disorderly, but I'd have also loved to learn how to play violin as a lefty. Because so many things are designed for right-handed people, I often use my right hand to complete some tasks. At this point, I can even write somewhat decently with my right hand and could be considered ambidextrous. This is actually the case for a lot of us left-handed people.

The worst part about being left handed is that when you write in spiral notebook, the spiral gets in the way constantly. Also, when you write (left to right), ink and lead gets all over the side of your hand and also darkening the paper a bit too.

Seriously left handed arm chairs are in *NEED* in every highschool

I have a pair of scissors that literally won’t work if I cut them with my left hand. So frustrating.

Well i am left handed but was forced to write in right hand by my teachers till 2nd grade then changed back to left hand by my parents... i have changed 7 schools till now. The accidents are true for example scissors i cant hold them properly and cut without getting a cut on my hand it always feels awkward no matter how i hold it...

I’m a lefty and I can tell you from experience that living in a right-handed dominant world is extremely frustrating!

Fun fact: In most medieval castles, the stairs are spiralled clockwise so that the defender would have the advantage against the aggressor if both are right-handed (more sword space to swing). That's why left-handed warriors are highly sought after for siege assaults and thus often put into the vanguard.

I could never operate the set square in school technical drawing, which was intended to be moved up and down with your left hand, while your right hand drew the lines.

I am a leftie, I paint ambidextrously and use many right handed tools. I feel sometimes that I have an advantage over a strictly right handed person who cannot conform. I am a published artist and consultant. When I was in the fourth grade I was struck many times with a metal ruler for using my left hand. I refused to do what I felt I could do naturally with my left hand. Glad I was stubborn and didn’t do what my backwards thinking teacher thought I should do

Where my lefties at? :3

I'm annoyed cause I'm a leftie and sprained my left wrist, and my teacher saw the bandage and said "At least it's not your right hand" me:*facepalm*

When i was a child, i didn't know the difference between left and right and when it comes to writing ,my friends or any new person meets me they were like hey!"you are lefty" and because i don't know the difference i always like "oh oh yeah of course" 😅 it was just crazy But i still feel proud that i'm lefty because I'm the only one in all of our 5 sections who writes from left hand

in addition to competitive and environmental pressures it makes sense that most people would be right handed bc the liver, a highly vonerable organ, is also on the right which if stuck could pretty much incapacitate anyone with little force applied. so as a defensive messure the most responsive hand would ideally be the right hand to protect it while a counter messure to the defense would be being left handed and having a direct line to hit an opposing persons liver.

I am left handed and boy do I hate my life! *ink on hands, smudges on paper, spiral notebooks and three-ringed binders, right-handed desks and scissors, etc.

when your whole family is right-handed except for you : me : *”wow I’m rare”* edit : hey everyone who sees this, I’m left-handed but I *only* use *scissors, erasers, and a mouse* with my *right hand* Am I the only one or ???

My wife is left-handed and I am ambidextrous. I favor my right hand, but can use either hand for most tasks. Both of our children are left-handed. Because of an injury to my right shoulder, I am currently teaching myself to write with my left hand. Virtually every left-handed person around my age has told me that when they were young, their parents and teachers went through extraordinary efforts to encourage them to use their right hand. So, I think there is a genetic tendency in handedness, but the natural tendency has been affected by social pressure to encourage people to be right handed.

My grandpa used to hit my dad when he would write with his left hand. My father still only writes with his right hand but does everything else with his left…

I remember how excited I was when I went to college...and they had left-handed desks! I didn't have to sit sideways in order to take notes. Pure heaven!

I'm left handed and I write essays but when I look at it, the ink is all over the paper!!! 😂😂😂

Rafael Nadal, a right-hander, was coached by his Uncle Tony to play left-handed as it provides a natural advantage for lefties in Tennis. It's worked pretty well for Rafa. I'm a natural lefty and over a lifetime of play, I've got to agree with Uncle Tony.

I was ambidextrous as a young child. My kindergarten teacher didn't force me to write with my "proper" hand, but she did try to force me to pick just one hand when writing. Shortly after I started first grade, I found myself writing with my left hand and remembered how my kindergarten teacher tried to make me pick a hand. I remember gasping and excitedly mouthing "This hand!" to myself. From then on, I've only written with my left hand. When I eat, though, I still use either hand, but I tend to favor my left. When I do anything else in this right-hand dominated world, I use my right hand without much issue. It's more comfortable for me to use my right arm when bowling, batting, throwing or anything else athletic. On rare occasions, I might find myself struggling with a pair of scissors. In most situations that require scissors, I do okay with them, but sometimes when I'm wrapping a gift it creates a challenge. I don't really know why.

Every Body is talking about lefties or righties, but CANNOT Anybody appreciate the Animation Whoever the animator is, Hats off to you and your hardwork!!!

Shout out to all of my lefties who get questioned for writing with their paper turned at a 90 degree angle! Lol **Update: For the righties and ambis in the comments that feel excluded, no worries. I’m not implying that it’s exclusively a lefty thing. But this video is about lefties after all

i am a left handed but my mother teach me how to write with my right hand and now except writing other things i do with my left hand only but i started how to write with my left hand by myself and i can write a few sentences and words nicely kind of.

The baseball example is incomplete at best. The left handed batter is about 3-4 feet closer to first base automatically increasing the left handed batter's chance to get on base. Additionally, right handed batters have a disadvantage against right handed pitchers because of the path of the ball versus the path of the bat swing path. The same is true for left handed batters vs left handed pitchers. This is why when the option is available, pinch hitters are often chosen as a result of the handedness of the pitcher (If left handed pitcher then put in right handed batter and vice versa).

All the men in my family are left handed. And all the women are right handed. 4 generations Holy sh*t. The most likes i’ve ever gotten

as a left-handed person, I've had to learn how to use scissors, notebooks, and play the guitar as right-handed but the worst thing is the gel pens

I'm right-handed and everybody in my family is but for some reason the subject fascinates me.

I’m left handed and footed but other than writing or kicking a ball I use my right hand for example punching or lifting I’d automatically think to use my right

Left Handers: *taking notes* Pen: Imma end this mans whole carreer

the part about the notebook bindings were so true. I FREKIN HATE THOSE

I've learned to be able to adjust using right-handed items with my left hand like scissor, I still use my left hand I just hold it different, the only problem is sitting next to a right handed person and the ringed notebooks

They didn't mention the third handedness; "Cross Dominant" Different tasks, Different hands.