Being not right or left handed

  • Thread starter symbolipoint
  • Start date
In summary, the conversation discusses the possibility of some people being neither right nor left handed, also known as ambidextrous. The conversation mentions that ambidexterity can mean being able to use either hand with equal ease, but also suggests that it could mean being able to use neither hand with equal ease. The conversation also brings up the idea of cross dominance, where a person may be left handed for some tasks and right handed for others. It is mentioned that studies suggest ambidexterity and cross dominance are rarer than left handedness. The conversation also includes a discussion about a writing experiment where a person writes with both hands simultaneously, and how it may cause vertigo for some individuals.
  • #1
symbolipoint
Homework Helper
Education Advisor
Gold Member
7,274
1,763
TL;DR Summary
Is neither being right handed or left handed possible?
I have sometimes been curious about this. Some people are right handed; and some people are left handed; and a few people may be ambidextrous. Can some people be NOT right or left handed, like being neither right nor left handed?

Not sure if for "Biology and Medical" or "Intelligence".
 
Biology news on Phys.org
  • #2
Unless they literally can't manage to hold a ball or a 2B pencil in their hand, they can't be neither. They're ambidextrous.

Ambidextrous means 'can use either hand with equal ease'.
But there's no reason it can't mean 'can use neither hand with equal ease'.
 
  • Like
Likes berkeman and phinds
  • #3
Here are some possible alternatives:
  • person with no hands from birth
  • person with no hands, but right or left handed until hands gone
  • right handed, not right hand
  • left handed, no left hand

there as also some people who are right handed for some things and left handed for others (throws right, bats left)
 
  • Like
Likes Jodo and Delta2
  • #4
BillTre said:
there as also some people who are right handed for some things and left handed for others (throws right, bats left)
That's me. Writes left-handed; sports: neither-handed but sucks slightly less right-handed.

Also Gerald Ford. Left-handed sitting down; right-handed standing up.
 
  • Like
Likes BillTre
  • #5
BillTre,
I intended the assumption the possibly hypothetical persons do definitely have both hands; not missing any.

DaveC426913,
I see some possible meaning or 'answer' here:
That's me. Writes left-handed; sports: neither-handed but sucks slightly less right-handed.

Also Gerald Ford. Left-handed sitting down; right-handed standing up.
 
  • Like
Likes Delta2
  • #6
DaveC426913 said:
That's me. Writes left-handed; sports: neither-handed but sucks slightly less right-handed.

Also Gerald Ford. Left-handed sitting down; right-handed standing up.
Here is something, which probably does not fit within the question which I asked, but not sure; but it is this:

I use fork in dominant hand and butter or steak knife in the non-dominant hand and cut food according to this arrangement.
BUT I use non-dominant hand to stabilize a food sample and use a knife in the dominant hand to cut or slice pieces of the food sample.
 
  • #7
Let's do a quick experiment: Learn how easily you can write mirror script.

Take a pen in each hand, sit down in front of two pieces of paper, which should be secured against sliding away. Write a word with your normal writing hand, and don't suppress the other, just move it along in unison.

Look at the result, report.
 
  • #8
Godot_ said:
Let's do a quick experiment: Learn how easily you can write mirror script.

Take a pen in each hand, sit down in front of two pieces of paper, which should be secured against sliding away. Write a word with your normal writing hand, and don't suppress the other, just move it along in unison.

Look at the result, report.
Try describe that again. It may be very interesting but I do not completely understand your instructions.
 
  • #9
symbolipoint said:
Try describe that again. It may be very interesting but I do not completely understand your instructions.

This (but side-by-side):
1653520095341.png


Godot_ said:
word with your normal writing hand, and don't suppress the other, just move it along in unison.
I think you mean reflect it, don't you?
Otherwise it's not really mirror script.
 
  • #10
symbolipoint said:
Try describe that again. It may be very interesting but I do not completely understand your instructions.
No, no! please don't. I barfed from vertigo when I tried it. No fun...
 
  • Wow
  • Haha
Likes Astronuc and Tom.G
  • #11
DaveC426913 said:
Also Gerald Ford. Left-handed sitting down; right-handed standing up.
Really? Link?

So he could sign bills into law when seated using his left hand, but if he tried to do it standing at a lecturn, the bills would have been declared null and void because of the handwriting match problems with the signature?
 
  • #12
Godot_ said:
word with your normal writing hand, and don't suppress the other, just move it along in unison.
I think you mean reflect it, don't you?
Otherwise it;s not really mirror script.
 
  • #13
berkeman said:
Really? Link?

So he could sign bills into law when seated using his left hand, but if he tried to do it standing at a lecturn, the bills would have been declared null and void because of the handwriting match problems with the signature?
Nah. Just a cryptic way of saying
Writes left-handed; plays sports right-handed.

Heard it as a young man. Dont even know if its still true.
 
  • #14
symbolipoint said:
Summary: Is neither being right handed or left handed possible?

I have sometimes been curious about this. Some people are right handed; and some people are left handed; and a few people may be ambidextrous. Can some people be NOT right or left handed, like being neither right nor left handed?

Not sure if for "Biology and Medical" or "Intelligence".

DaveC426913 said:
That's me. Writes left-handed; sports: neither-handed but sucks slightly less right-handed.

Also Gerald Ford. Left-handed sitting down; right-handed standing up.
Left handed is about 1 in 7 ambidextrous is rarer and then you have 'cross dominance' which is task A left handed task B right handed.

More issues for learning if a child is ambidextrous or cross.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/81322/mixed-handed-children-more-likely-have-mental/

EDIT: Stats/studies suggest

1 in 10 Left handed

1 in a 100 Ambidextrous

1 in a 100 cross dominance or mix handedness
 
Last edited:
  • #15
symbolipoint said:
Try describe that again. It may be very interesting but I do not completely understand your instructions.
Best works with a black- or whiteboard... ...but:

Place a big sheet of paper (or two pads) in front of you. Take two pens or pencils, one in each hand, and grab them as you would for writing. In the inferior hand, grab it just like you do in your dominant hand.

Now write a word with your dominant hand, and move the inferior hand along. If you're right-handed, start in the middle, if you're left handed, start at the edges.

Do not suppress movement of your inferior hand (which you'd normally do...). it might not work immediately, and when I do that for shows, I also have to take a breath or two before starting to write, but once you got it, voilà,...

The inferior hand should just tag along, using the same muscle groups in the same sequence as the dominant hand - thus writing mirror script. And while the letters might look a wee skewed, as the muscular modulation is less trained, this normally should yield legible handwriting.
Reason: The mechanical part of the task of writing is triggered from the premotor cortex and "saved" there as a series of movements, which always are repeated in the same sequence. This is called "procedural memory". So in a timed cascade, it activates the motoneurons in the motor cortex that control the muscles in your hand and forearm to make these move.
(Almost) Every neuron in the motor cortex sends the impulse down to the corresponding motric neurons in the spinal cord. And it also sends some impulse to contralateral neurons, both on the cerebral as on the spinal levels. So when you relax the contralateral inhibition, it triggers the same move on the other side, too - which normally is suppressed.
And as the muscles are arranged in a mirrored fashion, the result of those movements also is mirrored. Presto, bingo! Mirror script.

DaveC426913 said:
This (but side-by-side):
View attachment 301939I think you mean reflect it, don't you?
Otherwise it's not really mirror script.
Exactly. And re. "reflect": s.a. in the spoiler.

berkeman said:
No, no! please don't. I barfed from vertigo when I tried it. No fun...
This is an unusual result. I do hope you didn't actually barf, but it might really plausibly cause vertigo...
...closing your eyes when doing the stunt might or might not prevent that.
 
  • Informative
Likes Tom.G
  • #16
I removed three off-topic posts that were the result of an accidental quote from another thread.
 
  • #17
symbolipoint said:
Here is something, which probably does not fit within the question which I asked, but not sure; but it is this:

I use fork in dominant hand and butter or steak knife in the non-dominant hand and cut food according to this arrangement.
BUT I use non-dominant hand to stabilize a food sample and use a knife in the dominant hand to cut or slice pieces of the food sample.
If you're left-handed, this might have a plausible explanation, at least with the steak knife...

Bread, steak and other serrated knives are typically honed from the right hand side. Like this: " |/ " when viewed from the handle. This places the flat side against the bread (or steak) and thus makes cutting off straight, even slices way easier.

This practice might or might not have led you to use the same hand (right, if you're left-handed) with symmetrically honed knives.

When using the knife only to push or stop food, this doesn't matter.

Also, there are at least left-handed serrated bread knives with a " \| "-edge. They might not be available in your supermarket, but they don't cost a fortune.
 
  • Informative
Likes hutchphd
  • #18
Godot_ said:
Best works with a black- or whiteboard... ...but:

Place a big sheet of paper (or two pads) in front of you. Take two pens or pencils, one in each hand, and grab them as you would for writing. In the inferior hand, grab it just like you do in your dominant hand.

Now write a word with your dominant hand, and
move the inferior hand along. If you're right-handed, start in the middle, if you're left handed, start at the edges.

Do not suppress movement of your inferior hand (which you'd normally do...). it might not work immediately, and when I do that for shows, I also have to take a breath or two before starting to write, but once you got it, voilà,...

The inferior hand should just tag along, using the same muscle groups in the same sequence as the dominant hand - thus writing mirror script. And while the letters might look a wee skewed, as the muscular modulation is less trained, this normally should yield legible handwriting.
Reason: The mechanical part of the task of writing is triggered from the premotor cortex and "saved" there as a series of movements, which always are repeated in the same sequence. This is called "procedural memory". So in a timed cascade, it activates the motoneurons in the motor cortex that control the muscles in your hand and forearm to make these move.
(Almost) Every neuron in the motor cortex sends the impulse down to the corresponding motric neurons in the spinal cord. And it also sends some impulse to contralateral neurons, both on the cerebral as on the spinal levels. So when you relax the contralateral inhibition, it triggers the same move on the other side, too - which normally is suppressed.
And as the muscles are arranged in a mirrored fashion, the result of those movements also is mirrored. Presto, bingo! Mirror script.

Fer cryin' out loud - all those instructions and you still made the exact same omission!

'Move the inferior hand "along' - in which direction? The same direction or the mirrored direction??
 
  • #19
"I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous." :oldwink:
 
  • Haha
Likes Bystander and BillTre
  • #20
Mark44 said:
"I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous." :oldwink:
Sinister...
 
  • Love
  • Wow
Likes Bystander and BillTre
  • #21
Just means a leftie @BillTre in Latin
 
  • Haha
Likes BillTre
  • #22
pinball1970 said:
Just means a leftie @BillTre in Latin
Sinister -- left
Dexter -- right
 
  • Informative
Likes pinball1970
  • #23
"Two wrongs don't make a right.
... but three lefts do!"
- DaveC426913
 
  • Like
Likes Nik_2213, BillTre and pinball1970
  • #24
DaveC426913 said:
"Two wrongs don't make a right.
... but three lefts do!"
- DaveC426913
I absolutely don't get that but I've upvoted it anyway
 
  • Like
Likes Nik_2213
  • #25
pinball1970 said:
I absolutely don't get that but I've upvoted it anyway
Three left turns is counterclockwise 270 degrees.
 
  • Like
Likes pinball1970
  • #26
DaveC426913 said:
Fer cryin' out loud - all those instructions and you still made the exact same omission!

'Move the inferior hand "along' - in which direction? The same direction or the mirrored direction??
Just do what comes naturally... ...do _not_ force it. Don't try to control it. Just feel the breeze...
 
  • #28
symbolipoint said:
Summary: Is neither being right handed or left handed possible?

I have sometimes been curious about this. Some people are right handed; and some people are left handed; and a few people may be ambidextrous. Can some people be NOT right or left handed, like being neither right nor left handed?

Not sure if for "Biology and Medical" or "Intelligence".
Write right, throw left, bat left, shoot rifle right, bow and arrow left, jump shot right, hook shot left, can consciously change dominant eye. Sort of seems like whatever hand I started with, I stayed with and the other hand never got it. Got hassled as a kid because I tied my shoes "backward" (mirror image). (I also thought I was an alien as a kid!)
 
  • Like
  • Love
Likes pinball1970 and Tom.G
  • #29
On rare occassions my wife will play a game of pool. When she is faced with an awkward shot, rather than grab the bridge or sit on the table edge, she just switches hands when shooting. When I first noticed and commented on it, her bewildered response was essentially 'Of course! What else would I do?'

It may take a couple of occurences to be noticed, but the look on an opponent's face is often ...uhmm... notable (often a combination of surprise and 'Oh Sh.t, what did I get into.')

On another note, my sister, in the field of Fine Arts, is dyslexic and can naturally write mirror image script or printed with either hand.

I'm strongly right-handed and left-eyed myself.

Humans are quite a diverse species!
 
  • Like
  • Wow
Likes BillTre, pinball1970 and symbolipoint
  • #30
DaveC426913 said:
"Two wrongs don't make a right.
... but three lefts do!"
- DaveC426913
Yes. I see. But that is for right angle turns only (that's "right" as in 90 degrees ; not right versus left for direction or handedness.)
 
  • Like
Likes pinball1970
  • #31
symbolipoint said:
Yes. I see. But that is for right angle turns only (that's "right" as in 90 degrees ; not right versus left for direction or handedness.)
As a city driver of 40+ years, it never occurred to me that there was any ambiguity in my clever saying.

No wonder it never got the appreciative nods I expected.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes Nik_2213
  • #32
symbolipoint said:
Yes. I see. But that is for right angle turns only (that's "right" as in 90 degrees ; not right versus left for direction or handedness.)
You're overthinking this. The "lefts" in what Dave said, "Three lefts make a right" are by implication 90° angles. If someone tells you that you need to drive 5 blocks and then turn left, it would be very unusual to interpret this to not mean 90° to the left.
DaveC426913 said:
As a city driver of 40+ years, it never occurred to me that there was any ambiguity in my clever saying.
Nor did I, but I doubt that it is "your" saying.
 
  • #33
Mark44 said:
You're overthinking this. The "lefts" in what Dave said, "Three lefts make a right" are by implication 90° angles. If someone tells you that you need to drive 5 blocks and then turn left, it would be very unusual to interpret this to not mean 90° to the left.

Nor did I, but I doubt that it is "your" saying.
I've said this to @fresh_42 also, this is what happens when a seemingly innocuous question falls into the hands of a mathematician!
 
Last edited:
  • #34
Mark44 said:
Nor did I, but I doubt that it is "your" saying.
I came up with it on my own, I've never heard anyone else say it, though that's no guarantee someone else didnt invent it elsewhen.
 
  • Like
Likes Tom.G
  • #35
BillTre said:
Here are some possible alternatives:
  • person with no hands from birth
  • person with no hands, but right or left handed until hands gone
  • right handed, not right hand
  • left handed, no left hand

there as also some people who are right handed for some things and left handed for others (throws right, bats left)
I gotta hand it to you... you came up with all the possibilities.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Likes BillTre and Godot_
<h2>1. What does it mean to be not right or left handed?</h2><p>Being not right or left handed, also known as ambidextrous, means that a person is able to use both their right and left hands with equal skill and comfort.</p><h2>2. Is being ambidextrous genetic or learned?</h2><p>There is evidence that suggests that being ambidextrous may have a genetic component, as it tends to run in families. However, it can also be learned through practice and training.</p><h2>3. What percentage of the population is ambidextrous?</h2><p>It is estimated that only about 1% of the population is truly ambidextrous, meaning they can perform tasks equally well with both hands. However, many people may have some level of ambidexterity, such as being able to write with both hands but having a dominant hand for other tasks.</p><h2>4. Are there any advantages to being ambidextrous?</h2><p>Some studies have suggested that ambidextrous individuals may have an advantage in certain tasks that require both hands, such as playing musical instruments or sports. They may also have better problem-solving skills and be more adaptable to new situations.</p><h2>5. Can someone become ambidextrous later in life?</h2><p>While it may be more difficult to develop true ambidexterity later in life, it is possible with practice and training. Some people may also naturally become more ambidextrous as they age and their dominant hand becomes less dominant.</p>

1. What does it mean to be not right or left handed?

Being not right or left handed, also known as ambidextrous, means that a person is able to use both their right and left hands with equal skill and comfort.

2. Is being ambidextrous genetic or learned?

There is evidence that suggests that being ambidextrous may have a genetic component, as it tends to run in families. However, it can also be learned through practice and training.

3. What percentage of the population is ambidextrous?

It is estimated that only about 1% of the population is truly ambidextrous, meaning they can perform tasks equally well with both hands. However, many people may have some level of ambidexterity, such as being able to write with both hands but having a dominant hand for other tasks.

4. Are there any advantages to being ambidextrous?

Some studies have suggested that ambidextrous individuals may have an advantage in certain tasks that require both hands, such as playing musical instruments or sports. They may also have better problem-solving skills and be more adaptable to new situations.

5. Can someone become ambidextrous later in life?

While it may be more difficult to develop true ambidexterity later in life, it is possible with practice and training. Some people may also naturally become more ambidextrous as they age and their dominant hand becomes less dominant.

Similar threads

Replies
10
Views
897
Replies
8
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
1
Views
762
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
7
Views
1K
Replies
8
Views
550
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
1
Views
936
  • High Energy, Nuclear, Particle Physics
Replies
6
Views
666
  • Biology and Medical
Replies
7
Views
2K
Back
Top