Surprising Truths Only Lefties Will Understand

It’s that time of year. Left-handers, unite! Or at least give yourselves a well-deserved pat on the back with your dominant hand.

Every year on August 13th, the world pauses (okay, some of the world pauses) to recognize the 10% of people who write, eat, throw, and generally live life a little differently. That’s right, Left-Handers Day is your time to shine. It’s time for the righties to celebrate you.

Sure, Left-Handed Day might not be as famous as Christmas or as loud as New Year’s Eve, but it is still worth celebrating. It’s a joyful celebration of quirks, creativity, and the quiet resilience it takes to live in a right-handed world. Let’s dive in and give it the love it deserves.

The Left-Handed Life Is Not Always Easy

Unless you’re a lefty yourself, you might not realize how many tiny everyday things aren’t designed for you. Everything in this world is made for righties, and they often don’t even notice! Can openers, scissors, spiral-bound notebooks (the wrist pain is real). Even the desks in classrooms are built with right-handers in mind. And don’t get us started on awkwardly smudged ink across freshly written pages.

Left-handers learn early how to adapt; we kind of don’t have a choice. Whether it’s flipping a notebook upside down or learning how to survive in a world of right-handed power tools, we figure it out. That adaptability? It often leads to a certain creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. Maybe that’s why so many left-handers have made such a big mark on history and the arts.

Famous Lefties Who Make Us Proud

Lefties aren’t just quietly suffering in classrooms. We’re making a difference, leaving our mark (and not just the ink stains on our wrists). History is packed with brilliant left-handed individuals who’ve excelled in everything from politics to music. Just look at this roll call of left-handed greatness:

• Paul McCartney, flipping the bass around, didn’t stop him from becoming a music legend.
• Leonardo da Vinci, a painter, inventor, thinker… and yep, a proud lefty.
• Oprah Winfrey, proof that left-handers can build media empires and inspire millions.
• Babe Ruth, a legendary left-handed swing and an even greater career. Enough said.
• Tom Cruise, the world’s biggest left-handed action star, has defied odds (and gravity) since the ’80s.

And that’s just scratching the surface. Whether it’s Barack Obama, Angelina Jolie, or Bill Gates, there’s no shortage of left-handed icons out there proving that sometimes the world’s greatest achievements come from a different angle, literally.

The Science (and Myths) Behind Left-Handedness

People have been fascinated by left-handers for centuries, though not always in a fair way. In fact, the word “sinister” literally comes from the Latin for “left.” For generations, left-handedness was associated with bad luck or even wickedness. Thankfully, we’ve moved past all that nonsense. These days, scientists are more interested in what makes someone left-handed in the first place.

The truth? No one fully knows.

Genetics certainly seems to play a role, but it’s not as simple as one “left-handed gene.” Some studies suggest that brain structure and how hemispheres communicate might influence handedness. There’s even speculation that being left-handed could bring certain advantages, with studies suggesting that lefties may have stronger spatial awareness and that they might even excel in visual arts, sports, or multitasking. Some research has even linked left-handedness with creative problem-solving.

But take all that with a pinch of salt, as it varies from person to person.

The bottom line, though? Left-handed people are not some spectacle; they’re just wired a little differently, and that’s something to celebrate.

How to Celebrate Left-Handers Day (Even if You’re Right-Handed)

Whether you’re proudly left-handed or just looking to show some love to the lefties in your life, there are plenty of fun, lighthearted ways to mark August 13th:

1. Try Doing Everything Left-Handed for a Day

Right-handers: this one’s for you. Spend a day eating, writing, brushing your teeth, and using your mouse with your left hand. You’ll quickly gain a whole new appreciation for how adaptable your left-handed friends are.

2. Share the Love on Social Media

Post a shoutout to the lefties you admire. Friends, family, celebrities, or even yourself. The hashtag #LeftHandersDay is your ticket into a community that’s proud of its unique perspective on life, and you might even find some great leftie hacks for surviving in this right-handed-centric world.

3. Gift Some Left-Handed Tools

Left-handed scissors, notebooks, kitchen gadgets, or even left-handed pens (yes, that’s a thing!) make for thoughtful, practical gifts that say: “I see you.”

4. Host a Lefties-Only Trivia Night

Invite your fellow lefties over and put their knowledge to the test with questions about famous left-handers, historical facts, or the science of handedness. Bonus points if you serve drinks in left-handed mugs. It’s a bit niche, but it’s an excuse to have your friends over, and what more do you need?

5. Learn Something New About Handedness

There are fascinating books, articles, and even TED Talks on the psychology and science of being left-handed. Left-Handers Day is a great excuse to geek out a little.

Great Reads for Left-Handers

If you want to learn more about handedness, or simply add to your never-ending TBR, then here are some absolutely smashing left-handed related books to pick up this summer. Share them with your friends this Left-Handers Day and spread the word!

The Left-Handed Book by James T. deKay

This book is marketed as an expose about one of society’s “most neglected minority groups.” It talks about how everywhere lefties go, they find things built for everyone but them. The book is a little dated now, having come out in 1966, but it is still an interesting read.

The World’s Greatest Left-Handers: Why Left-Handers are Just Plain Better than Everybody Else by Sandy Huffaker

Written in 1985, this book works as a list of all the famous people who happen to be lefties. From Buzz Aldrin to Queen Victoria, it will show you who shares your ever-so-slight oddity.

Notorious RBG: The Life And Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon

One of the biggest names in leftie history is Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a fierce dissenter who has been described as a “flaming feminist litigator” determined to make the world more equal. This book takes a look at her life, her story, and how a left-handed woman became one of the biggest political names in the US.