Mensa Thinks Lefties are Smart
First despised, then ignored and finally studied, folks with a right-brain, left-hand dominance remain enduring objects of fascination.
With enormous societal pressure to favor the right hand, it seems unlikely that all natural southpaws would raise their left hands and be counted by inquisitors. The ambidextrous may have been too young to remember the adults forcing upon them a right hand bias as they learned basic motor skills and believe they have no lateral preference. Those who do remember may suffer a little PTSD from early punishments when crayons and toothbrushes were caught up in their left hands and put to use, thus encouraging a false report later in life when researchers try to count lefties and righties. Given these possibilities, the generally-accepted breakdown of 10 to 12% lefties and 88 to 90% righties may be significantly skewed. Be that as it may, having a left-hand preference has its ups and downs, advantages and pitfalls whether lefties defensively seek the shadows or not. Beyond the notorious dearth of usable scissors, here are 12 interesting facts about southpaws that may be news to you.
While only about 10% of the population is left-handed, the brainiac club Mensa International claims 20% of their membership is left-handed, which means a lot of lefties are pretty darn smart — or just snooty. However, when tested against right-handed people, more left-handers proved to have IQs over 140 points than right-handers. The tests were conducted by St. Lawrence University, and the reports were a bit surprising, to say the least. In the realms of higher education, everyone should glow brighter than the average bulb. While an IQ of 140 isn’t quite Einstein level intelligence, it’s a little dazzling. So, if you’re looking for help with your homework or want to sit near a whiz during finals, look no further than your left-handed school mates.
read more
