Are lefties actually smarter?

Sam Hayes said:The hand you use to write is really just a matter of habit, nothing more than that... if I truly wanted to, I suppose I could train myself to be left-handed, much like how any lefty could probably learn to use their right.
Though, I have to admit—Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and so many other legendary artists were lefties... yet here I am, a righty, and I still seem to have a knack for art.😍
So, I’m not buying into all those stories about lefties being inherently special; honestly, the only thing that makes you unique is the fact that you're a minority.😛

God, what a load of nonsense! I mean, I guess I could probably train myself to write with my right hand too, but it’s not about practice—it’s about what actually feels natural to you. Anyway, speaking as a lefty myself here... I feel like my perception is better than average, I've always been drawn to art, and I'm definitely hyperactive. I think those things actually hold water. As far as IQ goes, sure, not every lefty is sitting at a 140, but about 30% of Mensa members are left-handed even though we make up less than 10% of the population. So, I guess the statistics do suggest we might be a bit sharper. But there are definitely downsides to this "specialness." I struggle to focus, I tend to skim through tasks instead of being thorough, and I can spend hours lost in a daydream which just kills my productivity. Plus, I'm disorganized and a bit clumsy. These are all classic lefty traits, so we just have to deal with them, along with all that gear like scissors and various drawer handles that are designed exclusively for righties as if they're the only ones on the planet using them.

Ryan Murphy said:I know a few lefties, and I guess they all have this thing in common where their artistic talent seems way more developed than the average person's.

Everyone supposedly has some talent that stands out from the crowd.😛 😁

I'm not saying liberals lack certain traits, but why does nobody offer anything more substantial than just knowing a handful of people? It’s too easy to get tripped up by subjective judgments, biases, or those "self-fulfilling prophecies" we always talk about.🤷

Drew Peterson61 said:God, what a load of nonsense! I mean, I guess I could probably train myself to write with my right hand too, but it’s not about practice—it’s about what actually feels natural to you. Anyway, speaking as a lefty myself here... I feel like my perception is better than average, I've always been drawn to art, and I'm definitely hyperactive. I think those things actually hold water. As far as IQ goes, sure, not every lefty is sitting at a 140, but about 30% of Mensa members are left-handed even though we make up less than 10% of the population. So, I guess the statistics do suggest we might be a bit sharper. But there are definitely downsides to this "specialness." I struggle to focus, I tend to skim through tasks instead of being thorough, and I can spend hours lost in a daydream which just kills my productivity. Plus, I'm disorganized and a bit clumsy. These are all classic lefty traits, so we just have to deal with them, along with all that gear like scissors and various drawer handles that are designed exclusively for righties as if they're the only ones on the planet using them.

Maybe you guys are just clumsy and couldn't make it in football, so you had to glue yourselves to a book instead.😬

Just kidding. I doubt that's it; I just wanted to point out that cause and effect isn't always that simple.😳

Greetings from yet another lefty! 🙂 I’ve always wondered what actually triggers that shift—what makes someone left-handed? Regarding specific abilities, my experience suggests lefties might have a natural edge in certain areas, though the real question is whether those talents ever get recognized or nurtured. Back in high school, there were only three lefties in our class of 27, and all of us were straight-A students, which was pretty unique for the group. Now that I’m at university studying architecture, I’ve noticed a much higher concentration of lefties among both the students and professors, maybe around 30%. For what it's worth, I have an IQ of 140, based on my Mensa testing.
My sister is also a lefty; she’s obsessed with reading and painting and is currently majoring in literature. I read somewhere that it’s quite rare for both siblings to be left-handed, especially when coming from right-handed parents like ours. In my family, the only outlier was one of my grandfathers, who was ambidextrous. My sister and I definitely seem to view the world through a slightly different lens—it feels like we have a more heightened perception of things. Then again, that might just be "professional deformation" because of my architecture major, or perhaps choosing that field was a direct result of how I perceive things... who knows!

I consider myself a leftist.
It’s not like I possess any innate superpowers. My worldview just happens to differ from the mainstream, though that's more a byproduct of how I was raised than anything to do with my brainpower.
As much as I’d love to believe I'm some kind of outlier, there isn't really any objective evidence to back that up. 🤷

In fact, everyone I know who took the Mensa entrance exam ended up scoring a 140. 🙂

Well, I guess this thread actually has some perks after all. It’s giving lefties a chance to brag a little bit 😁

So, my doctor mentioned during a routine checkup that I was left-handed—which, honestly, isn't even true—so my parents just told me they always made sure I practiced writing with my right hand... anyway, whether I am one or not, I definitely don't have any hidden artistic talents or anything 😁🤷
My brother-in-law and my husband are both lefties, and man, I'm telling you, they really missed out when it comes to being creative... 🤣 I mean, what were their grades like back in school? A 3? A 4? Nothing more than that.

And if we're supposedly supposed to be super geniuses, then I guess that means 😬

Drew Peterson61 said:God, what a load of nonsense! I mean, I guess I could probably train myself to write with my right hand too, but it’s not about practice—it’s about what actually feels natural to you. Anyway, speaking as a lefty myself here... I feel like my perception is better than average, I've always been drawn to art, and I'm definitely hyperactive. I think those things actually hold water. As far as IQ goes, sure, not every lefty is sitting at a 140, but about 30% of Mensa members are left-handed even though we make up less than 10% of the population. So, I guess the statistics do suggest we might be a bit sharper. But there are definitely downsides to this "specialness." I struggle to focus, I tend to skim through tasks instead of being thorough, and I can spend hours lost in a daydream which just kills my productivity. Plus, I'm disorganized and a bit clumsy. These are all classic lefty traits, so we just have to deal with them, along with all that gear like scissors and various drawer handles that are designed exclusively for righties as if they're the only ones on the planet using them.

I'm a righty, yet I've been naturally talented at art since I was little. I'm hyperactive, and I know I can be clumsy sometimes, but when it comes to manual tasks, I'm actually quite precise. I have trouble concentrating, I tend to skim the surface when multitasking, I daydream constantly, I'm "organized-disorganized," and I'm fairly emotional. I haven't actually measured my intelligence, but I certainly don't feel lacking in the brain department. 🤣
In what way are you special, other than having to use right-handed tools? 😁
I'm not saying this to be rude or anything, I just don't really buy into this whole idea. There are intelligent people and less intelligent people, and there are lefties and righties; I guess I don't see why we need to emphasize some imaginary uniqueness for one specific group. 😁

Sam Hayes said:I'm a righty, yet I've been naturally talented at art since I was little. I'm hyperactive, and I know I can be clumsy sometimes, but when it comes to manual tasks, I'm actually quite precise. I have trouble concentrating, I tend to skim the surface when multitasking, I daydream constantly, I'm "organized-disorganized," and I'm fairly emotional. I haven't actually measured my intelligence, but I certainly don't feel lacking in the brain department. 🤣
In what way are you special, other than having to use right-handed tools? 😁
I'm not saying this to be rude or anything, I just don't really buy into this whole idea. There are intelligent people and less intelligent people, and there are lefties and righties; I guess I don't see why we need to emphasize some imaginary uniqueness for one specific group. 😁

Look, I never said *I* was special, I was saying *you* were. I don't even know if all these theories are actually true, but since I check almost all those boxes myself, I figured it wouldn't hurt to mention it. What I find kind of silly about your post, though, is that claim along the lines of "oh, anyone can just learn to write with their left hand." If you actually understood the subject, you'd realize it isn't just about writing; the whole phenomenon is way more complex than that 🙂. Anyway, in my family, it's the same deal where my brother and I are both lefties even though our parents are right-handed, and my aunt on one side is ambidextrous. So, maybe there are a few more of us out there than we think, haha.

Anyway, I guess I am a little bit special after all, being a lefty 🥳

The absolute dumbest thing I’ve read on this thread is the claim that lefties can't taste or smell their food if they eat with their right hand. 🤣

I honestly can't believe someone actually typed that out. 🤦

Maybe the person who wrote that gets so lost in their own head while eating with their right hand that they actually convinced themselves their senses just shut off. 😁

My sister is a lefty; she once broke her left arm and had to use her right hand to eat, and I don't remember her complaining about eating "air." 😉

I use my left hand, so by that logic, my food shouldn't have any flavor either, and I should just give up and lose weight. 😁 That kind of nonsense deserves this kind of response. 😛

Btw: I know plenty of lefties, and honestly, I don't see them being any different from right-handed people at all. 🙂

I guess angela1234 just doesn't get it, maybe they should probably look into things more before talking. kaže:
Here’s what I know about them:
I guess people just have a better sense of things now compared to how they did back in the day.
Maybe it just helps with memory, I guess.
Acting, music, painting... basically just calling it art. 😁
Maybe they're just hyperactive or something, I guess.
So, some researchers are claiming that every single leftist who took an IQ test ended up scoring above 140, I guess.

Just give me something to work with here. I guess you want me to weigh in on something, but there isn't much to go on yet.

Look, I think it's all just total nonsense. I know a handful of leftists—like ten of them, if I really sit back and think about it.

From what I've seen, those lefties you're talking about are just hyperactive, and honestly, they seem kind of clumsy and uncoordinated to me. Though, I guess a few of them are actually pretty good at sports.

I guess their spatial awareness is pretty trash, and honestly, they seem totally lost whenever they end up somewhere unfamiliar.

I guess scientists say whatever they want about IQ, but if you look at the ratio of 100 lefties to 100,000 righties, maybe righties end up having a higher IQ or being smarter just because there are way more of them numerically. 🙂

Chloe Flores40 said:

I guess angela1234 just doesn't get it, maybe they should probably look into things more before talking. kaže:
Here’s what I know about them:
I guess people just have a better sense of things now compared to how they did back in the day.
Maybe it just helps with memory, I guess.
Acting, music, painting... basically just calling it art. 😁
Maybe they're just hyperactive or something, I guess.
So, some researchers are claiming that every single leftist who took an IQ test ended up scoring above 140, I guess.

Just give me something to work with here. I guess you want me to weigh in on something, but there isn't much to go on yet.

Look, I think it's all just total nonsense. I know a handful of leftists—like ten of them, if I really sit back and think about it.

From what I've seen, those lefties you're talking about are just hyperactive, and honestly, they seem kind of clumsy and uncoordinated to me. Though, I guess a few of them are actually pretty good at sports.

I guess their spatial awareness is pretty trash, and honestly, they seem totally lost whenever they end up somewhere unfamiliar.

I guess scientists say whatever they want about IQ, but if you look at the ratio of 100 lefties to 100,000 righties, maybe righties end up having a higher IQ or being smarter just because there are way more of them numerically. 🙂

I really hope that smiley at the end means this was meant as a joke...🤷

Chloe Flores40 said:

I guess angela1234 just doesn't get it, maybe they should probably look into things more before talking. kaže:
Here’s what I know about them:
I guess people just have a better sense of things now compared to how they did back in the day.
Maybe it just helps with memory, I guess.
Acting, music, painting... basically just calling it art. 😁
Maybe they're just hyperactive or something, I guess.
So, some researchers are claiming that every single leftist who took an IQ test ended up scoring above 140, I guess.

Just give me something to work with here. I guess you want me to weigh in on something, but there isn't much to go on yet.

Look, I think it's all just total nonsense. I know a handful of leftists—like ten of them, if I really sit back and think about it.

From what I've seen, those lefties you're talking about are just hyperactive, and honestly, they seem kind of clumsy and uncoordinated to me. Though, I guess a few of them are actually pretty good at sports.

I guess their spatial awareness is pretty trash, and honestly, they seem totally lost whenever they end up somewhere unfamiliar.

I guess scientists say whatever they want about IQ, but if you look at the ratio of 100 lefties to 100,000 righties, maybe righties end up having a higher IQ or being smarter just because there are way more of them numerically. 🙂

I see math isn't exactly your strongest suit 🤣

Look, both sides have all sorts of people—smart ones, dumb ones, gifted folks, and those who struggle with art, sports, science, or whatever else. But with liberals, it seems like the makeup is just slightly different, and certain traits definitely show up more frequently in certain percentages. We could go on listing examples from our own lives, but that doesn't really give us a complete picture of every liberal in America. For instance, I can navigate any space I’m in without any trouble, whereas my sister often struggles to figure out where North is or which way the Mississippi flows. One time we went to a pizza parlor, sat down, ate, and when we were ready to leave, she couldn't even figure out where the front door was 😁

I’m a lefty by nature, though I was essentially forced into being right-handed because some classmate back in elementary school would actually lecture us and pull our hair if she caught us writing with our left hand (and no, I am not joking). 🤷
So, while I mostly write with my right hand now, I can still use my left—it just isn't nearly as fast. Everything else, however, remains strictly left-handed.
As far as intelligence goes, I know two people who were smart enough to skip grades in grade school, and both happen to be lefties.
Does that mean I’m inherently more intelligent because of my handedness? Honestly, I have no clue... 🤷Besides, I ended up in one of those hyper-competitive honors classes where everyone was an overachiever, so that's hardly a reliable metric.
What I do know for certain is that I definitely lean toward the more artistic, creative side of things. 🤷

wearysailor3 said:I see math isn't exactly your strongest suit 🤣

Look, both sides have all sorts of people—smart ones, dumb ones, gifted folks, and those who struggle with art, sports, science, or whatever else. But with liberals, it seems like the makeup is just slightly different, and certain traits definitely show up more frequently in certain percentages. We could go on listing examples from our own lives, but that doesn't really give us a complete picture of every liberal in America. For instance, I can navigate any space I’m in without any trouble, whereas my sister often struggles to figure out where North is or which way the Mississippi flows. One time we went to a pizza parlor, sat down, ate, and when we were ready to leave, she couldn't even figure out where the front door was 😁

Maybe I should just explain my logic using cars, since that might be easier to grasp.

Let's say Mercedes-Benz makes 1,000 cars a year, and 200 of them end up back at the shop because they broke down.

Now, let's say Chevrolet produces 100,000 cars a year, and 1,000 of those wind up needing repairs.

Does that actually mean the Chevrolet is a lower quality vehicle??? (Or does it mean the other group is smarter just because their numbers look smaller???) [if you listen to what statistics claim]??? 😕

Based on your example, it's obvious the Mercedes-Benz isn't as high-quality. But statistics work the same way. They don't just pull numbers out of thin air like you're suggesting...
If statistics show that, say, 50% of lefties have above-average IQ compared to 45% of righties, it simply means 50 out of 100 lefties are above average, versus 45 out of 100 righties. It isn't about who has more or less in total. Right-handed people aren't some kind of hive mind hoarding all the intelligence just because there are more of them...

Michelle Evans said:Based on your example, it's obvious the Mercedes-Benz isn't as high-quality. But statistics work the same way. They don't just pull numbers out of thin air like you're suggesting...
If statistics show that, say, 50% of lefties have above-average IQ compared to 45% of righties, it simply means 50 out of 100 lefties are above average, versus 45 out of 100 righties. It isn't about who has more or less in total. Right-handed people aren't some kind of hive mind hoarding all the intelligence just because there are more of them...

But if the data shows that lefties only make up like 15% of the population!!! how can you still claim they're "BETTER"? I guess I'm saying it's just because all the righties are swallowed up in that massive 85% majority!

so what I'm trying to say is that 15% of lefties isn't really a big enough sample size to conclude they're actually more intelligent!

I mean, I just think they're "weirdos" since most of them act that way anyway!🙂

I guess I’m definitely more on the left-brained side.
I once had the chance to take one of those IQ tests.
You know, all those number sequences and logic puzzles...
To be honest, I didn't even understand what they were asking me to do.🤷
So, yeah—left-brained, not exactly a genius, and I think I might just be disproving the whole theory!

Andrew Ruiz5 said:I guess I’m definitely more on the left-brained side.
I once had the chance to take one of those IQ tests.
You know, all those number sequences and logic puzzles...
To be honest, I didn't even understand what they were asking me to do.🤷
So, yeah—left-brained, not exactly a genius, and I think I might just be disproving the whole theory!

I mean, I just feel like a 15% sample size is way too small to actually prove liberals are smarter.

I'm sure you've got plenty of other strengths besides crushing an IQ test :P

Drew Peterson61 said:Look, I never said *I* was special, I was saying *you* were. I don't even know if all these theories are actually true, but since I check almost all those boxes myself, I figured it wouldn't hurt to mention it. What I find kind of silly about your post, though, is that claim along the lines of "oh, anyone can just learn to write with their left hand." If you actually understood the subject, you'd realize it isn't just about writing; the whole phenomenon is way more complex than that 🙂. Anyway, in my family, it's the same deal where my brother and I are both lefties even though our parents are right-handed, and my aunt on one side is ambidextrous. So, maybe there are a few more of us out there than we think, haha.

Anyway, I guess I am a little bit special after all, being a lefty 🥳

we both fit most of those descriptions, even if we aren't using the same hand to write 😉
what I find silly are these pervasive stereotypes and the nonsense people get caught up in. I still stand by what I said—that anyone can learn to write with their left hand (or vice versa)—it's really just a matter of habit and doesn't have anything to do with how smart you are🤣.

Chloe Flores40 said:

I guess angela1234 just doesn't get it, maybe they should probably look into things more before talking. kaže:
Here’s what I know about them:
I guess people just have a better sense of things now compared to how they did back in the day.
Maybe it just helps with memory, I guess.
Acting, music, painting... basically just calling it art. 😁
Maybe they're just hyperactive or something, I guess.
So, some researchers are claiming that every single leftist who took an IQ test ended up scoring above 140, I guess.

Just give me something to work with here. I guess you want me to weigh in on something, but there isn't much to go on yet.

Look, I think it's all just total nonsense. I know a handful of leftists—like ten of them, if I really sit back and think about it.

From what I've seen, those lefties you're talking about are just hyperactive, and honestly, they seem kind of clumsy and uncoordinated to me. Though, I guess a few of them are actually pretty good at sports.

I guess their spatial awareness is pretty trash, and honestly, they seem totally lost whenever they end up somewhere unfamiliar.

I guess scientists say whatever they want about IQ, but if you look at the ratio of 100 lefties to 100,000 righties, maybe righties end up having a higher IQ or being smarter just because there are way more of them numerically. 🙂

Even though this has already been touched upon, I feel compelled to weigh in on this 😁

If you want my honest take, I’d argue there is a much higher percentage of women who struggle with navigation than there are Leftists, though I suspect the "woman-Leftist" combination is significantly more prevalent within this specific issue. 😁

Now, please don't mistake this for gender discrimination; this is simply my observation based on personal experience and the broadly accepted scientific consensus that spatial orientation tends to be a more frequent hurdle for women than for men. 🙂

As for myself, I have a pretty sharp sense of direction—once I’ve mapped out a location in my head, I can almost always find my way back if the situation calls for it. 🙂
Of course, when we talk about navigating maps, street signs, or physical environments, the context is implied. 😁