Left-handed 30-Day Trial

[David Hausladen]

After reading some posts from the poll on handedness, I'm curious--can a person change his or her handedness? To test it, I'm going to do a 30-day trial of being left-handed (I've been right-handed all my life). Every non-ambidextrous task which I usually do with my right hand, I'll do with my left hand. Since typing is ambidextrous and I don't usually handwrite much every day, I would make it a habit to handwrite at least one page every day--in fact I think I'll scan the page and post a link to it here so that people can enjoy how bad my handwriting will be in the beginning (and hopefully see it improve over time).

Comments? Ideas?

Exhortations to not do this terrible thing!?

[WanderingOak]

That sounds great. As I said before in the poll on handedness, If I had the time, I would be doing it myself.

[Alvin]

Wow David sounds like a fun and interesting experiment!

Back in life drawing class, we'd sometimes switch over to draw with our less-dominant hands. It was great fun and you'd end up with really funny drawings.

It was also very freeing mentally, at first it was a struggle and you gotta persist, and after you get into the flow you can feel parts of your mind 'unlock', it's like getting access to the other parts of your brain you don't normally use.

(I guess because of the left-side of the brain controls the right-side and vice-versa thing.)

Would love to hear your updates on this trial

[David Hausladen]

Left-Handed, Day 0

Scanned update posted on Flickr

[andrew]

I have to say with other "recreational" topics, I was afraid to open this thread up

Very interesting, I thouht about this long time ago, but never stayed with it. Now that you mention it, I may just play around a bit with my lefty just to get a feel for it.

[elainevdw]

There's a certain author, I can't remember who, that they say learned to be ambidexterous because his cat would fall asleep on his dominant arm while he was writing, and he didn't want to wake her up!

I certainly think it's possible, just frustrating. One thing I learned when I started doing henna is that I can do a perfectly good henna design left-handed, it just takes me twice as long and is twice as tiring. Here's a photo of a design I did on both my right and left hands. I always wondered if it would be the same with handwriting vs. a repetitive, decorative design, since the alphabet is a little stricter than flowers and paisleys.

[David Hausladen]

Left-Handed, Day 1

Scanned update posted on Flickr

[WanderingOak]

Your first attempt was considerably better than mine. I was going to coment more on my own handwriting and my attepts to improve it, but then realized that it would be a serious thread drift, so I started over here.

[elainevdw]

My first thought was, "It's so cute!"

The Flickr photo set is a great idea -- hopefully it will show a gradual but distinct improvement over time.

[David Hausladen]

Originally Posted by WanderingOak

Your first attempt was considerably better than mine.

Take into account that it took me quite some time to write even that--somewhere between five and fifteen minutes. I just know it felt like I'd never finish those three sentences! My writing speed should improve over time, though.

Originally Posted by elainevdw

My first thought was, "It's so cute!"

"You strike me with words hard as steel!" -Uther Pendragon in Excalibur

Originally Posted by elainevdw

The Flickr photo set is a great idea -- hopefully it will show a gradual but distinct improvement over time.

That or I'll have 1st-grader handwriting for 30 days.

[Scipio]

I wonder if this helps stimulate different areas of the brain, other than capacities related to motor and spacial ability. I believe the right side of the brain is the one that is more "wholistic" and "emotional" is responsible for left handedness. Who knows, maybe there's some crossover benefit. It would be interesting for someone to research this.

[Gerto]

Wow, you write much better with your left hand than I do with my left hand (but I'm left handed ). Nice idea , good luck!

[Waiman]

Gee David this is an awesome idea, and I'd definitely say the handwriting from day 1 with your left hand is considerably neat.

I feel like taking this up myself now, maybe sometime these holidays

[Scott Bird]

Originally Posted by elainevdw

There's a certain author, I can't remember who, that they say learned to be ambidexterous because his cat would fall asleep on his dominant arm while he was writing, and he didn't want to wake her up!

Elaine, Albert Schweitzer from memory.

David, best of luck. This sounds like a great experiment - I'm really keen to see how things turn out. One 'challenge' you may like to consider is left-handed ten-pin bowling. I tried it once several years ago and, well, it's harder than it looks

[Minstrel]

David, I have a suggestion and a warning. I don't have time to be anything but blunt.

Suggestion: Check the dominance of your ear, eye, and foot.

Hold your watch up to your ear to see if it's ticking. Which ear?
Eavesdrop through a keyhole or a wall. Which ear?
It might be most effective to have someone else observe you on issues like this, when you are unaware of it.

With which eye would you sight a weapon? Look through a kaleidescope? Microscope? Try this: point across the room at an object, such as a light switch. Now close your left eye. Is your finger still pointing to it or did it jump? Close the other eye? Did it jump? The eye that causes your finger to jump when you close it is your dominant eye.

With which foot would you kick a ball? Try standing on one foot. Which is easier. Try hopping. Write your name with your toes and observe which foot is faster and neater.

Warning: Again, I have no time to be anything but blunt. If you are right handed, eyed, eared, and footed, please DO NOT switch your handedness. You are messing around with basic brain development.

Yes, it is entirely possible to switch handedness, aka dominance. But it should not be done lightly for two reasons. First, you do have a genetically prefered side. Second, for proper brain function, the eye, ear, hand and foot should all be dominant on the same side. If they are mixed, then you are likely to have emotional instability and/or learning difficulties.

For more information on this, please find and read the book "A New Start for the Child with Reading Problems" by Carl Delacato. Or any other of his books, but this one is the simplist, written for parents, and omitting the scientific studies. I can't remember right now the name of the book with the studies.

If you choose to proceed with this trial, be on the look out for deteriorating function.

Then again, it is entirely possible that you are genetically left (have any lefties in your family?) lean in that direction already (do a lot of things ambidexteriously?) and have left eye, ear, and foot preference. In that case you are doing yourself a wonderful favor by switching your hand!

Minstrel

[Minstrel]

I just looked at day one handwriting. Wow! That doesn't look like someone who is completely right handed. You already have a left leaning. So probably you are doing yourself a favor. But please check and make sure.

Minstrel

[Andy]

I had a right arm injury a couple years ago and switched to using my left hand most things, and that lasted around 2 years. It was quite an experience, at first almost everything using my left hand was difficult and mentally tiring. Brushing my teeth, using certain utensils, using a mouse, etc. but eventually it became easier such that the difficulty didn't bother me that much (the exception was writing, I just found it too time-consuming doing it left-handed). I'd really like to see how your progress goes David!

For me, with all other activities, although I never got to the same proficiency/control as my right hand, I'd guess that my left-hand went from 30% to 70% proficient. Nowadays I'm back to being mainly righthanded since it's easy, but I'd say that the whole experience was useful since it makes using your other hand for tasks more of an option. Plus, it's fun if you like the challenge

[WanderingOak]

Minstrel, your post was interesting. As I mentioned in the original thread this forked off from, I am left-eye dominant, and tried to write left-handed as a child. I had surgery on my left knee last year and still not quite at 100% recovery, yet I still want to use my left leg more often than my right. If I had the time right now, I would definitely work towards switching my handedness, but as it is, that will have to wait until later.

[Holistic Star]

I had RSI in my right hand a few years ago and thought it was caused by using a mouse so I switched mouse hands.

At first I would swop the mouse buttons to be a lefthanded mouse and use it with my left hand. (i.e you click with your left index finger, and 'right' click with your lefthand middle finger). It took a bit of practise of coordination to be able to click exactly where I wanted on the screen.

However sometimes I would pick up my lefthanded mouse with my right hand, not switch the buttons back and use it with the lefthanded buttons but with my right hand.

After a while I could pick up any mouse with either hand, whether the buttons had been swopped over or not and after a couple of clicks use it very comfortably.

So try this exercise out for size:

• Use the mouse with your left hand, with the buttons swopped to make them lefthanded.
• Use the mouse with your left hand, with the buttons unswopped to make them righthanded.
• Use the mouse with your right hand, with the buttons unswopped to make them righthanded (if you are righthanded you already do this!)
• Use the mouse with your right hand, with the buttons swopped to make them lefthanded.

let us know how you get on.

[Erki]

What should I think now?

I'm right handed, right footed, left eyed and left eared. It's fifty-fifty!
My left arm/hand is also a bit stronger than my right, but the right one is more accurate at doing stuff like writing or fixing something. Some time ago I tried to hold the computer mouse with my left hand, it felt a bit odd but I think I was doing rather well. For many many years I used to hold the fork with my right hand, nowadays left feels more natural.

I'm quite good at stuff like math(s) and physics and other science things but I'm more interested in somewhat abstract things... Is it possible that I have already started to lean towards ... left-ism??

PS: I'm not political at all so I probably don't lean anywhere there, I'm above politics(or undergound)

[elainevdw]

Originally Posted by Minstrel

David, I have a suggestion and a warning. I don't have time to be anything but blunt.

Suggestion: Check the dominance of your ear, eye, and foot.

[snip]

If you choose to proceed with this trial, be on the look out for deteriorating function.

Then again, it is entirely possible that you are genetically left (have any lefties in your family?) lean in that direction already (do a lot of things ambidexteriously?) and have left eye, ear, and foot preference. In that case you are doing yourself a wonderful favor by switching your hand!

Minstrel

Are there studies done on this? I don't see how training motor functions of non-preferred hands could negatively influence someone, physically or mentally. It would make a fascinating study, though.

[elainevdw]

Originally Posted by David Hausladen

"You strike me with words hard as steel!" -Uther Pendragon in Excalibur

LOL, no offense meant! I think it's important to take joy in every step of the process when you're learning something new. Like with artwork, people that can't stand their stick figures and don't have fun with it won't progress to creating works of art.

That said, your lefthanded writing certainly is no stick figure -- that's pretty darn impressive for Day 1.

Anyway, I look forward to following your experiment!

[David Hausladen]

Originally Posted by Minstrel

If you are right handed, eyed, eared, and footed, please DO NOT switch your handedness. You are messing around with basic brain development.

My question is the same as Elaine's. Also, even if this is the case, are you sure it's a problem for a fully developed adult (it sounded like your sources were concerned most with brain development in children)--and if so, would a 30-day trial be enough to trigger this kind of problem?

I'm skeptical, but you could be right. If I have time, perhaps I'll do some research on it myself.

Originally Posted by Minstrel

If you choose to proceed with this trial, be on the look out for deteriorating function.

Thank you for the warning; I'll definitely be on the lookout for symptoms.

Originally Posted by Minstrel

That doesn't look like someone who is completely right handed. You already have a left leaning. So probably you are doing yourself a favor. But please check and make sure.

Well, I'm right-eyed and right-footed. I haven't been able to do a good test for my ear dominance yet. On the genetic front, one of my older brothers is ambidextrous (but writes with his left), and I'm almost certain another of them is left-handed (I'll have to check with him tonight after he gets off work). So maybe I've got undeveloped ambidexterity? (I'm doubtful, but I can hope.)

Originally Posted by elainevdw

LOL, no offense meant!

No offense taken, I was just kidding with you.

[Scott Bird]

Originally Posted by elainevdw

Are there studies done on this?

I'm also interested in any research that appears for this field. It's a fascinating subject.

[timmymayes]

I will be following your progress and I am going to undertake this test my self in the future. Its added to my 2 yr goal list.

Thanks
Timothy

[David Hausladen]

Left-Handed, Day 2

Scanned update posted on Flickr

[Scott Bird]

Originally Posted by David Hausladen

Left-Handed, Day 2

Scanned update posted on Flickr

David,

How are you going to measure the improvements (or otherwise) in your left-handed handwriting? The difference will no doubt be obvious after a month, but are there any indicators that you are using on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis?

[geekchic9]

Originally Posted by Minstrel

Yes, it is entirely possible to switch handedness, aka dominance. But it should not be done lightly for two reasons. First, you do have a genetically prefered side. Second, for proper brain function, the eye, ear, hand and foot should all be dominant on the same side. If they are mixed, then you are likely to have emotional instability and/or learning difficulties.

This is fascinating. I'm left-handed, but I am right-eared and right-eyed according to your tests. I'm about equal on feet on your tests, but normally I kick with my right foot. The reason why I find this odd is because I have bipolar disorder. I'm going to try being right-handed for a while and see if I notice any changes in mood.

Thanks!

[Trina]

I think this is such a cool experiment you are doing! Your left handed writing is very impressive. I am tempted to talk Adam into doing this because his right handed handwriting is HORRENDOUS, so maybe his left handed would be more legible. LOL.

I have a flickr as well, and I am going to add you to my contacts so I can watch your progress. My name on there is wicked.

[Jehosephat]

Whenever I had a boring or easy class in college I would write all of my notes for the class right handed (I'm naturally left-handed). I found that it provided incentive for actually paying attention and taking notes, and since they weren't difficult classes the slower writing pace wasn't a factor. Also, speaking from my own experience, lefties end up picking up a lot of ambidexterity (if that's a word) just coping with a right handed world. I read a statistic somewhere about some huge number of deaths caused by right handed implements being handled by left handed people (ok, it was in a restroom and I don't have much faith in statistics anyway, but it is a beleivable idea).
-Lefties: the last unrepresented minority