AMBIDEXTERITY - A HISTORY

For many years, up until very recently, the natural use of your left hand was viewed as demonic and was perceived as a satanic act.

Children who went to school, born with their left hand being their predominant one were forced to write with their opposite hand and stop using their left hand. They would be forced to practice using their opposite hand because then they would be perceived as pure.

The reason left handed people were perceived in this way is because Satan himself was believed to be left handed, therefore everyone who shared the same ability was seen to be a spawn or resemblance of him.

For ages those who were left handed would be accused of witchcraft, having satanic alliances and being up to suspicious and demonic behavior, therefore, up until very recently, those who were left handed were ridiculed and brandished until they would learn to become right handed and follow down the path that was believed to be holy and pure.

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Nicknames such as southpaws, gallock-handers, chickie paws and scrammies were used to discriminate and identify people who were born with the ability to use their left hand and were shamed upon because it was believed to to be sinister.

However, since then our society has finally accepted left handed people as normally as those who are most predominant in their right hand, and the old stigmas and associations are being left behind. 

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There are some people, however, that have the born ability to use both hands equally. These people are ambidextrous and make up 1% of the population. An interesting point, though, is that those who are left handed find it easier to use their non-dominant hand, than right handed people do when using their left hand.