An Unusual Question
Do a little experiment. Take a pen and get ready to write your name. Done? Now observe: which hand did you grab the pen with?
If the answer is "the right," you are part of the vast group that makes up about 90% of the world's population[2]. You are, in a word, right-handed.
It is a term we use and hear from childhood, often in contrast to its rarer relative, the "left-hander." We take it for granted, like the air we breathe. But have you ever stopped to think about what it really means to be right-handed and, more importantly, why we are?
Right-Handed: The Meaning
The word "right-handed" (destrorso in Italian) comes directly from the Latin dextrorsum, which literally means "turned, facing to the right." Technically, it is distinct from "right-handed" (destrimane), which specifically refers to someone who uses their right hand. In common usage, however, the two terms have become synonymous.
Being right-handed, therefore, means having an innate and established preference for using the right side of the body to perform precision actions, particularly those involving the hand.
But why is this preference so common? The answer is not in the hand, but much higher up.
The Dominant Side
The main reason for our "right-handedness" lies in the wonderful and asymmetrical organization of our brain. As we know, the brain is divided into two hemispheres, left and right, which control the opposite side of the body, respectively.
In the vast majority of human beings, the left hemisphere is dominant for the most complex and sequential functions, such as:
- Language (speaking, writing, understanding)
- Logic and analytical thinking
- Fine motor skills, i.e., the ability to perform precise and coordinated movements.
Since the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body, our right hand has become, through evolution and specialization, the tool of choice for high-precision tasks like writing.
Being right-handed is not a choice. It is the result of how our brain has specialized to interact with the world in the most efficient way possible.
And for the Other Hand?
Here we get to the heart of our exploration. Does accepting that we are right-handed mean condemning the left hand to a role of a mere "helper"? Absolutely not.
The dominance of one side does not imply the uselessness of the other. It just means we have a faster and more trained neural highway on one side. But the other side has immense and unexplored potential. Training the non-dominant hand does not mean "erasing" our nature, but enriching it.
Stimulating the left side of the body means dialoguing with the right hemisphere of the brain, the seat of creativity, intuition, and spatial perception. It means building new bridges, making communication between the two hemispheres more fluid, and ultimately, becoming more complete and coordinated individuals.
From Meaning to Action
Understanding the meaning of "right-handed" is the first step. The second, more exciting one, is to ask: "What can I do with this information?".
If the idea of not being defined solely by your dominant hand fascinates you, if you want to discover what your "hidden side" can do and what benefits it can bring to your mind, then you are in the right place.
To guide you on this path, I have written "How to Become Ambidextrous". It is a practical manual that takes you by the hand (both of them!) and, through a complete test and progressive exercises, helps you unlock a potential you didn't know you had.
Discover the book on Amazon and start exploring beyond your dominant hand!