View Full Version : Are you ambidextrous?
I am to a degree, but not comfortably, which for a lot of things, is important if you're using/have to use both hands.
I'm in the midst of revamping the formality behind my ironing skills, thanks to a number of helpful members on the board, and doing the collar (point-to-middle), required me to switch hands holding the iron, which, didn't work out as favourably as I liked.
Also thinking back to the diaper-days in our house. I could manipulate a pin with both hands, and regularly did, but I was always best at doing side-changing (kids head to my left/feet to the right), which allowed me to pin-fasten both sides of the diaper using my right hand.
Also, smoking. Very seldom did I hold my cigarette in my left-hand.
Hmmm... can't think of anymore for now, but I know there are more. Oh, slicing/cutting anything with a knife! And, washing dishes, floors, and even vacuuming. All right-handed.
I'm right-handed, but could swap hands with some tasks before I got arthritis in my left hand. I could never swing a hammer at all or use a screwdriver easily, but always have swung a bat or hockey stick left-handed more comfortably than right.
It really is strange isn't it, Bronxboy. My husband is as right-handed as right-handed gets, yet he holds a hockey stick left-handed, and chops wood by bringing the axe down off his left-side (shoulder)!
Me, I cannot for the life of me write or print using my left-hand. Cannot brush my teeth or hair using my left-hand, either.
Just thought of another, pinning laundry to the clothesline! Right-hand only!
Mrs. Hermit
5-13-12, 9:21pm
I am ambidextrous. It is interesting which tasks I choose to do left handed vs right handed. I usually write right handed, but I prefer to sketch left handed. I play most sports left handed, but play ping-pong right handed.
Blackdog Lin
5-13-12, 9:22pm
I am right-handed. Totally, completely, and forever.
That said, our first computer (in the early 90's) I shared in our kitchen with my son, who is totally and completely left-handed (as is his dad). So in complete frustration with the moving of the mouse from the left side to the right side of the desk, and being essentially lazy.....I to this day mouse left-handed. In fact, I CAN'T mouse right-handed, as I shoud be able to do. Too many years of mousing lefty-style. Circumstances and a lazy disposition rendered me somewhat ambidextrious.....
I never really thought of myself as ambidextrous, but compared to other people, I guess I am. I play guitar which has undoubtedly increased the skills in my left hand. I've done testing for hand dexterity and both hands tested about equal, although the left hand felt not as natural to me.
When I was young (even before learning guitar), I noticed how people would rotary dial with their right hand and hold the receiver to their left ear. Then they would switch the receiver to the their right ear. I always thought that was weird. The receiver felt better in my right ear anyway, so I learned to dial with my left hand, and no switching of the receiver was necessary.
I also worked with a guy who couldn't work a mouse in his right hand, while simultaneously using the keyboard in his left hand. This is a no brainer and natural to me. It made me a lot faster than him too.
There is also left and right "handedness" for eyesight. Most right handed people are right eyed, and vice versa. I'm right handed, but left eyed.
I think the same must apply for hearing. I definitely prefer using the phone with my right ear.
I cqan switch for some activities but for writing and painting, I am right handed.
rosarugosa
5-14-12, 8:07am
Blackdog Lin: That is so funny. I am the complete opposite - totally left-handed for everything but mousing, and I cannot mouse except with my right hand. I learned to do it right-handed, and by the time I realized that the mouse could be set up on the left side of the computer, it was too late!
Axis: That's an interesting point. I always hold the phone to my left ear, and my left eye is stronger than my right.
I'm right handed but do a lot of things with the left hand, like pouring from a pitcher or measuring cup. It's frustrating to me that the printing on the measuring cup can only be read if you're holding the handle in your right hand. I can use a hammer or screwdriver with either hand. My son is strongly left handed for almost everything, but uses a hockey stick or baseball bat right handed. He's a figure skater, and spins clockwise...most skaters are right footed and spin counterclockwise.
Try writing backwards with your non-dominant hand. It's easier than writing forward.
For many things I am. I am Left Handed - but I can use my computer mouse on either side of the keyboard. I leave it on my desk at work on the LH side - to reduce clutter and really have to chuckle when others try to use their RH with my mouse on the LH side! At home it is on the Right hand side!
I could NEVER use the LH sissors, but most tools - either hand.
Pretty solidly right handed here. I have a decent move to a left handed lay-up on the basketball court and can perform a few other sports related acts on the left side, but when it comes to any fine motor skills like writing, slicing and dicing, etc. its right hand only.
I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous!
jennipurrr
5-14-12, 11:36am
No, when I try to do anything with my left hand its a dismal failure. My sister is left handed but just due to society has learned to do a lot of things with her right.
Solid righty here.
My younger brother, on the other hand, is completely ambidextrous. He started life as a righty but at about two years of age, broke his right arm. While in his cast, he learned to do things with his left hand and now can do just about anything with either hand, although he does prefer to do specific things with a specific hand.
He writes and combs his hair with his left, throws and bats right and plays guitar upside down.
He's weird!
I am generally right-handed, however, I am ambidextrous with most tools and weapons. ("But I...am not left-handed."). Some tools I use left-handed on purpose to avoid RSI by distributing the work to both hands. I am ambi in grappling and striking martial arts, and find inverted footwork really confuses the heck out of most people.
I am strikingly unable to write left-handed, but some say I can barely write legibly right-handed.
I surf and skateboard regular or goofy-foot, depending on my mood, the course, or which way the wave is breaking.
I play stringed instruments right-handed, finding left-handed versions is a pain. Nobody seems to make a left-handed theremin either.
I surf and skateboard regular or goofy-foot, depending on my mood, the course, or which way the wave is breaking.
If you ride a skateboard with your left foot in front, but you're facing right, is that regular or goofy-foot?
I'm right-handed, but left-footed. Like bae, I skateboard and snowboard goofy-foot, although I can ride regular, too, just not quite as well. I'm decidedly left-leg dominate in martial arts for the vast majority of kicks and sweeps, but pretty ambidextrous for blocking, striking, or other hand techniques.
If you ride a skateboard with your left foot in front, but you're facing right, is that regular or goofy-foot?
Regular.
I am a lefty.
But do a few things (anything sporting) right-handed. That may explain why I'm so bad at sports. Although, I do play tennis left-handed...
As a massage therapist, everything I do with one hand can easily be done with the other. In real life, I'm definitely right handed. My handwriting is horrible no matter which hand I use though.
My mother-in-law was totally ambidexterous. I have seen her crochet with either hand. She could also play the piano by ear without knowing how to read music.
Great entries you guys! Lots of fun! Freaky, too!
Mrs. Hermit. The writing, right-handed, like you do, but sketching, left-handed, like you do, is awesome! I can't even print my name (legible that is) using my left-hand.
Blackdog Lin. I've tried mousing, with my left, and I even get the left button/right button thing all mixed up!
Axis9313. So happy you mentioned the telephone. Even though I'm right-handed (through and through), I favour holding the receiver to my left ear ear rather than my right, which means I always dialed using my right.
Razz. I can't switch at all. I look comically uncoordinated, if I try using me left.
Rosarugosa. The mousing thing has me perplexed. :)
Kathy WI. I tried writing backwards with my non-dominant hand... can't do it. I really am gibbled! LOL!
Gregg. Re: left-handed scissors, me too. Never could make them work.
Peggy. LMAO!!!
Jennipurrr. I'm pretty much the same!
Alan. I've heard of that happening before, a young child breaking an arm, and then adapting to using their left-hand, and ending up being right-at-home using both left and right, after, and in fact, using either/or, involuntarily (so matter a fact like), without even thinking about it. As in, today, they write with their left, but tomorrow, they write using their right.
Bae. I wonder if (by chance), those who enter a path of say, martial arts, or other dual-handed sports, particularly when they are younger, are afforded with an advantageous conditioning of automatic dual-handedness? I honestly think it's a big mistake for people to be taught to use only their right-hand, or only their left. I believe our brains are infinitely flexible in relation to either or, just that a majority of us never seek the path of tempting dual-handedness (in the formal sense).
Cdttmm. I'm trying to think back to my childhood Re: skateboard riding, and if I remember correctly, my right-foot always lead. Us girls never rode, but used to toy with it on occasion, taking baby brothers board for a ride, much to his disapproval! LMAO!
Bunnys. I play tennis, ping-pong, and bat, right-handed, but hold a hockey stick, left-handed. I know, I'm strange! :)
Pony Mom. I'm thinking with the job you have, dual-handedness becomes automatic and natural in no time at all, at least when performing the line of work you are in. Seems like it's all about conditioning.
Florence. The crocheting thing boggle my mind, as does playing piano by ear. Genius, isn't it.
Question for those who can write using both hands, does your writing look identical when performed with either hand? i.e. Exactly same signature lines. etc?
Mighty Frugal
5-15-12, 4:08pm
I'm a lefty. But as a child at the dinner table I would bang elbow with my sucky younger right handed brother so my mom forced me to eat with my right. so now I eat with my right and write with my left (I can write a letter and eat soup at the same time)
Being a lefty living in a righty world I do some things right-handed (aside from eating) like mousing-although on our laptop we have the little pad and I use my left hand for that.
I notice most right handed women will use their right hand for both left and right eye when it comes to mascara, eyeliner application-try it and see. For me I switch hands-left for left side and right for right side
I think due to my mom forcing me to eat with my right I am a very strong ambidextrous person (can't really write with my right but aside from that I can do everything with both)
That's super, Mighty Frugal! By the way, I had a "sucky baby brother" when I was growing up, too! ROTFLMAO! And in fact, for a while (so it seemed), absolutely EVERYTHING was determined in our house by baby brother! And of course being the baby of the family, he learned to play it up to a T!
By the way, I can hardly snap the fingers on my left-hand!
No, but I'm ambi-denominational (Presbyterian and Roman Catholic--with a dash of Buddhism).
No, but I'm ambi-denominational (Presbyterian and Roman Catholic--with a dash of Buddhism).
This could be in my future;).
For many things I am. I am Left Handed - but I can use my computer mouse on either side of the keyboard.
My wife has arthritis and swaps hands with her computer mouse when she gets tired.
Question for those who can write using both hands, does your writing look identical when performed with either hand? i.e. Exactly same signature lines. etc?
I wouldn't claim to write well left-handed. I could get a few, reasonably understandable notes down if I had to. The mental labor would be pretty high.
For those of you that switch the computer mouse - can you switch the left and right click functions?
I'm ambidextrous, although technically a dominate lefty. I eat, write, brush my teeth, and sew left-handed but throw, hit (sports), and kick right handed. With racket sports - tennis and ping pong - I'm left handed.
I can write with both hands, but that's mainly because I broke my left wrist when I was young and had to learn to write right-handed for school. It's slower and more child-like, but I can do it.
For those of you that switch the computer mouse - can you switch the left and right click functions?
Yes, absolutely. I switched to left mousing when my right arm started to get painful from constant calculator use, typing, numberpad data entry and mousing on top of it. Now I switch back and forth and can use the buttons either way with either hand, though it's easier if I do it the normal way - index finger for "left" clicking. (I think that's right - I get confused about my left and right clicking now). You just go into the mouse settings and pick reverse buttons, or something like that. Of course having the ambidextrous mouse is important too, unless you want to have two mice.
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