Well, yes and no.
You might have heard or seen the rallying cry, Left Handed Live Longer! particularly online. And you probably dismissed it as a wild, baseless claim by a bunch of radical lefties. (Editors note: The reference to left and lefties in this article has no political implications whatsoever.)
It is true that the lefties are a minority (of the billions of people in the world, about 10% are left handed). And it also is true that minorities often shout the loudest.
Of course, the lefties may have a reason to shout history hasnt always been kind to those who favored using their left hand when throwing a ball or eating with a fork. Not everyone thought it was okay to be a leftie. Before we had all of the medical and scientific research that we have today, many children were not allowed to use their left hand when doing schoolwork.
But, give us credit, we have grown as a nation, and we now are more tolerant of what we used to call the wrong-handers.
The reason for that change of attitude might well be that scientific research has shown that Left Handed Live Longer! actually has a bit of truth to it. (But, in the righties defense, also a bit of myth.)
So how do you tell whats true and what isnt? Well, in the same way you always should examine claims that research has shown that such and such is true: You have to look at the way the research was conducted. Research is not always evenhanded.
Was the research conducted, for example, by studying groups of people who were in optimal health?
Or was the study group battling various diseases that would have contributed to an early death regardless of which hand they used to write a love note?
Research does point to evidence that there are differences between righties and lefties, and those differences can lead to life-extending benefits. For example:
The most reliable piece of evidence to support the theory that left-handed people live longer is that most of them tend to be go-getters. That is, they dont settle for mediocrity. Rather, they keep trying to improve their lives until theyre comfortable with what their life has become.
Lefties tend to look for inner happiness and self-satisfaction. Theres a satisfaction found in being happy with ones job, for example, and in ones personal life.
People who use their left hand to sign their checks also tend to be more involved in professions or activities that allow them to express their creative side. They usually choose lifestyles that make them feel accomplished, and theyre usually great contributors to the arts.
So, the conclusion is that lefties seem to be happier, more content, and more creative, and those factors do enable them as a group to live longer.
The lefties also live longer today because they seem to be more conscious of taking care of their bodies. They usually avoid filling their bodies with toxins. Many choose organic foods, and many are also vegetarians.
They know that the secret to anti-aging is to do as much prevention as possible. They take advantage of the products on the market today that can help you stay healthier and feeling younger.
All of which is not to say that right-handers are at a special disadvantage. You do NOT have to be a leftie to live longer that is the part of the lefties rallying cry that is a myth. After all, favoring a particular hand isnt something thats chosen, but something thats already wired into the brain at birth. Its part of your genes, already grafted into place.
You cant fight your birthdays, but you can look and feel good for all of them. And, right or left, you can live longer.
You might have heard or seen the rallying cry, Left Handed Live Longer! particularly online. And you probably dismissed it as a wild, baseless claim by a bunch of radical lefties. (Editors note: The reference to left and lefties in this article has no political implications whatsoever.)
It is true that the lefties are a minority (of the billions of people in the world, about 10% are left handed). And it also is true that minorities often shout the loudest.
Of course, the lefties may have a reason to shout history hasnt always been kind to those who favored using their left hand when throwing a ball or eating with a fork. Not everyone thought it was okay to be a leftie. Before we had all of the medical and scientific research that we have today, many children were not allowed to use their left hand when doing schoolwork.
But, give us credit, we have grown as a nation, and we now are more tolerant of what we used to call the wrong-handers.
The reason for that change of attitude might well be that scientific research has shown that Left Handed Live Longer! actually has a bit of truth to it. (But, in the righties defense, also a bit of myth.)
So how do you tell whats true and what isnt? Well, in the same way you always should examine claims that research has shown that such and such is true: You have to look at the way the research was conducted. Research is not always evenhanded.
Was the research conducted, for example, by studying groups of people who were in optimal health?
Or was the study group battling various diseases that would have contributed to an early death regardless of which hand they used to write a love note?
Research does point to evidence that there are differences between righties and lefties, and those differences can lead to life-extending benefits. For example:
The most reliable piece of evidence to support the theory that left-handed people live longer is that most of them tend to be go-getters. That is, they dont settle for mediocrity. Rather, they keep trying to improve their lives until theyre comfortable with what their life has become.
Lefties tend to look for inner happiness and self-satisfaction. Theres a satisfaction found in being happy with ones job, for example, and in ones personal life.
People who use their left hand to sign their checks also tend to be more involved in professions or activities that allow them to express their creative side. They usually choose lifestyles that make them feel accomplished, and theyre usually great contributors to the arts.
So, the conclusion is that lefties seem to be happier, more content, and more creative, and those factors do enable them as a group to live longer.
The lefties also live longer today because they seem to be more conscious of taking care of their bodies. They usually avoid filling their bodies with toxins. Many choose organic foods, and many are also vegetarians.
They know that the secret to anti-aging is to do as much prevention as possible. They take advantage of the products on the market today that can help you stay healthier and feeling younger.
All of which is not to say that right-handers are at a special disadvantage. You do NOT have to be a leftie to live longer that is the part of the lefties rallying cry that is a myth. After all, favoring a particular hand isnt something thats chosen, but something thats already wired into the brain at birth. Its part of your genes, already grafted into place.
You cant fight your birthdays, but you can look and feel good for all of them. And, right or left, you can live longer.
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