>> DOMINIC: VIRGINIA WOOLFE.

ELLEN DEGENERES.

JODIE FOSTER.

BILLIE JEAN KING.

MELISSA ETHERIDGE.

WHAT DO ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE IN COMMON?

THEY ARE ALL LEFT-HANDED.

I MENTION THIS BECAUSE THIS COMING WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, IS INTERNATIONAL LEFT-HANDERS DAY.

SO LET’S EXPLORE THIS ORIENTATION SHARED BY ABOUT 10% OF THE POPULATION.

WE DON’T REALLY KNOW WHY PEOPLE ARE BORN LEFT-HANDED.

SCIENCE TELLS US THAT IT’S PROBABLY A MIX OF GENETICS, BRAIN WIRING, AND PRENATAL FACTORS.

ALTHOUGH PEOPLE DON’T CHOOSE IT, THERE’S A CENTURIES-LONG HISTORY OF PREJUDICE AGAINST LEFT-HANDED PEOPLE.

THIS IS CALLED SINISTRALITY BIAS, AND IT’S RESULTED, FOR EXAMPLE, IN GENERATIONS OF LEFT-HANDED SCHOOLCHILDREN BEING FORCED TO WRITE WITH WHAT — FOR THEM — WAS THE INCORRECT HAND.

WHICH BRINGS UP A POINT.

CAN YOU “CONVERT” SOMEONE WHO’S LEFT-HANDED?

SCIENCE TELLS US THIS ISN’T SUCH A GOOD IDEA.

FORCING THE NON-DOMINANT HAND TO TAKE OVER CREATES CONFLICTING NEURAL SIGNALS.

THIS CAN RESULT IN STUTTERING, DELAYED SPEECH DEVELOPMENT, LOW SELF-ESTEEM.

UGH.

PLUS, LOTS OF PEOPLE FORCED INTO RIGHT-HANDEDNESS SWITCH BACK IN THEIR LATER YEARS, ANYWAY.

LEFTIES TEND TO BE CREATIVE, AND IT’S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF LEFT-HANDED PEOPLE FAR OUTWEIGH THE ANTIQUATED SPIRITUAL AND CULTURAL BIASES.

IF MAMA DA VINCI HAD FORCED LITTLE LEONARDO TO PAINT WITH HIS RIGHT HAND, WE MIGHT NOT HAVE THE MONA LISA.

WRITERS LIKE TRUMAN CAPOTE AND TENNESSEE WILLIAMS WROTE MASTERPIECES LIKE “BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S” AND “THE GLASS MENAGERIE” HOLDING THEIR PENS WITH THEIR LEFT HAND.

AND WHAT WOULD THE MUSICAL WORLD BE WITHOUT SOUTHPAWS LIKE LADY GAGA AND DAVID BOWIE?

SO, IF YOU’VE GOT A LEFTY IN YOUR LIFE, GIVE ‘EM A HUG.

AND GIVE ‘EM SOME GRACE.

THEY’RE JUST TRYING TO GET BY IN A WORLD THAT WASN’T REALLY BUILT WITH THEM IN MIND.