Left-handedness, though relatively uncommon still, has been on the rise in the US since the 1800s. It’s estimated that just 12% of the US population is left-handed, but is much-loved songbird Mariah Carey left-handed?
Although it’s unconfirmed, it’s safe to say that Carey is right-handed, as she has been videoed signing autographs with her right hand. That’s right; she’s in amongst the other 90% of the world’s population that’s right-handed. She could, however, be ambidextrous – but as we’ve said, it’s currently not public knowledge.
Read more below about Mariah’s right-handedness, and how your dominant hand determines which side of your brain is most active.
Left Brain / Right Brain Dominance
Apparently, the hand you use to write with and perform daily tasks determines which side of your brain is most active. It’s speculated that if you’re right-handed, then the left side of your brain is more active, whereas if you’re left-handed, then the right side of your brain is more active.
In the infographic above, you can see what each side of the brain contributes to.
To summarize this information, if the left side of your brain is more dominant than the right side (which is the case for righties), you’re likely to be more rational and logical, possessing better reasoning skills. On top of this, you’re more likely to be better at maths and understand language quite well.
Around 95% of people are left-brained.
Whereas, if you’re a leftie, the right side of your brain is likely to be more dominant. This means that you could potentially be more emotional, but you’re likely to be more creative.
Mariah’s Dominant Hand
As we’ve established, Mariah’s dominant hand is her right hand. You can see her using her right hand to sign autographs for her album Rainbow:
In the video, you can see how devoted her fans are to her music and what she does because some of them waited as long as 36 hours to meet her. When she’s signing autographs, you can see how noticeably kind the songstress is as she flashes her pearly whites and appears visually happy to be seeing all of her fans.
If you’re right-handed, like many people are, then you might be at an advantage compared to lefties.
Why Are Most People Right Handed?
According to Natalie Uomini, an archaeologist at the University of Liverpool, UK, “there has never been any report of a human population in which left-handed individuals predominate.” But why is this?
According to Jason Goldman, a science and wildlife journalist at BBC, the reason why most people are right-handed is linked with how we’ve evolved as humans. He says, “as our hominin ancestors began walking on two legs rather than four, freeing up their hands to perform new tasks like making tools, they were predisposed to begin using those hands differently.”
Technically, you could also argue that it’s because of genetics because that’s the case with most things, right? Well, actually, genetics, as well as the environment and chance, play a part in what your dominant hand is.
Mariah Writes Her Songs
Sometimes, a singer is meant to be just that, a singer. Some people are born to be on stage while others can write heartwarmingly powerful words on a piece of paper. And some people like Mariah can do both.
Mariah’s songs are written with meaningful lyrics, as she often writes her songs about herself, and they’re based on her personal experiences in life that she wants to sing her heart out about.
For instance, the well-known song “Looking In” was something Mariah felt “needed to be written as a therapeutic moment” and what needed to be said.
No matter what Mariah comes up with for her songs, it’s safe to say that her words have and continue to touch the lives of so many people worldwide. That’s spectacular.