If you ever seen America’s Got Talent, Brittain’s Got Talent, or the earlier seasons of American Idol, you’ll notice that Simon Cowell always has a notepad in front of him. He never seems to write anything, and he switches which hand he holds the pen with. Is Simon Cowell left-handed?
Simon Phillip Cowell is right-handed but like many, he tends to fidget with things when they’re in his hand, which could account for the back and forth of the pen. And I’m sure he has the notepad to take notes on, we just don’t usually see him writing.
In addition, he was a smoker and would often have a cigarette in one hand while having a lighter or something else in the other. Many smokers find they need something in their hands when they aren’t able to smoke.
Studies Show
While being left-handed is rare, with less than 10% of the overall population being a lefty, being a female who is left-handed is even rarer. Out of left-handed people, men are 23% more likely to fit the category than women are.
There have been many studies conducted over the years regarding handedness. Many believe that studies for handedness are filled with ambiguities, one reason being that as many as 8% of older generations of right-handed people may actually be left-handed, but were forced in their younger days to use their right hand.
These studies have also looked at the difference between preference and performance when one uses a hand. In most cases, the preferred hand is also the better performer, but this does not happen in all cases, so some people may be categorized incorrectly.
In addition to looking at dominant hands, or preferred usage with hands, studies are being conducted on other lateral experiments as well, such as eye dominance, foot dominance, and the direction the hair in your crown swirls.
Right Brain Left Brain
We know that the brain is split into two hemispheres. Though they look a lot alike, they aren’t the same, nor are they independent of each other. We told you the brain was complicated, but it’s also fascinating.
It is generally accepted that right-brained people, those who are left-handed, tend to have better imaginations, intuition, rhythm, daydreaming, and other areas. They also tend to be better in the Arts, with things like painting, dancing, sculpting, etc.
In addition, left-brained people, those who are right-handed, are accepted to have more linear thinking, are good at math and sequencing, and need facts and logic. This often tends to be your scientists and engineers, folks who live by rules and may not be as flexible.
In reality, however, only a third of people with a more developed right brain is actually left-handed. While it is still generally thought that right-handed people use their left, analytical brain and left-handed people use their right, artistic brain, there is a lot of overlap.
Left-Handed Statistics
There are many scientific and interesting facts about left-handers, from the fact that there is an actual phobia, sinistrophobia, of people who are left-handed to the fact that left-handed men make 15% more than their right-handed counterparts.
Many left-handed people have had to adapt to a right-handed world. Only 50% of left-handers claim to use a computer mouse with their left hand. Plus, things that right-handers don’t have to think about, scissors, can openers, etc. are mostly made for right-handed people. While they do have ones particularly for left-handers, they often cost about three times the price.
Some bad news for lefties; they’re more apt to develop problems with alcohol, PTSD, and psychosis. On average, left-handed people tend to live nine years less than right-handed people.
But it’s not all bad news! Left-handers have their own day, August 13th, they tend to recover quicker from strokes, and they’re able to multi-task better than righties.