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18 Things Only Left-Handed People Understand

The scissors, for starters. THE SCISSORS.

Did you know that lefties typically have better hearing than righties? Or that presidents are more likely to be left-handed? Both true. But chances are you’re more familiar with the less exciting side effects of being a southpaw. Case in point: the nickname southpaw. Here, 18 things only left-handed people understand.

5 Ways Being Left-Handed Can Affect Your Health


lefty scissors
NBC Universal

1. The struggle that is a pair of scissors. You need to cut something, so you grab a pretty standard, ubiquitous office supply. Simple, right? Wrong.

2. The former struggle that was a spiral notebook. As if high school wasn’t enough of a drag, you had to deal with parallel dents running down the side of your hand.

3. See also: binders.


pencil and crossword puzzle
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4. Remember that time you went a whole day writing and never had an ink stain on your pinky and/or entire hand? Of course you don't: It's impossible.

5. As is being able to read the crossword puzzle you were super proud to have finished that's now so smudged, it's barely legible.

right handed desks in a classroom
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6. These desks.

7. And fighting with all of the other lefties in the room to get the single left-handed one.

decorated table setting
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8. Sitting to the right of a right-handed person at dinner.

9. The whole “left-handedness used to be the mark of the devil” thing. You know, what your weird Uncle Al told you when you had to sit next to him at dinner?

mug of tea by window sill
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10. When you get a cute new coffee mug only to realize that the message at the bottom of the cup is upside down when you drink it. 

11. Measuring tapes.

12. Moving the mouse to the other side of the computer. 

takeaway coffee cups in car
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13. Appreciating lids on the cups you drink from while driving.

14. Tethered pens at the bank.

glass pyrex measuring cup
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15. Measuring cups. (Hope you prefer the metric system.)

16. Hope you're also OK with botched cans of tuna and the occasional gash on your finger, which are both caused, unsurprisingly, by lefty-unfriendly can openers. 

17. And good luck navigating your iPhone when you hold it sideways.

18. Did we mention scissors?



sarah stiefvater

Wellness Director

Sarah Stiefvater is PureWow's Wellness Director. She's been at PureWow for ten years, and in that time has written and edited stories across all categories, but currently focuses...