You Put Your Left Hand In, You Put Your Left Hand Out

Cayley Pozza 

Ever notice some of the great influences of our culture are left handed: Oprah Winfrey, Benjamin Franklin, Bill Clinton, and yes, even Kermit the Frog! But did the notion that they were left- handed really make them more successful? A recent study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research believes so.

Although left-handed people only compromise about 10% of the world’s entire population, the study suggests that those who are dominated by their left hand are likely to be more successful in both their careers and academically. For example, more than 50% of those who were left-handed were in professional careers as opposed to 38% of those who were right-handed.

In 1993, researcher Christopher Ruebeck and his partners, Joseph Harrington and Robert Moffit, conducted the study which analyzed over 5,000 men and women. The participants were originally between the ages of 14 to 21 years old; however, a follow-up survey was further conducted in 2007 on the aging participants.

“We wanted to conduct the survey over an extended period of time; moreover, ruling out the possibility of age being the root of success, but rather the idea that being left-handed puts you at an advantage” explains Ruebeck.

And according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, men, specifically, are at an increased advantage of achieving significantly more than their right-handed competition.

“The male participants in the study, who graduated from college, went on to earn more than 21% more than their similarly educated right-handed colleagues” states Harrington. The researchers, however, found no wage differential between left and right-handed women

Lefties also excel, both musically and artistically. This comes as no surprise to Jimi Hendrix fans, who noticed Hendrix’s exceptional left-handed guitar abilities in the 60s. In case you were wondering, researcher Christopher Rubeck and his partners are left-handed- coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. In fact, although left-handed, Rubeck is tone-deaf and believes himself to be far from talented musically.