Being Left-Handed Puts Your Health (And Paycheck) at Risk

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Lefties Also Earn Less

Surprisingly, some studies have suggested that only 10% of the world's population is left-handed, and an even smaller percentage, 1%, is ambidextrous. But, all you creative left-handed rarities beware, seems that being a south paw isn't good for you. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, "handedness -- as the dominance of one hand over the other is called -- provides a window into the way our brains are wired." With this in mind, research suggests that lefties are prone to schizophrenia, ADHD, dyslexia, mood disorders, brain disorders, impaired learning, and even earn 10% less than right-handed people.

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Of course, the rumor that righties are healthier than lefties isn't anything new, since there have been numerous past claims that right-handed people live longer. The idea comes, in part, from the observation that as a population ages, the percentage of left-handed people falls; however, research in the area has been inconsistent.

But with such a low percentage of southpaws among us, what are some of the factors to cause left-handedness? Researchers say environmental factors play the largest role. Babies born to older mothers, at a lower birth weight, or to mothers who were exposed to unusually high levels of stress during pregnancy, are more likely to give birth to a left-handed child.

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On average there is no difference in intelligence between right-and left-handed people, but lefties are more divergent thinkers. This may explain why six of the last 12 U.S. Presidents, including Barack Obama and George H. W. Bush, have been lefties.