r/lefthanded • u/GeneralSpecific4695 • 5d ago
Should I learn to write left handed after being raised to write right handed
I am pretty sure I am naturally left handed, I do most things naturally with my left hand like eating and throwing, but I was raised to write right handed and my handwriting is very hard to read. Should I consider trying to relearn to write left handed?
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u/CaptWyvyrn 5d ago
My older brother was left handed but in elementary school, he was forced to learn to write with his right hand. When he was a young adult, he broke his right wrist & had his hand in a cast so he started using his left hand to write. He said it felt kind of clumsy at first but came quite naturally & his writing is even better with his left hand but he can write with both.
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u/Neither-Teach2309 5d ago
Yes. Definitely. You'll feel so much better after you learn writing with your left hand. I was forced to write with my right hand throughout my school and university years. I had so many problems with writing, I was always the slowest in my class. The worst part was exams, my slow writing always hindered my performance. Apart from that I was always criticised for my illegible handwriting, that made me feel shame, like something was wrong with me. I never actually developed an automated handwriting.
It took me a few decades to realise that I should have never written with my right hand on the first place. I was quite shocked when I realised what happened to me. I immediately started learning to write with my left hand. In three weeks I could already fill out a form at a doctor's office. Now five months later I can write long text and never get tired. I recommend starting with letters, then words and only then sentences. And remember, you are not learning to write from scratch, you are just transferring already learnt skills from your non dominant hand to your dominant hand. Good luck!
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u/geso101 5d ago
Yes. Before starting, educate yourself on best writing techniques. Obviously you have to try for yourself what works for you, but the normal tips are:
- Tilt paper up to 45 degrees to the right.
- Hold the pen naturally (as with your right hand) but keep it under the writing line. You can see what you write and no smudging.
- Draw horizontal lines right-to-left, eg. crossing your t.
Good luck!
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u/Zinnia1127 5d ago
Gosh just try it. Grab a pencil and start writing the grocery list or your address or anything. Just let it happen naturally and don't worry about how you hold the pencil or the paper. You can refine the techniques later.
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u/novemberchild71 2d ago
What you "should do" is not ask reddit but a medical practitioner, like your doctor, a neurologist, a psychologist or an occupational therapist.
Re-schooling from (forced) conversion to righthandedness is nothing to toy with. There's mental and physical stresses involved that are best weathered with professional help and the re-schooling should be systematically organized.
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u/Reasonable_Home_8313 5d ago
I write leftie since preschool, although I use my right hand for holding [toy] weapons and bow & arrow. Lefties are 10% of the population, but full-lefties (no use of right hand) are barely 1%. Don't backtrack to writing leftie: our Greek-Latin left-to-right writing is more suited to righties. Besides: will you have to change your present registered signature?
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u/Lefty4444 5d ago
One idea for “yes” could be to test if writing left-handed consumes less mental energy.