Left and Right

[PumpOutTheBilge]

I’m 43 years old.

When I have to identify something as being left or right, I do so by pretending to write something, thus identifying my right hand.

I can’t be the only person who does this, can I?

Yes I do it. Always have to think for a split second

I do the same. Dd holds both hands up palms away from her and sees which one forms an L

My dd does that when riding @FinishWhatWeStarted

I look for my watch as I always wear it on the left. Otherwise i have to think for a bit. I don't instinctively know.

I quickly trace the L shape of my left hand from finger along thumb - sometimes in my head, sometimes actually.

I do that and the L thing as mentioned by @FinishWhatWeStarted. In fact when I played rugby at Uni and the captain would call a move that involved us either going left or right, our coach would laugh as he’d hear the call then watch about 5 of us all holding our hands up to see the L

I'm 47. I have to do it too. I have great spatial awareness and sense of direction but don't ask me to say the words. I'll point instead

Yes I pretend to write something too. And I can't say which direction quickly, it almost always come out wrong. I have to point wildly in the direction we need to go if giving instructions in the car.

I’m in my 50’s and I still have to think about which way is left and which way is right (usually by pretending to write)

Possible dyspraxia. But if that's your only issue then no need to worry. I nearly failed my driving test aged 19 as I couldn't tell my left from right, without thinking. FF to being 50 at Uni and I was diagnosed with dyspraxia and mild dyslexia, which wad a massive surprise. Wasn't surprised at the dyspraxia as I was so clumsy and disorganised and no sense or direction.

Weirdly I have a friend who always says left is 'down'. Idk if that means right is 'up'

I used to do pretending to write - now I look for my wedding ring

Yea I do too! I think about going to grab a pencil and see which hand moves! I’m fairly confident I’m dyspraxic and the uni officer agreed but I didn’t have the funds to pursue it

I air write to check for my right hand. However, it appears I'm equally comfortable airwriting with my left hand. Curses!

I'm going to do the L shape of my left hand. And of course they are alphabetical. L comes before R.

My left hand index and thumb make an L thats how I check myself. I'm always having to check my lefts and rights. Don't come to me if lost and need directions

@Exhausteddog

I used to do pretending to write - now I look for my wedding ring

I do the same thing! In fact I mutter in my head "Left hand, wedding ring".

I'm left-handed.

L on left hand and its a tick on the right!

I wrote it on my hands for driving test.

I wouldn’t cope with the left hand making an ‘L’ thing, I’d get confused as to whether it should be palms up or down.

I am in my sixties and have to imagine the topic the lane where my childhood home was - left to the nearest town, right to the nearest village!

Me too! By any chance @PumpOutTheBilge do you use your hands for different things, rather than having a truly dominant hand?
Eg I have my knife in my right for dinner, but use my left for cutting bread, and so on?

My family and DH think I'm weird but I've found my people!

For left and right I picture my primary school exercise books as we always wrote the date in the top right hand corner.

Weirdly I don't have a consistent dominant hand @NorthernChinchilla - I am right handed but eat with my left hand and I'm also left footed.

I think it's realllly common to have at least some trouble based on the fact it's a weird concept. I find it really instinctive and among my friends I'm rare. I learned left and right in two languages as a child and a third as an older child and I wonder if that helped.

Seems I'm the only one that DOESN'T need to write something to know left from right? I just think it in my brain without physically having to move my hand.

It's easier for me as I have a birth mark on my left hand so I know what is what.

Yep! I look at my ring finger fingernail. My left is different from my right.