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?

Knew there would be at least one @CaramelFlaneur

My Mum studied this, it was known as incomplete cerebal dominance- not sure if it's still a thing academically! I can write forwards and backwards with both hands, at the same time if needed mainly left handed but right footed.... but CANNOT tell left from right. Going into work it took me 5+ years to remember if I turned left or right going in through the front doors.
Odd brains in my family all round!

I do it ALL THE TIME!!! I’m a lefty and in my younger days used to feel for the “writing bump” on my left hand. Now I hardly ever write anymore (computers!) I still have to take a second to think about it. On my driving test, I wrote a MASSIVE L and R on my hands

@NorthernChinchilla

Knew there would be at least one *@CaramelFlaneur*

My Mum studied this, it was known as incomplete cerebal dominance- not sure if it's still a thing academically! I can write forwards and backwards with both hands, at the same time if needed mainly left handed but right footed.... but CANNOT tell left from right. Going into work it took me 5+ years to remember if I turned left or right going in through the front doors.
Odd brains in my family all round!

I can do that forward and backwards writing too, and I write with my right hand but am left handed in other ways. Sounds all very familiar 😂

I'm much older than you and permanently confused about right and left. I've improved a bit over the years but still get it wrong occasionally. Friends and family know they should never rely on my directions.

I assumed because I have this blind spot my DC would inherit it but they have no difficulties at all and were correcting my mistakes from the age of about 4.

I use my left forefinger as a pen quickly to check. My brother is very dyspraxic and can’t tell left from right. As it turns out our mother can’t tell it ether so never taught us!

I'm very lucky, I have a double jointed thumb on my left hand. I can quickly 'pop' it out its socket to check which way is left. it's nice and discreet too.

Nearly 40 and still struggle. I look for my wedding ring though it was a nightmare when I was pregnant last year and didn't wear it for 6 months.

Someone saying "sit on the left" brings me out in a sweat because I don't know which left they mean.

I think this must be very common, I know two people who have the same issue, adults not children that is

I am 49 and have always had this issue. I also have a terrible sense of direction. Whenever I come out of a shop, I always turn into the street I came from against the direction I came in, instead of following ahead. I have been able to learn how to drive, only just, but it has never felt safe for me to do so. Just as it takes me a couple of seconds to work out my left and my right, it takes me a couple of seconds to remember which is the gas pedal and which is the break!!

Can I join you ?? I keep getting them mixed and in Spanish is even worse as I can’t use the L!

Yep! I used marks on my hands to distinguish which side is which.

I’m dyslexic and dyspraxic when I had my assessment they asked all sorts of weird questions like can you tell left from right, can you juggle, can you tie your shoe laces etc

I do the L thing. I didn't learn this until I was in my 40's, before that I used to use the hand that I wrote with. I'm possibly dyspraxic, only started to identify it because my GC has been diagnosed.

I have always struggled with left and right
2 DSIS, both struggle too, no dyslexia or dyspraxia and neither of our parents had a problem with left and right

Yes. I don't use Sat Nav when driving for this reason as it doesn't tell you which is left.

I mentally bless myself, hangover from convent school

@LilyTheMink

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

Maybe she's thinking of a turn signal in a car? Down is for left, up is for right.

I struggle too, I'm a HCP and will do it in assessments if I need to note something being the right or left. No sense of direction either, if I drive to someone's house I have difficulty getting back out. Sat nav has made it a lot easier, previously I would constantly be pulling over to check the map. I still have a map in my car though, sat nav isn't always right.

Right arm = the one I broke when I was 10.

(my eldest DD is ambidextrous. Fortunately she has a good sense of direction, as a lot of the methods for remembering make no sense to her...)

@EndoplasmicReticulum

Yes. I don't use Sat Nav when driving for this reason as it doesn't tell you which is left.

I can cope with that as I know to turn right I have to cross the line of traffic, so it becomes less about the direction and more about the action.

Yes, this is me too. My husband thinks it’s ridiculous but, no matter how hard I try, it doesn’t come naturally at all. I am a air writer (used to be a watch glancer but don’t wear a watch now.

@EndoplasmicReticulum

Yes. I don't use Sat Nav when driving for this reason as it doesn't tell you which is left.

I look at the picture rather than listen to the directions... (its in built so flashes up directly in front rather than to the side...)

I still struggle with left and right, especially with lay putting out knives and forks on the table. I have to hold them as if I’m about to eat, otherwise I get them the wrong way round.

I have to visualise it spelt out in separate “boxes” in front facing me, so left is on the left side and right is on the right side.

Don’t know if I’ve explained that right but it works for me.

If someone tells me to turn left/right then I do that no problem. If I’m trying to give directions however, I always point and it takes me a few seconds to be able to say left/right.

I have always struggled with left and right but now I know that my engagement ring is on my left hand and at the moment my make a wish is on my right wrist