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?

51, I do that all the time.
I work in flood risk management. The location of structures is referred to as “left bank” or “right bank”. I picture myself standing next to a river, writing, several times a day.

I'm the same. Literally have to go "left, right" with my hands, every time.

My MIL is the same. She’s an incredibly clever, capable and organised woman. For some reason her brain just doesn’t do that one thing!

I've never been able to tell which is which. I'm dyspraxic. When I tried to learn how to drive the instructor kept shouting at me for turning let instead of right and vice versa. I wanted to write L and R on my hands for my lessons but my friends and family all said that an instructor wouldn't teach someone to drive who did that and even if they did, I would fail my test as soon as the examiner saw it. I don't drive.

I'm right handed but I also do a lot with my left hand. I eat with my fork in my right hand my knife in my left.

@Hairyfriend

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.

I do instinctively know left and right but I remember the first time I knew someone who had to get the passenger in her car to say "your side or my side" to denote right and left and being quite surprised and then finding out later that it really is a genuine condition.

I'm 51 and still - for a split second - picture the walk to my pre-school (where I had to turn right) when my mum taught me how to remember left and right.

The only reason I know which is which sometimes, is I have a slightly deformed left thumb.

I have to imagine my hands on a piano keyboard.

I'm ok with left and right , but east and west... always have to say 'never eat shredded wheat!'
I'm 57.

I failed a driving test for mistaking left and right; getting into a load of roadworks, and making us 45 mins late back to the rest centre. I passed my next test with a big “L” and “R” on my hands.

@Crowdfundingforcake

I have to imagine my hands on a piano keyboard.

Me too! High notes right, low notes left. Before I started to learn piano aged six or seven I couldn't tell left from right at all. We weren't taught to eat with the knife in the right hand as children so I have always found positioning cutlery difficult.

I have to do the same OP

I know my left & right ok but if I’m giving directions I have to turn as I’m saying them. So if I was saying ‘leave here, take second left, first right, then left at the end of the road’ I would be turning as I’m doing it so I know I’m getting it right. I’m an estate agent so do this pretty often.

I also can’t tell what shoe is left or right without seeing them beside each other, unless they have buckles. It’s caused some embarrassing moments in shoe shops as I’ve been handed one trainer while they’re lacing the other and I put it on the wrong foot, hoping blindly to get it right. The kids have also went out on more than one occasion with their shoes on the wrong feet.

Same here!
Also have great spatial awareness and sense of direction. I never get lost and only have to glance at a map to get a feel for a place.

Interesting that others failed driving tests for this reason. I passed mine despite turning to the other left because I did so safely apparently.

This is so weird. No, I don’t even need to think about it. It’s automatic and instinctive.

I was OK. Until I spent a decade or so teaching aerobics classes. Facing the class, mirroring the moves, calling 'right' holding out my left hand and moving left.

Now I don't have a fucking clue. So I point.

I find it very interesting and i guess just how your brain is wired (how the neural connections developed at a particular stage) hence how the difficulty is connected to neurodevelopmental disorders.

Left right differentiation involves different cognitive functions, including the integration of visual information, memory, language and being able to rotate objects in your mind.

I have no problem with Left and Right. I also know instinctively that north is up and south is down on a map. However I always have to think which way is eastbound or westbound on the tube.

I should think most of the world do this!! One nanosecond of thought...which hand do I write with 😀

I think this must be related to how you learn it. I don't know my left and right in English, but can tell you without thinking which is which in French, Italian and Spanish. English is my native language.

Ha I grew up in the States and I used to cross my hand over as if I was pledging allegiance which I did for umpteen years at school. The right hand crossed to cover your heart.

@Georgeskitchen

I should think most of the world do this!! One nanosecond of thought...which hand do I write with 😀

Why do you think that, though? I’ve never known anyone who had to think about it - until this thread. Or maybe they don’t say. I just asked my DH, and he looked completely astonished it would be an issue. He doesn’t have to think about it. Maybe if you’re left-handed it might be more prevalent?

I know I broke my left leg when I was a child so I always think which leg that is 😂

I have to think what hand do I write with. My husband always slags me off for getting right and left mixed up. It's really bad if I'm giving directions. I often say next left, so he goes left and I say where u going! He says u said left! Then I say oh yeah I did I meant right 🙈. My 4yr old knows it better than me 😂

@ipswichwitch

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 always say left when I mean right and vice versa while giving directions. Drives DH crazy. I say it’s because I’m so empathetic I’m trying to view things from the other person’s perspective / direction It’s definitely got worse since I had DC… hormones or sleep deprivation?