Can you tell your left from your right?

[TeaAndCakeMakeThingsBetter]

Had a random conversation yesterday where a friend and I discovered that neither of us instinctively knew our left from our right. It was part of a conversation around neurodiversity and it got me wondering whether it’s just a random blip in our brains or part of something wider. So - do you just KNOW left from right or does it not come automatically? I also struggled at school with random bits of timetables (6/7/8s - could never remember the ones where the answers were somewhere between 40 and 50, but had absolutely no problem with maths overall and got straight As st GCSE. That’s not a boast, more just that it wasn’t linked to academic intelligence!). Am also left handed if that’s relevant (but still have to consciously think about which hand I write with if asked 🙈).

YABU- duh, obviously I can tell left from right 🙄
YANBU - No! I have to really think about which is which 🙈

Years ago in an operating theatre the surgeon started prepping the wrong ankle for surgery ( I was awake). The other doctor had to stop him. I thought maybe they just sloshed antiseptic stuff over both ankles 😁. I wonder if he struggled with left and right 🙈. Most bizarre thing was he’d earlier felt tipped the correct ankle!

Sometimes!
Im okay if I'm just puttering around doing stuff for myself and need to figure out what's left and what's right (and I know my left hand makes an L if I stick my thumb out), but when it comes to giving directions then my brain goes into stupid mode; I'll be saying "go left" but pointing to the right.

No i can’t , I need about 5-10 seconds to process where’s left and right. Luckily for me my driving instructor found it funny and told me to just drive wherever I wanted as I kept „ignoring” his directions.
My family and friends learned to use „that way” and use their hands to direct me.

Yes but it takes some brain energy, have to stop and think

@Ineedanewsofa
Never
Eat
Cake
Eat
Salad
Sandwiches

I say it in my head every time I write/type necessary.

That’s a little concerning 😬

I can’t tell left from right looking at someone only my left or right but rarely have to

Left and right, I always knew.

When I was a kid, port and starboard I had to think about (I learnt to sail and as the years went on, sailed and raced a lot), until I was told a way to remember it. I’ve not had problems for years now and it’s instinctive.

Politically- yes. Physically-no. And I have absolutely no sense of direction either. I can get lost in my own home town. Years ago I was told it was something to do with brain polarity, but I think that theory’s been disproved now.

Same! I always have to say that to myself to work it out

What's that to help with?

No, not now. I did when younger though and was diagnosed ND in the 90s.

No, never struggled with left and right. I am however admittedly a freak of nature who always knows which way North is and knows what time it is despite not having looked at a clock in hours.

I am however completely aphantasic so cannot even begin to picture anything in my mind, and would happily trade my other talents for that.

Ah ok. In that case I think "coming past" might be better. The reference to left or right is confusing and I don't get confused over left and right!

Hilarious.

Honestly feel like I could have written this myself. Apart from the fact I didn't speak to any friends yesterday, just a relative who always teases me about not knowing my left from my right, this is exactly me! 😂

@Trovindiaspelling necessary.

@TeaAndCakeMakeThingsBetter hopefully none of you drive on the roads!!

Near side and off side for cars confuse anyone?

I did a lot of student theatre and ‘stage right’ and ‘stage left’ flummoxed me for years.

Instinct to me. I remember when I asked my friend (RIP, she passed earlier this year) to give my dog his eye drops one day. It was a comical conversation which was his right eye - so maybe people don’t know!!

I have very little sense of left and right. Also I can't just reverse routes and find my way home. From the other direction its a whole other journey for me. My memory for routes is appalling, while my memory generally is excellent.

I am autistic, I don't know if that's got anything to do with it. My husband had a diagnosis of Aspergers, when that was allowed, and he knows he left from right, and reverse routes. His general memory is not good though.

For the left and right thing, I find the quickest way for me is to only wear rings on my left hand. A quick glance at my hand, or rub my thumb over my rings, to check, and I'm good to go.

Yes, that should be banned.

Ah!! I'm ok with that one but for accommodation I have to say "it's a big enough word to accommodate two Cs and two Ms".

This is a mystery to me. See also: inside lane/outside lane on the motorway. I just say slow, middle and fast but yes I KNOW that's wrong and there's just a lane and two overtaking lanes - I don't actually think of them with the slow/middle/fast purpose IYSWIM.

‘You write with your right’ is how I work it out. I never just know. I am autistic, also have ADHD!