Susan's Place Transgender Resources

I wasn't sure where to put this, but I decided that General Discussions would be best to start off with.

I was laying in bed the other morning, and thinking about how when I sit with friends or just people in general, it feels safer to have someone I like better on my left side. I always get uncomfortable if someone I like sits to my right. That works in reverse with someone I dislike or don't like as much sitting on my left side. I pondered over the fact that maybe it had to do with my hand preference; I use both hands equally for different things, but I write exclusively with my left hand.

I know it's a really strange thing to be posting here, but I want to know what others think.

Have you ever felt this way?
Do you think it means anything or do you think it might just be one of those instances of thinking 'too hard' about something or reading more into something than really is there?

It's something to think about.  I'm exclusively right handed and I always prefer to be to the left of people, especially if they are talking to me.  I find that I pay better attention to speakers if they are to my right.  In school, I always sat on the left side of the classroom, or at least the to the left of where the teacher predominantly taught from.

Hmm...this is intriguing.

Ooh, proof that I'm not the only one who thinks about this! Thank you for your reply Jaimey. It is a rather intriguing thought; I asked some of my friends this but none of them could really give me a good answer like you did.

It's not something I've ever thought about before, but it is intriguing.  I'm left handed and I think I've always preferred people to be to my left.  I don't know if I would say safer like you did, but it definitely feels more natural for people to be on my left.  I'm also a better a listener when I'm on a persons right. I really want to ask some of my friends now to see what they say.

Seems like people are all over the map on this one. Well, here's my two cents' worth.

I am right-handed. I absolutely MUST have my partner on my left side. When we hold hands, it's my left hand to his right hand. He is also a righty.

My right wrist is somewhat damaged (hurts if I use it too much) and my right ear is not all it could be, but my preference to keep my guy on the left (good hand, good ear) predates all of that.

It makes me wonder about how our brains work.  Because for me, I'd say my sensory organs on the left side are better than the right...I know my left eye is stronger and I do think I can hear better out of my left ear, but I still want people I'm talking to to be on my right.

An example of this is when I was in drumline in high school.  I played tenors/quints and there were only two of us, but I preferred to be on the left, as we were generally to the right of the snare drums...although, I may have had more of a preference to be between my partner and the snares...hmmm...when I sing in a group I always sit to the left of whoever I'm singing with (if we're singing parts).  I can hear the part better that way...I can focus on it better.

I wonder if any studies have ever been done on this...

Not sure, I haven't bothered to look and see. I'm sure there are probably a few obscure studies that could be dug up, but it doesn't seem so much an important thing as it does just terribly perplexing. ???