So it came to my attention as I stumbled upon a post on how to cosplay Isaac Newton (not that I haven't got it down to a T anyway) that one of the steps tells the would-be cosplayer to start writing with their left hand. I thought this was odd, and so did a quick Google search, and it seems many people, particularly left-handed persons, believe that Isaac Newton was left handed.
This is big news to me, seeing as I have read several Newton biographies and not one of them states that he ever wrote with his left hand. Not unsurprisingly, they also group in other famous intellectuals who also aren't confirmed 'lefties'. I have never had any notion to consider that Isaac Newton was left-handed, on the mere basis that he was a genius and a world famous mathematician who invented Calculus and discovered the motions of Gravity and 'Opticks'. I had always assumed he was right-handed because a) schools of the time would have demanded their students write with their right hand, regardless of whether the student felt more comfortable writing with the left, and b) Isaac Newton was a deeply religious man and would also have taken it upon himself to write with his right hand anyway.
The only quote which is linked to a 'left hand' with Newton is:
The only image which shows Newton using his left hand, is when he holds a compass on a page. This, while does suggest he uses his left hand, does not suggest he writes with it. Usually when a compass is used, the other hand is writing down the measurements and details from the compasses movements, then again he might naturally hold any object in his left hand which is why as a singular object he holds the compass.
At the same time, the image above has been used the other way round, with Newton holding the compass with his right hand. As of yet I have been unable to find the original, but if the latter is the case, then it would dispute the claims of Newton being left-handed anyway.
In others, he holds his gloves with his right hand, he points with his right hand, and he rests his right hand on his left arm - which suggests a heavy inclination to him resting his writing arm on his left.
The book which seems to make a 'fact' of the myth is 'A Left Handed History of the World' by Ed Wright. It claims that the world without left handed people like Newton and Darwin (who was actually a right-handed person who studied left-handedness) would be void of intellectual provocation, as though only left-handed people are intellectuals and that right-handed people can't be as clever or have as high an IQ as 'lefties'.
I'm not stating that Isaac Newton was a confirmed right-handed writer, but it seems extremely unlikely given the era and his own personal views that he would have written with his left. I'm also not discriminating left-handed people, some of my friends are left-handed, but it seems that those who are claiming these famous intellects to be left-handed are doing so to back up a theory that is a little demeaning to right-handed people. I personally don't take any notice when someone writes with their left hand, so it seems like some are blowing a claim out of proportion (much like the Diamond myth) when their is zero evidence to support it.
I'm also not saying he couldn't have been left-handed, but given the lack of evidence and the strict right-handedness of religion during the 17th century, I will subconsciously continue to place Newton in the right-handed category until hard evidence comes my way.
Links:
http://www.wikihow.com/Cosplay-Isaac-Newton
http://www.rightleftrightwrong.com/history_recent.html
Images:
http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00268/TH13-OPED-BRITAIN_N_268010e.jpg
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-medium/18loufodl08s0jpg.jpg
This is big news to me, seeing as I have read several Newton biographies and not one of them states that he ever wrote with his left hand. Not unsurprisingly, they also group in other famous intellectuals who also aren't confirmed 'lefties'. I have never had any notion to consider that Isaac Newton was left-handed, on the mere basis that he was a genius and a world famous mathematician who invented Calculus and discovered the motions of Gravity and 'Opticks'. I had always assumed he was right-handed because a) schools of the time would have demanded their students write with their right hand, regardless of whether the student felt more comfortable writing with the left, and b) Isaac Newton was a deeply religious man and would also have taken it upon himself to write with his right hand anyway.
The only quote which is linked to a 'left hand' with Newton is:
'At some seldom Times when he design'd to dine in ye Hall, would turn to ye left hand, & go out into ye street...'
The only image which shows Newton using his left hand, is when he holds a compass on a page. This, while does suggest he uses his left hand, does not suggest he writes with it. Usually when a compass is used, the other hand is writing down the measurements and details from the compasses movements, then again he might naturally hold any object in his left hand which is why as a singular object he holds the compass.
 |
| Newton holds a compass with his left hand. |
In others, he holds his gloves with his right hand, he points with his right hand, and he rests his right hand on his left arm - which suggests a heavy inclination to him resting his writing arm on his left.
I'm not stating that Isaac Newton was a confirmed right-handed writer, but it seems extremely unlikely given the era and his own personal views that he would have written with his left. I'm also not discriminating left-handed people, some of my friends are left-handed, but it seems that those who are claiming these famous intellects to be left-handed are doing so to back up a theory that is a little demeaning to right-handed people. I personally don't take any notice when someone writes with their left hand, so it seems like some are blowing a claim out of proportion (much like the Diamond myth) when their is zero evidence to support it.
I'm also not saying he couldn't have been left-handed, but given the lack of evidence and the strict right-handedness of religion during the 17th century, I will subconsciously continue to place Newton in the right-handed category until hard evidence comes my way.
Links:
http://www.wikihow.com/Cosplay-Isaac-Newton
http://www.rightleftrightwrong.com/history_recent.html
Images:
http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00268/TH13-OPED-BRITAIN_N_268010e.jpg
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-medium/18loufodl08s0jpg.jpg
I'm left-handed and have noticed a lot of egotistical bunk being spread by some left-handed gomers and I find it embarrassing and ridiculous. Newton, in all likelihood, was a righty.
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