I don't know about ambidextrous (being able to perform a skill with either hand), but all the lefties I know are cross-dominant to some variety.
For instance, I hold a pen, fork, soldering iron etc. with my left, but use a mouse with my right.
I don't know about ambidextrous (being able to perform a skill with either hand), but all the lefties I know are cross-dominant to some variety.
For instance, I hold a pen, fork, soldering iron etc. with my left, but use a mouse with my right.
You are correct and I have been using ambidextrous wrong for 40+ years. Never too old to learn something and I did today, so thank you!
Cross-Dominant
1. Mixed preference: A cross-dominant individual favors different hands, eyes, or feet for different tasks. For example, they might write with their right hand, eat with their left hand, and kick a ball with their left foot.
2. No clear dominant side: They lack a single, strongly dominant side of the body, leading to a mixed pattern across various activities.
3. Potential Challenges: Cross-dominance can sometimes be associated with minor difficulties in coordination or activities requiring single-sided precision.
Ambidextrous
1. Equal Skill: A truly ambidextrous individual can perform tasks with equal skill and control using either hand. This includes tasks that require fine motor skills, like writing.
2. Rarity: True ambidexterity is relatively uncommon.
3. Developed Skill: Often, ambidexterity is a learned ability and not an innate characteristic. People can train themselves to use both hands with near-equal proficiency.
In Summary:
Cross-dominant: Mixed hand/eye/foot preference for different tasks. Ambidextrous: Equal proficiency in using both hands for almost any task
Cross-dominant seems to imply a preference, whereas your original comment leaned more towards being forced to learn some skill or activity with your offhand.
I think learning to cut with scissors is one of the main ones for little kids, you can try to cut left handed with a "normal" right-handed pair of scissors, but seeing where you're cutting is just harder.
I am right handed but I use phone almost exclusively by left hand (when I use only one hand to hold and operate phone, like reading HN now), I am using right hand only when two-thumb-writing (like now)