Today is International Left-Handers Day, meaning it’s a time of celebration for 10 per cent of the population.

Are you left-handed? Do you feel at an advantage in life as a result?

Well studies seem to suggest there are plenty of things made easier by using your ‘other’ hand.

Let us know if you agree with these observations and make sure you vote in our poll, as we try and find out if Ipswich and Suffolk match the national average for left-handers.

Left handed men make more money

According to studies, left handed men who have progressed through higher education go on to earn 13 per cent more than right handed counterparts. Strangely, when it comes to women, left-handers earn five per cent less.

Learning to drive comes easier for lefties

A driving school poll found that 57 per cent of left-handers passed their driving test first time compared to 47 per cent of right-handers. Amazing really, given almost all cars are designed with right handed people in mind.

Left handed people adjust more easily to seeing underwater

Bizarre as it may sound, one of the benefits of being left handed is being able to adjust more easily to see underwater, although you may not need this ability very often, it could come in handy if you live by the sea or enjoy swimming. Scientists think it has something to do with a different part of the brain being dominant in left handed individuals.

It’s easier to be a lazy typist

On a standard ‘qwerty’ keyboard, the layout of the letters mean it’s possible to write 3,400 solely with your left hand, compared to just 450 with your right. This one’s a useless fact.

Lefties have a greater chance of being a genius- or having a high IQ

Researchers aren’t sure why, but those who are left handed seem to make up a disproportionately large part of those who are highly intelligent. For example, twenty percent of all Mensa members are left-handed, with only 10 per cent of society being so. Some think this genius stems from being forced to use both sides of the brain more often, allowing these individuals to more easily process a large amount of information.

You get to choose your seat at the dinner table

Everyone knows you can’t sit next to a lefty, otherwise you’ll get your elbow bumped. Smart southpaws use this to their advantage to get a spot with more space. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work as well at a circular table.

Generally, lefties are better at playing video games

Some of the traits that make lefties better thinkers and multitaskers also make them better at playing video games. Research conducted by Dr Nick Cherbuin shows that lefties are better at handling large amounts of stimuli, making them naturally better at killing zombies, playing virtual tennis or fighting off alien hordes in the virtual world.

Lefties are better at multitasking

One of the advantages of being left-handed is that it forces your brain to think more quickly. What this means for everyday life is that those who are lefties may find it easier to multi-task and deal with a large, sometimes unorganized stream of information. Researchers found that conversations between the left and right sides of the brain happen more quickly in left handed people. The more dominant the left handedness is, the better these abilities are.