close up of arm being tattooed
Jade Small
Jade Small
January 7, 2024 ·  4 min read

Woman Gets L and R Tattooed On Her Hands After Struggling To Tell Right From Left

Ever forgotten which way is Left and which is right? For many, it just comes naturally when it comes to thinking about ‘left or right, and for some, it is just that bit harder. Particularly for this woman who ended up with L and R tattooed on her hands for a bit of guidance.

Woman gets tattooed on her hands

D’Kodia Laine from Canberra in Australia had enough of the struggle to remember which was which, so prompted by being tired of being embarrassed with having to make the “L” shape with her hand when needing to figure out what was what, she went ahead with the L and R tattooed on her hands for a quick glance to help her out. The idea of a tattoo stemmed from a friend of hers writing the L and R letters on her hands one day, and then the seed began to grow of an idea to make it a permanent feature on her body.[1]

Student who can't tell the difference between left and right gets tattoos on her hands
laurenwinzer | Instagram

The artwork was done by tattooist Lauren Winzer from Hunter & Fox studio in Alexandria, who responded to a huge number of likes of these quirky tattoos that were featured on her Instagram page. “Not only are tattoos cute, but they can also be super functional!!! Good luck with all your future directions, happy to help guide you.”

Surprisingly many people suffer from the confusion between Left and Right, perhaps more people should follow suit as D’Kodia did by having L and R tattooed on her hands! A study featured in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology highlighted the fact that there are many others, up to 15% of the population that struggles to differentiate between Left and Right.  An earlier study noted that it is more often women than men that are more susceptible to this confusion. In a crowd of people, it is quite uncanny how many would have to think about it first for a few moments, when asked to raise their right hand (even for those like D’Kodia, that have it tattooed on her hands.)

Dire consequences can result from this confusion

It may seem to be light banter and very funny at times when someone cannot figure out Left from Right. But, imagine the consequences if a surgeon did it and removed an organ that was in perfect health!  And, it has happened. Hospitals and clinics in the United States have been reported to have operated on the wrong organ…Up to 40 times a week!  It perhaps is clear more people need L and R tattoos…[2]

What is deemed as a simple task for many choosing left or right is actually a perceptual/spatial process. As you choose one thing – right or left, a labeling process that is definitive and not just in the ‘middle’. Marco Andre Hirnstein who is a professor of Biological and Medical Psychology at the University of Bergen in Norway explains that it is the labeling process where the problems arise.

Why do we struggle less with other orientation labels such as ‘up-down’ or ‘front-back’? Well, all those labels have absolute, physical features that make them more easily distinguishable. ‘Down’ is where things fall. ‘Up’ is from where things fall. ‘Front’ is what I can reach more easily. But, there is no such absolute, physical feature with ‘left’ and ‘right’.”

Marco Andre Hirnstein

He further clarifies that even once a person has figured out their trigger such as, wearing your watch on your left hand to know it’s your left, or which hand your write with is your right or left, to know which is which – this does not ultimately mean that you will automatically know someone else’s left or right.

A thought experiment

Chris McManus who authored a book called “Right Hand, Left Hand” includes a thought experiment in his writings that Hirnstein recommends.[2]

“Imagine you have to tell a Martian what left or right is, but you are only connected via loudspeakers. How do you do it? The wristwatch, hand-writing, and thumb trick don’t work because the Martian doesn’t have any of those. It’s tricky, but despite the struggle, we get it ‘right’ most of the time.”

Marco Andre Hirnstein

Gerstmann’s syndrome is a rare neurological condition that can occur after a stroke or a brain injury. It can also leave a person with the ‘left and right’ dilemma. So, perhaps these are also good candidates for having L or R tattooed on her hands. For most, it is just a quirk of the brain!

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Sources

  1. Student who can’t tell left from right gets letters tattooed on her hands.” Metro. Faima Bakar. February 4, 2021.
  2. Tattoos help woman distinguish between left and right: Why it’s a common problem.Today. A Pawlowski.