Re: Left-handed contemplatives

"Peter Ashby" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Peter H.M. Brooks <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > What I need help with is forming the hypothesis that I am testing.
Simply it
> > seems obvious enough - 'Left-handers are drawn to the contemplative life
in
> > far greater numbers than their dexterous counterparts'. I might have to
> > include non-religious contemplatives or those from other religions.
> >
> > Any suggestions for a more formal definition of my research, other
questions
> > that I ought to answer or advice on appropriate sample size?
>
> I'm sure that left handers are also more common among those in the
> performing arts and among homosexuals. You should read up on those
> angles, accounting for the homosexual component in your study group
> would be, delicate. I have seen suggestions that RC priesthood attracts
> a disproportionate number of homosexuals which may be a large underlying
> factor in left handedness in your population.
>
You are quite right about performing (and indeed graphic) artists, this has
been observed and written about - if you look out for it in films it is
pretty obvious that far more of the actors are left-handed than you'd
expect.

I have not actually found a study showing a higher level of left-handedness
in homosexuals, though it wouldn't surprise me if there were. This is one of
the reasons why I want to get figures for both sexes - the aetiology of
female homosexuality is, as far as I know, quite different, so, if that were
the underlying cause in monastries, then I'd expect it to be different in
convents.

I'm not going to ask about their sexuality, no! I do want some replies...


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Dulce et decorum est prope mare sedere boglatin for it is a sweet and seemly
thing to sit down by the sea - J Joyce Let. 20 May (1957) 254