Re: Left-handed contemplatives

"Peter H.M. Brooks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I am proposing to ask only two questions:
>
> - How many full time religious are there in the order?
> - How many of them are left-handed?
>
> I think that, if I target around 40 communities, I should have a large
> enough sample to be meaningful - I think that that should be around 1000
> people. I propose to get information about both sexes.
>
> 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.
>
Somewhat silly questions, I suppose, but here goes.

Is the main reason most people join monasteries etc to live a life of
contemplation? Even if the main reason, are there a variety of reasons for
choosing this life?

Are left-handers drawn to occupations/ways of life that are unusual in some
way? Since they are often discriminated against, and sometimes have trouble
with speech (think Gerald Ford) could they simply be looking for occupations
that offer some protection or some distance from the hoi polloi?

Would answers to these questions perhaps affect the hypothesis you wish to
frame?

Lance