Clockwise

chas · Post by **chas** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:57 am

Track races are counter-clockwise -- running tracks, NASCAR. OTOH, when they're open to the public, 1/4 mile-400m tracks switch direction daily so that everyone doesn't wind up with a stronger right leg.

I run on a 1.5-mile trail in the woods. I switch directions daily, and tend to pass the same people in the same direction every day. Of the three I know pretty well, the two who run CW are lefties and the one who walks CCW is a rightie.

Steamwalker · Post by **Steamwalker** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:06 am

Hmm... When I walk around the building at work, I walk around it clockwise - and I am right handed. To me, it just seems natural to go left first since we read left to right, and not right to left. Our mind processes left as first, and right as last (at least those that read left-right).

sbfluter · Post by **sbfluter** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:08 am

It probably has to do with how we drive on the right side around here. And if it's a small enough lake, it's probably like a track and those are always run counterclockwise.

When I went to Nepal you had to take care to always pass people, temples or mani stone piles on the left when you were walking. This was so your nasty hand wouldn't touch anything sacred.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:25 am

It has a religious quality here too. Clockwise is "the sun's path" - in other words, you are being consistent with natural forces and rhythms if you proceed clockwise or deosil.

When Pagans cast a circle they all do it clockwise. Opinions do differ on closing the circle, but that doesn't have the same importance.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:32 am

ah ha!

It's the Pagans' fault there's so many right handed people!

Tyler · Post by **Tyler** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:36 am

interesting, this tendancy to favor one direction over another...

While coaching hockey I've noticed a predisposition among new learners to have difficulty performing crossovers in one direction or the other while they're learning to skate; they usually pick it up on one side quickly, then have slight difficulty on the other. I've noticed it in both directions, and dominant sides don't appear (at least to my observations) to be a factor.
It even happened to me when I was learning; as a lad I had difficulty learning counter-clockwise crossovers, but get this, though... I write with my right hand, play my bass right handed, etc, but I play hockey left handed, except when I play goaltender, then I play traditional...wierd, eh?

Another example I've noticed...
I've recently gotten back into skateboarding as a means of transportation and keeping my fat a$$ in some kind of shape (other than round), and I've been relearning how to skate (haven't been on a board for right about 15 years). I remember when I first learned to skate, I had difficulty gaining confidence performing heelside turns (since I ride regular, counter-clockwise), and found it much easier to perform toeside carves. I tried riding goofy (right foot forward) and still had difficulty building up confidence going counter-clockwise!
As I've been practicing on my new longboard, I've noticed the same dern thing happening... going counter-clockwise effectively seems to be psychologically more difficult to learn.
Wierd...

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 10:42 am

(Guess mode)

It may be related to the tendency of folks to go to the right, at least in the US. When facing an entrance, the "In" door is usually on the right (except for grocery stores, which I have never figured out). On our roadways, we travel on the right side of the road. So, it *seems* logical that many might look at any object and tend to pass it to the right, which, given the lake, would put them into a counter-clockwise route.

(/Guess mode)

Silvano · Post by **Silvano** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 10:48 am

Intersting question, and interesting answers as well. If I just imagine say a house or a hill, I' d say I' d rather tend to go clockwise. I am right-handed. OTH when I think of all usual walks I used to do in different locations or I do now here I discover some are clockwise and others counterclockwise. This leads me to the simple question: isn't it just a matter of habit? If you decide to go in one direction the first time isn't it most likely you will do the same the next time? Isn't it that the familiarity wins against the unknown?
Thinking oft this I am just feeling beeing a creature of habbit

Silvano

Post by **Nanohedron** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:22 am

Hmm. Like the good pastor, I take a circular path clockwise. It just seems natural. Funny thing is, I'd always wonder to myself why so many people were so contrary.

If I draw a circle, I intuitively draw it counterclockwise if I start and join it at top. If I start and join it at bottom, clockwise. If I start it at left, either way is fine. At right, I don't see why I even should.

I wonder what this means.

djm · Post by **djm** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:33 am

Ha! You think that's bad? How do you draw an X? Do you start at the top or bottom first, left or right first?

(that ought to keep you busy for a while

)

djm

Steamwalker · Post by **Steamwalker** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:52 am

djm wrote:Ha! You think that's bad? How do you draw an X? Do you start at the top or bottom first, left or right first?

(that ought to keep you busy for a while )

djm

Upper left. Just like I start my Zs, although I start my Ss at the bottom.

Brewster · Post by **Brewster** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:54 am

I run around a lake that's about 3.25 miles around. I run clockwise, because the last quarter mile is downhill, and it's a nice way to end. Other than that, no explanation for the CW vs. CCW preferences.

Post by **Nanohedron** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:56 am

djm wrote:Ha! You think that's bad? How do you draw an X? Do you start at the top or bottom first, left or right first?

(that ought to keep you busy for a while )

djm

Not at all. I used to draw them backslash-slash, a usual procedure for those introduced to standard cursive writing in our language.

Then I took up Japanese, and the habit of doing them slash-backslash took hold because of the kanji thing. By then, my Roman script had become a hodgepodge anyway, so no big shakes. I do it that way to this day.

BTW, both ways would be top-to-bottom for me. None of this suspicious bottom-to-top witchery.

Just to forestall confusion, here's a wee bit on slash and backslash.

dwest · Post by **dwest** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:59 am

Ronbo · Post by **Ronbo** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 2:48 pm

Doug_Tipple wrote:I have often thought about this subject, as I am one of the people who always walk in a counter-clockwise direction. I am not comfortable doing it the other way. If I remember correctly, we had a topic about this previously here. Personally, I think that it has something to do with the earth's rotation. For example, the Coriolis force 'is an apparent force that as a result of the earth's rotation deflects moving objects (as projectiles or air currents) to the right in the northern hemisphere in the northern hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere". I am not sure whether any of the aforementioned conventions are altered in the southern hemisphere, although I doubt that the monopoly board will change. On the other hand, animals may prefer to circle clockwise in the southern hemisphere.

I guess the brits go bass-ackwards just out of contrariness.