DR. WALLACE: My older sister has been prancing around our house for the last several weeks hinting that she has a big secret that everyone would want to know. She teased us with it over Thanksgiving dinner but did not tell anyone what she was talking about.
Now everyone is curious to find out what she knows and what the big story is all about. All she keeps saying is that she will reveal the secret at the right time, and the right time has not yet arrived.
How can I get my sister to tell me her secret? — A Very Curious Little Sister, via email
A VERY CURIOUS LITTLE SISTER: Always look a person in the eyes when you’re trying to get specific information, as this is a way to make a person feel more comfortable, and in your case, more likely to tell you this “secret.”
If your sister won’t look you in the eyes and quickly looks away and changes the subject, another situation may be in play here. It could be that your sister is simply enjoying all the attention her “big secret” is creating for her. In this case, the best thing to do is to tell her that it’s fine and that you can wait until the timing is right.
This will take the air out of her balloon if she’s bluffing. If she truly has a secret, you’ll only learn about it when she chooses to tell you about it anyway, no matter how much you or any family member beg for the reveal.
ARE YOU SMARTER IF YOU ARE LEFT-HANDED?
DR. WALLACE: My teacher is left-handed and said that lefties have a higher IQ than right-handed people do. Some of my friends believe this is true, but others feel our teacher is full of hot air and has a high opinion of himself. Who’s right here? — Dubious Student, via email
DUBIOUS STUDENT: Left-handed people make up about 10% of the world’s population, so even though that sounds like a small amount, when you consider the vastness of the world’s population, it amounts to billions of lefties!
Research reports I’ve read over the years support both sides of the argument, and quite equally I might add. I don’t feel that either dominant hand dictates intelligence or the lack thereof.
But my advice is to smile and nod at your teacher so that he can continue to feel good about himself. Also keep in mind that he might have been kidding or joking, so don’t take his comments too seriously. There are some things that are worth debating in class and some that are not. I’d file this issue in the latter category.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected] To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.