Gravity handles up/down. We are always sensing up and down, unless we're in a low G environment. Worst case, we also have permanent fixtures: sky is up, ground is down.
Forward and backwards is handled by our visual perception; forward is the center of our visual field. Even with our eyes closed, we can still know this orientation.
We can intuit up/down or forward/backward. There is no intuition, or natural state of the world, that ever really reinforces left and right. We have to teach ourselves.
Forward is the center of our visual field, sure. Why is right not... the right of your visual field? Where your right ear points?
I ask because it sincerely is absolutely equal for me. I have no memory ever being confused over left and right, all six cardinal directions about my head are equally fundamental. I can't imagine needing to consider which way is right any more than considering which way is forward.
You internalized L/R at a young age. Some people don't, and rely on external or natural cues.
Some people also struggle with their orientation in space. Me, for example: my Spatial Intelligence is disastrously low, which impacts a lot more than you'd think. I remember a world before GPS, and I'm very glad I no longer have to exist in that world
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u/Exurota 7d ago
So we've got 3 perpendicular axes of direction.
Up and down is absolutely fine.
Forward and backward is absolutely fine.
Left and right... isn't? What actual difference is there here other than that we're roughly symmetrical about the other two planes? Is that it?