Text Justify To Opposite Sides?

Why is it that when I left justify a text in Xara the text goes to the right and vice versa when I justify to the right?

There are three different text objects available. A "text line" a "text column" and a "text area". The text line justifies "around" the point where you clicked to create it. (this creates the effect you describe. The click point becomes the right or left edge (or the center), and hence the text is placed to the left or to the right of (or centered around) that point.) The other two justify inside the horizontal bounds you define for it.