Are you a Left Brain or Right Brain Person?
"Are you a left-brained or right-brained person?" a friend of mine asked me this question.
Puzzled, I answered "I am both. I have been a teacher, baker, marketer, and now writer. I have had to use both my mathematical skills and creative skills for all my jobs."
How often do we label kids as left or right brain leading them to think they are not strong on the skills that the “other side” of their brain is in charge of?
The left-brain or right-brain theory is one of the most common theories in education, and one of the biggest misconceptions around.
The theory suggests that you have one dominant side of the brain; if you tend to be more analytical and methodical, you are said to be a left-brained person. If you tend to be more creative and artistic, you're thought to be right-brained.
Let's deconstruct the theory to debunk it.
First a little bit of Neuroscience
The brain has two hemispheres that help us carry out different functions. The left hemisphere is in charge of functions such as speech, sequencing, linear thinking, mathematics, facts, and logic. The right hemisphere executed feelings visualization, imagination, intuition, rhythm, and arts.
It is believed that there are different areas of the brain that are responsible for controlling language, formulating memories, and making movements, this view is called lateralization.
Left Brain & Right Brain Theory Debunked
We know the brain has various parts that are all different, and important to carry out functions. But does it necessarily follow that we have a dominant side of the brain just as we have a dominant hand?
A two-year analysis was done by a team of neuroscientists to test this premise. They found no proof that this theory is correct. Both hemispheres are tied together by a bundle of nerve fibers that serve as a highway for information. Both sides work together and complement each other.
There is a misconception that general personality traits and individual preferences translate into the notion that you are left-brained or right-brained, but they don't.
So, are you a Left-Brain or Right-Brain Person?
Both.
We use both hemispheres of the brain to get things done. Both hemispheres are bridged together by bundles of nerve fibers, creating an information highway. Although each side has its own function, they work as a team to complete each other.
You don't use only one side of your brain at a time.
When we sing we use both our speech functions (left side) and our rhythmic functions (right side). Music composers use their left brain to control speech, but their right brain for artistic expression.
Another example can be seen in architects. They use their left brain to make all calculations but their right brain to turn these into spatial creations.
I have been using my left brain to write this newsletter, and my right brain to make it creative for you to enjoy reading it!
Bottom line is, our brain is composed of two hemispheres that work together. Our brain does not have a dominant hemisphere. However, we can have personality inclinations towards skills that the left or right brain carry out.
