Left-Brain, Right-Brain Reconceptualized: A New Neuroscientific Understanding of an Old Divide & Personal Insights
Left-brain people are analytical and right-brain ones are creative: This popular thinking has been debunked and labeled a myth, but that is in part because it is a limited, and thus partially erroneous, understanding. Here, I discuss how more recent information uncovered by the neurosciences refines our popular thinking on left- vs. right-brain dominance.
In short, I argue that the old popular thinking is mostly correct in its generalities, but as in the case of other sciences such as physics, new and detailed findings have revealed that the old theory holds true in certain contexts but falls short in others (think Einstein and Newton). In considering a deeper, more encompassing understanding, I have found the old theory’s errors to be resolved, and the brain even demystified some.
As you read through this article, take note of which side of the brain you favor, if any, bearing in mind that it very well might be different than the side associated with your dominant hand.
Regardless, though, of any preference you may have for a side, this deeper, more comprehensive understanding of the two sides of the brain can help us to better understand ourselves as well as others. By embracing this deeper comprehension, we can cultivate greater tolerance and acceptance of those that are different than us, and even uncover strategies to enhance our personal performance and enrich our life experiences.
Note: Towards the end of the article, I will briefly discuss my new book, Pay Attention!, which provides further exploration of brain dominance and empowers you to unlock its full potential for personal growth, improved performance, and a more fulfilling life journey.
What’s Already Well Known: The Older Understanding
Many of us already know the left side of the brain’s neocortex, or left-brain, supposedly operates in an analytical, calculated, and deliberate way. Opposite to the left-brain, the right-brain supposedly operates in a synthesizing, creative, and spontaneous way. Table 1 reflects these and other general descriptions.
(Take a moment to review the table, comparing each item’s left- and right-side to see which side of the brain resonates with you. My thinking, and extensive related experience, is that most of us favor one side of the list, and relatedly one side of the brain, at least most of the time, but more on that later.)
This is not to say, though, that the tendencies of the left-brain cannot be performed well by a right-brain person and vice versa. For instance, right-brain people can exhibit strong analytical skills and attention to detail, sometimes surpassing their left-brain counterparts, but their overall tendency is more so to instead be synthesizing and to attend to the big picture. (Such nuances are one reason this thinking has been labeled a myth.)
In general, though, left-brain people nevertheless will tend to excel when dealing with the tendencies associated with the left-brain, whereas right-brain people will tend to excel with the tendencies associated with the right-brain.
Fitting with these tendencies, then, left-brain people tend to excel in careers that emphasize analysis and logical thinking, such as those grounded in math and science. Their work tends to involve meticulous attention to detail, such as financial analysis or intricate product design and development.
Right-brain people tend to excel in careers that value synthesis, intuition, and creativity, such as the arts, human services, and business development careers. Historically, though, the arts and human services often lack sufficient and consistent financial compensation. Consequently, many right-brain people instead find themselves involved in marketing, customer service, or sales of some sort (or to otherwise struggle at times in a left-brain job).
Improving the Well-known but Limited Understanding: The New Understanding
Advancing the understanding of brain dominance, leading neuroscientist Elkhonon Goldberg has identified a deeper and more encompassing underlying function of each half — the left-brain predominately handles familiar information, whereas the right-brain specializes in processing new and novel experiences. (Goldberg 2018)
Moreover, Goldberg highlights a fascinating distinction in the connectivity between brain cells. The left-brain’s connections resemble a fleet of taxicabs, facilitating efficient transfer of objects over short distances. In contrast, the right-brain’s connections resemble a fleet of airplanes, enabling the integration of more distant and diverse associations.
This neurological pattern reveals that our right brain, with its expansive connections, plays a crucial role in making sense of new encounters by exploring far and wide to find relevant and useful connections across different regions of the neocortex. Conversely, the left brain acts as a repository for well-developed patterns and familiar knowledge, utilizing its localized connections for efficient retrieval and storage.
Goldberg’s research indicates a universal rule governing the shift from the right side of the brain to the left side across various cognitive tasks and timescales. (Goldberg 2018) As we learn new information, then, we more predominantly use the right-brain, but when we consider existing information, we more predominantly use the left-brain.
In essence, the strength of the right brain lies in its ability to create an understanding of novel and foreign information, while the left brain excels at improving our comprehension of familiar and established knowledge. (More on this dichotomy later.)
Resolving Errors of the Old Understanding
Goldberg’s understanding explains much, such as why the so-called language centers of the brain have been identified to be in the left-brain, as the words we use and how we use them are quite familiar to us. It also resolves some of the related contradictions that exist with the more general, limited understanding of the right-brain as being related to creativity…
In particular, many individuals with a strong inclination towards writing exhibit traits that align with the right-brain’s creative tendencies. This might seem contradictory, considering that language centers reside in the left-brain. However, writing involves significant engagement of the right-brain, even though it draws upon the left-brain’s repository of known words and language rules.
In short, while the words we use are already familiar to us (hence associated with the left-brain), their arrangement and composition give rise to something entirely new, making it a quintessential right-brain activity.
If this seems unclear, consider how most sentences are more novel than familiar: we rarely repeat the exact same sentence. Additionally, generating a sentence entails a creative act, where language rules and patterns serve as a back-end structure rather than an upfront, guiding framework. And rather than a mere sequencing of words, which is a left-brain task, creating a sentence that accurately expresses our thoughts involves synthesizing words — an inherent right-brain endeavor.
Furthermore, finding the precise words to articulate our ideas necessitates forging new and more distant connections between our thoughts and the reservoir of known words in the brain. This process actively engages the right hemisphere of the brain. However, the left-brain serves as the storage and access point for these known words and language rules since they are already familiar to us.
The Relevance of Brain Dominance in Everyday Life
Similarly, the left-brain more so handles prose whereas the right-brain takes charge of prosody (such as intonation and detecting the presence of sarcasm). Along the same lines, the right-brain is the side that identifies and initially comprehends any new metaphors.
Building upon this foundation (and the associated root understanding of the two sides of the brain), a left-brain person tends to excels more at technical writing and writing non-fiction, whereas a right-brain one is likely more adept at creative writing and writing fiction. (Which style of writing would you prefer, and does its side of the brain align with your favored side from before?)
This root understanding also explains why left-brain people, given the choice to write new material or edit, will tend to choose the latter. The task of editing, and not just in writing, fits best with the previously listed traits of the left-brain, such as being logical, analytical, sequential, and deliberate.
Stated differently, rather than create new material or objects, left-brain people prefer to be given existing ones so they can analyze them and edit them. This leads left-brain people to excel at improving existing creations — being an improver. In comparison, and as the writing example demonstrates, right-brain people thrive in the realm of generating new things — being a creator.
The same applies not only to creating and improving new things, but also to discovering and evaluating them, respectively. For instance, left-brain people tend to prefer recommendations, such as movies, music, books, and even personal advice. Rather than scour to discover options on their own, they prefer to be presented with selected options to analyze. This understanding helps explain why some of them become evaluators and critics.
Conversely, right-brain individuals tend to set recommendations aside, swiftly dismissing them or giving them only partial and biased consideration. They gravitate towards independent exploration and discovery of new things.
This root understanding about the left- and right-brain also explains people’s tendency to prefer depth and breadth, respectively. Whereas left-brain people prefer to analyze a new object of interest to understand it more, right-brain people prefer to instead find another new object. For example, left-brain individuals lean towards delving into the details often found in books, while right-brain individuals prefer the variety offered by magazines and online articles.
Similar to their tendency to stay focused on a single book, left-brain people also prefer to analyze before taking action. In comparison, and similar to their tendency to jump from article to article, right-brain people prefer to take action and then analyze.
I witnessed this action-analysis preference even in my age-4 twin nephews. When they were finished jumping in an enclosed trampoline, the right-brained nephew smoothly and safely hopped out of it seemingly without a thought. The left-brained twin following him instead slid out on his stomach, seemingly after becoming afraid of hurting himself if he jumped out.
(I had previously, and have since, repeatedly confirmed that one twin tends to be right-brained and the other one left-brained.)
This preference might also be readily observable when it comes to using instructions for assembling or operating a new object. Left-brain individuals tend to prioritize reviewing instructions before proceeding, diligently following them with precision. In contrast, right-brain individuals tend to adopt a more hands-on approach, attempting to assemble or use the object first, relying on their intuitive understanding, consulting the instructions more extensively only when faced with challenges or difficulties.
In short, whereas right-brain people prefer to “do, then learn,” left-brain people prefer to “learn, then do.” This preference, based on the same underlying root function of the two halves of the brain as the other ones, explains the earlier description of the right- and left-brain as being spontaneous and deliberate, respectively. Table 2 summarizes the newly identified preferences of left- and right-brain people described thus far in this article.
(Review the table above, and again see if you favor one side or the other, and if that side is the same one from the earlier examples. And as a related aside, if you’ve more so casually read this article, or even skimmed it, you’re more likely right-brained, whereas if you’ve more so intently read it, you’re more likely left-brained.)
As with the create-improve, discover-review, and breadth-depth preferences, the action-analyze preference tends to manifest consistently across various aspects of life. For instance, right-brain people throughout life tend to engage in numerous hobbies casually, date more people but shorter-term, and change jobs more frequently. In comparison, left-brain people tend to delve into fewer hobbies with greater depth, date fewer people but longer-term, and change jobs less frequently.
When the Pattern Breaks — Overriding Factors and Individual Differences
At times, though, a person’s other biological factors, personal values, and past choices in life override these brain-based preferences. For example, a left-brain male with strong biological urges for sex might date more people short-term even though his brain inclination leans towards longer-term connections. Conversely, a right-brain male who has been raised to sacredly value romantic relationships might date fewer people longer term, relatively.
In regard to a career, right-brain people might value a job’s benefits, such as its high income and light work schedule, enough to keep them from actively seeking out a different position.
As these examples demonstrate, without the proper understanding about a person, the tendencies of right- and left-brain people can at times seem contradictory. Combined with relationships, these three factors (which can be referred to as our biological, societal, and intellectual selves), can play significant roles in shaping our behavior and preferences.
As such, it is essential to recognize that these factors contribute to the complexity of human individuals and further emphasize the need for a comprehensive understanding of individuals beyond their brain-based preferences.
As a different type of example, consider my preference for new and variety in the music I hear and the food I eat. At first glance, this could erroneously lead others to think I am right-brained (even though I’m quite left-brained). Music and food, though, happen to be two areas of interest of mine, so my preference for novelty in them results partially from a desire to learn new information so I can improve my related, existing knowledge.
In contrast, right-brain people more often prefer novelty and variety in their experiences, driven by a diminished interest in familiar ones, and for the pleasure and perhaps challenge to discover it.
Although in this example a left-brain person and right-brain ones both use the new experience differently, both want the experience for its enjoyment benefits. At the complete opposite end of the spectrum, though, consider left-brain people with firmly established preferences in food and music and little interest in them otherwise. For them, venturing into new experiences might feel somewhat unsettling, as they strongly prefer what they consider familiar and routine.
As these examples demonstrate, although at times we contradict our tendency to be left- or right-brained, we can come to identify the reason.
Females tend to contradict their preference more than males, but this seems due to their tendency to favor a side of the brain less often than males — in other words, they can be more bi-lobal (albeit they still tend to favor a side). This tendency is seemingly due to anatomical brain differences — less asymmetry, and more hemispheric connectivity, than males (as I will describe in an upcoming article — follow me as to not miss it, as well as an article on brain-based sex differences!).
Regardless, an underlying pattern tends to exist. For instance, my mother tends to be more deliberate and left-brained in her work tasks, including even in the way she cleans and organizes the house. In regard to her interests and most other actions, though, she tends to be more spontaneous and right-brained.
Further Use of this Understanding — Divided, the Brain Conquers
Following from their preference to act over analyze, right-brain people will tend to live in the present — they embrace spontaneity and relish in the experiences of the here and now (even if it’s scrolling on one’s device).
Conversely, left-brain people’s preference to analyze will lead them to more often reside in the past and the future — they are more likely to be in thought, away from the present moment. This includes ruminating on the past or becoming engrossed in plans and actions geared towards the future, or even just thinking about something they scrolled by (rather than continuing to scroll).
Each of these has its advantages and disadvantages, its usefulness and detriment. For example, living in the present more likely leads us to seize a present-moment opportunity, but doing so too often can prevent us from defining, developing, and performing the necessary steps to accomplish a desired goal.
Life seems to be optimized when we know when to be in which mode. Through the process I recommend in my book, we come to better identify such situations.
As yet another example of differences, consider the differences regarding decision making: Right-brain people tend to lack important details, and they tend to be divergent in an analysis rather than focusing in on key details; left-brain people overly focus on specific details, which leads them to miss significant factors associated with the big picture, as well as “outside the box” solutions and factors.
(Throughout my book, I explore the impact of favoring either the left or right brain in various contexts and discuss how employing each hemisphere advantageously leads to more favorable outcomes.)
We can use this root understanding of the brain’s two sides to more readily understand and make sense of our own actions as well as those of others. This includes times when people’s actions seem to be opposite to their preferred half of the brain’s neocortex, as it provides a direct conflict we can investigate further.
Life and personal growth require the use and development of both the right- and left-brain, as it requires the processing of novel, unfamiliar situations as well as familiar, routine ones. Without this ability, we would struggle to survive and thrive. Fittingly, this root understanding about the brain aligns with related theories on the early origins of brain lateralization.
A common theme in a number of these theories is survival-based, with the right-brain being specialized for threat-monitoring (survive; avoid predators) and the left-brain being specialized for foraging (thrive; approach food sources). This results in commonly observed behavior in animals, such as a stronger reaction to threats perceived on the left side (which corresponds to the right-brain), and a preference for feeding on the right side (which corresponds to the left-brain).
This root understanding also fits with research demonstrating the right-brain’s involvement in processing visual-spatial information (which tends to be novel and unfamiliar) whereas the left-brain is related to certain language-processing tasks (which primarily deals with familiar and known elements).
Concluding Remarks: Embracing the Power of Brain Integration
Stated differently then, the divided nature of the brain empowers us to conquer life’s challenges, but less so if we fail to sufficiently develop both of its sides.
Rather than just develop one side of the brain, my book presents a simple and easy process that develops both sides — in general, its Attend, Analogize, and Associate steps indirectly develop the right-brain while its Analyze and Authenticate steps indirectly develop the left-brain.
Given these pairings, each of us will tend to excel at the steps corresponding to our own favored side of the brain. We will also tend to progress slower in the other steps. With continued use of my book’s process, though, we can develop both sides of the brain’s neocortex and come to perform all of the steps at a high level.
In closing, although the neuroscience field makes clear the two halves of the brain’s neocortex work together as a whole, most of us seem to favor the use of one side over the other. Similarly, most of us have a dominant hand, arm, leg, and even eye and ear. Doesn’t it make sense that we’d have a dominant side of the brain, too?
I invite you to share your observations and insights regarding your favored side of the brain. Feel free to ask any questions or contribute to the discussion.
Also, please check out my equally insightful and revealing, brain-based articles on sex differences, interaction styles, personality types / societal roles, and more! These include an intriguing theory that we favor not just one side of the brain, but one of its quadrants, as well as even a related, brain-based theory that explains handedness — a long-standing mystery, finally solved!
Together, let’s continue unraveling the mysteries of the human brain and uncover the profound implications they have for our lives.
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