I am by no means an expert on this subject, but I think (note that I didn’t say, “feel”) that dividing left-right brain activity into distinct elements is a mistake. Like breaking down complex food molecules into chemical elements in a gas chromatograph, it fosters the simplistic eighteenth-century notion that complex systems can be analyzed by reduction.

Take Pavlov, for example. The man spent his life’s work operating under the simplistic assumption that responses to stimuli are pre-programmed. Nonsense! My dog will salivate at 6:00 PM sharp because that’s when I feed him — yet he also displays his intelligence and creativity (and humor) just because it amuses him to do so. And if so for the dog, how much more so for the human!

The individual personality is a complex mixture of left-right brain activity, and while some are more dominant in one or the other, I think it is a mistake to categorize them as one or the other. Indeed, as a web designer and developer, I find myself more creative on some days, and more analytical on others.

I certainly agree that modern education should be more balanced in regard to development of both analytical and creative processes.

Exercise: youtube search Tommy Johnson and watch trillions of neurons firing per second in a pleasing way! I’ll wager that he is not concerned with the exact frequencies and waveforms that his synthesizers are producing, yet he is still both technical and artistic!

I am a right brained person, and things like this help me better understand how things work.

When I was in high school I would be most likely to be doing somthing hands on such as: wood working , music , art. and i would find verbal lectures and demonstrations to be more helpful rather than reading or doing it on my own.

Dont exactly know what to write after reading all the DEBATE about LEFT or RIGHT or BOTH.

I think it upto a person because when one do something that is of his interest at that time one is using the whole of the energy to perform that act and if that work is not of interest then people fail to perform.

Someone told me life is a mixture of all Logic & emotions mixed to take it all the way and logically that true.

So logically speaking we all are full brain users provided te right environment.

Thank you Juliah, you are one of the few people to understand true math and science.
People fail to see these are actually one of the few areas,of study which incorporate ALL sides of the brain. Philosophy and art one fifth of the time don’t even use the left brain, they like to think they are. People are brought up to think left is cool and individual, less gay, so they do things and like things that are stereotypically right brained.
Math and science are as, if not more, creative and beautiful as art and philosophy. Look at the greatest artists and philosophers, you will be surprised as to how many of them were also mathematicians.

I am a right brain dominant person and school was an absolute torture for me. The boredom and the way all the classes were taught were pure frustration as I tried to learn through instruction that is left brain oriented. The only classes I learned easily in were English and Art classes throughout my whole schooling experience which frustrated my parents and my teachers because they said I was very bright and thought I “just wasn’t applying myself”. I think that it should be a requirement for ALL schools to restructure the way they teach so every child has the best opportunity to learn.

i found ur website to be very informative as i was doing a school assignment. keep rockin!1

Thank you Julia, you are one of the few people to understand true math and science.
People fail to see these are actually one of the few areas,of study which incorporate BOTH sides of the brain. Philosophy and art half of the time don’t even use the right brain, they like to think they are. People are brought up to think right is cool and individual, less robotic, so they do things and like things that are stereotypically right brained.
Math and science are as, if not more, creative and beautiful as art and philosophy. Look at the greatest artists and philosophers, you will be surprised as to how many of them were also mathematicians.

a.) is Left Brain
b.) is Right Brain

—————————————-

Personally, I’ve been dominantly left brained for nearly my entire life. Recently, I’ve become right brained. I know this, because I’ve added many signs together that demonstrate left and right brained people. Anyhow, through my experience and beliefs, I’m trying to give my opinions with logic and reason. This is my philosophy.

—
In response to Johanna:

a.) I believe seeing parts causes a sense of image. Like a puzzle: the person sees each piece. The fun is fitting pieces to make a complete image.

b.) In contrast, getting the puzzle complete fast would turn picture into a symbol/idea.

a.) Learning from left brained helps problem solving. From the puzzle example: the person has to complete puzzles to understand the whole image. Then, because they fit puzzle pieces they learn the relationships of parts to form a whole.

b.) Right brained people see the complete puzzle instantly. So, they take that complete image and break it apart. By doing that, the puzzle pieces are memorized to understand the complete puzzle.

a.) If these statements show accuracy, then being left brained focuses and how to problem solve; in other words: learn to learn.

b.) Being right brained helps memory. They obtain many puzzle pieces throughout their lives, and they’ve completed many puzzles. They learn factual information.

—
Most of what I said should hopefully make sense… I could attempt to explain in better detail and of other reasons for the traits that left and right brained people have as it was listed on this site, but I’m getting way too tired and need to sleep. lol But, if you wanna talk just email me. I’m always open to other’s opinions, because I wanna learn from combining our thought processes.
EMAIL: wired0101@yahoo.com

I don’t agree that the right brain would be subjective. Since the right brain look at wholes that’s more objective to me. I think it’s difficult to be objective if you only see the details. In my opinion you need the big picture in order to be objective. Focusing only on details will make you subjectice. Best regards from a extremelt right brained woman

Too parents with kids who don’t do well in school.

I am 37 years old. I did HORRIBLE in school. I graduated with a 1.5 GPA. The bare minimum. I went to summer school every year, BOTH terms. Ugh! If this is your kid, no need to punish, this is punishment in itself.

I went to college right after, because that was what was indoctrinated into me. (of which is a load of crap). Well, trying to be “successful”..whatever that means…I attended and was placed on academic warning, yes…for bad grads. I took off for a year and went back, this time I did the same and was now on academic probation! Thinking now that I wasn’t smart, and after being called an idiot by my mother all my childhood (ADD), I believed it.

2 years later I went back and tried again after manual labor wasn’t sitting too well for me. I too two classes and got an A and B. After that, I went full time for numerous semesters and made all A’s and B’s, even with 15 and 18 credit hours. In fact, I was the only one to make an A in my College Algebra class (this teacher was a genius - ie a hard class).

To this day, I feel very proud of what I accomplished. If your kid isn’t doing well in school, there is a reason. Unless they are clinically retarded, it’s not your kid, it’s the system. No kid is stupid. Maybe the educational system isn’t for them. Find out what they love to do and nourish that. Don’t get caught up in what society deems as appropriate, correct, or defines as success. And please don’t yell at your kid for not doing well. Because in the end, it really matters very little. The only thing the education system does is brainwash you to conform anyhow. It doesn’t want free thinkers. It was never put there for that intention. Just do the research as to why it was brought from Prussia by Rockefeller.

Best wishes.

PS By the way, I completed a shortened version of medical school and am now a Physician Assistant, and still not brainwashed

It is a good brief account

Thanks for sharing us this article. It helps our students understand better on how the are going to use their brain.
More Power!

In response to Daniel Castellanos:

I am right-brained. And I just completed the IB Program and have recieved my diploma.

Being right-brained doesn’t mean that school is ‘hard’ for anyone. In fact, on my IB Math Methods exam, I recieved a 6. In Biology I recieved a 5. So the whole ‘right-brained’ argument can’t be used as an excuse for ’struggling’ in school. I was also in my the top ten of my class and I am double majoring in Chemistry and Biology.

If you put your mind to it, you can do anything. Whether you are right/left brained. It doesn’t matter. Anything is possible. You just have to try.

In response to Vibhor.

I appreciate your perspective, and those that suggest that our education system is flawed by concentrating on analytical and direct modes for knowledges in math and science.

Math is the language of the god(s - depending on your beliefs). Science, is man kinds limited logical understanding, and study of the universe.

I believe that we are all gifted at birth with the power of choice, be it rational or irrational. That being said, I believe it is a small and short minded statement that our kids spending the first 1/5 of their life studying a rational perspective of the universe is unfortunate, or wasteful.
They will have the better part of their lives to explore. Allowing them to intelligently make decisions about their life.

The real atrocity is: Since the great wars of the 20th century, we have been bred to believe that we should only have to spend the first 1/5 of our lives learning,developing, and growing. Childhood-> school -> career -> family -> die. Which has little to do with our education system, but has more to do with the ignorance of our people as a whole.

I am taking a psychology class right now and just got finished with a project on right vs left brain. I am heavily right brained per the test we did, but I already knew that. My son who tested with high IQ is right brained and has struggled through out school, even now as he tries to get a degree in English Education. My daughter and nephew are all right brained as well and all with high IQs.
Public schools do not excel at working with right brained kids but some of us are in rural areas and don’t have an option to transfer to a private school. How can people work with schools to allow all kids to bloom? It is very frustrating to watch kids who are very smart struggle because no one wants to work with them.

the right brain represents the feminine attribute of the mind - creativity, imagination and intuitive while the left is the masculine and logical and intellectual aspect which analyzes everything - we are brainwashed by media and the controllers of the world to be dominately left brained to disconnect us from our essence - to be spiritual and creative being - not logical robots that can only spew out mathematical and numerical equations - get more in touch with your feminine right brain side - it will help you in the times to come.

I am right brain dominant and went to school in the 70’s-90’s. As I look back a special teacher/mentor is what had an impact on understanding my creativity and balancing my ways. I got into photography at age 13 which to me was a (right) creative outlet, but I also had to learn the (left) technical side of photography to be creative. This is just one example of R/L brains working together to accomplish goals, and also how easily the reverse may complicate tasks. Good educators and mentors who take the time to understand each child and/or person and how their brain hemispheres work are the key.

reply to john squaires:
I am also a right-brained child and I dont need to go to a special school, maybe there is no need, that may be why its ot helping

I believe people, each of us individually, at some point in our development, begin to gravitate toward the left or right side of our brains as a way to grasp the reality of our existance.
Is that statement analytical, or intuitive?
Sam…don’t be too quick to allow your children to be diagnosed with an excuse not to engage both sides equally. Their development is in your hands…both hands.
Everyone else… to believe that we are qualified to objectively discern our own state of mind is ridiculous, We each can see how we interact with both our ’selves’ when we are paying attention. (which is almost never) But we have no way of knowing our subconcious (where we hide the vast majority of our indivuality)so stop saying ‘I’m right brain’ or visa versa, “he who is silent, maintains the illusion of intelligence”

I believe people, each of us individually, at some point in our development, begin to gravitate toward the left or right side of our brains as a way to grasp the reality of our existance.
Is that statement analytical, or intuitive?
Sam…don’t be too quick to allow your children to be diagnosed with an excuse not to engage both sides equally. Their development is in your hands…both hands.

I am a right brained thinker. As I was going through school, kids have called me dumb, stupid, an idiot. This is because I didn’t think in a logical state like the other kids. Now I have kids of my own, both of them right brained and they both have ADHD They try their hardest at school, but the school needs to understand that not EVERY kid is left brained. The school system needs to change.

The whole “right-brained vs. left-brained conundrum” leaves a few of us out in the cold. I personally would like to know how many people out there are both artistic and logical; both holistic and scientific. Who has done any studies regarding the select few of us who value both sides? I mean, you had to expect this, when half of the brain dominance is famous for focusing on the “whole” rather than a prt of the picture.

Margo is highly incorrect, and I am deeply saddened for this type of ignorance.

Math and science are NOT BY ANY MEANS left-brained activities. How they are taught and presented in school though is really the saddest part, and I think its due to a uniformed ignorance people have.

Later on in life, graduate college, and into the workfield, people choose jobs in the pure mathematical or pure scientific fields. Why? Not simply because they like adding numbers or memorizing random facts…that’s not even what math and science are about!

MATH, SCIENCE. These are both such hated words…and its nearly and entirely the school’s fault, which is again, the result of ignorance.

Do people even know what math and science is? Math, especially. Math ISNT adding numbers, finding derivatives, doing some random calculations…its NONE of that at all! Pure math and science is the EXPLORATION of what is unknown!

Compare it to art, what is the ideal purpose of art? It’s entertainment stated frankly. But is that why the artists paint? No. They want to express themselves, their life, and they want others to follow in the their steps right?

Same with mathematicians. The BEST mathematicians are not those left-brained at all. In fact, I would argue that the best are right-brained!

In science, there are some sciences, particularly explorative science and just some intuitive science, that seriously won’t have any effect on humans and our lives…unless the Golden Rule is found, but that’s really God’s law. But that’s just the best part! Scientists don’t know if we’re ever going to find out what that law is! They’re just a bunch of curious minds, who quite frankly, rely on their intuition and see patterns to try and continue the progress!

Basically everything I’ve said about math applies to science, and vice-versa.

MOST OF ALL. Science and Math both deal so heavily with imagination…CREATIVE THINKING, and it just wants to make me shout thinking about the stereotypes given to math and science.

Final point: Wanna know why so many mathematicians and scientists become philosophers? Take a guess for yourself.

This was organized really poorly, please forgive that and try and understand its full meaning.

I was an art major in college and loved a lot of the activities and projects that I was able to participate in. Make sure that the teachers are as right brained as the school claims to teach. Subjection creates a pass/fail environment when it comes to grading and often times instructors try to lean back on their left brains to grade projects. One bad instructor can really harm the growth of a right brain thinker.

I live in NY. Are there any high school curricula that I might suggest to my right-brained daughter’s teachers? Because she has such a hard time dealing with the left brained world, my wife and I agreed to place her in a special BOCES program that is intended to provide emotional support BUT the curricula is virtually unchanged!! She is still struggling. Condemned to try to learn in a left brained learning style. Its torture. No child left behind! What a joke. How do I best help her?

To anyone who’s raising children; try and let your child explore the artistic areas. And if there’s an Arts High/Middle school in your area, be sure to try and enroll your children in it, or even take an interest in an older school yourself.this is the strongest proof for keeping the arts alive in our school systems - maybe even making them stronger.

this is the strongest proof for keeping the arts alive in our school systems - maybe even making them stronger.

Currently, I go to an arts school and I couldnt be happier. in an environment such as the one i’m in, we devote 7+ hours In School to our arts, and our teachers love to associate our projects and assignments with that of our arts major.
To anyone who’s raising children; try and let your child explore the artistic areas. And if there’s an Arts High/Middle school in your area, be sure to try and enroll your children in it, or even take an interest in an older school yourself.

Much love,
maggie

I am a bi-polar, or more appropriately stated: I am an individual who suffers from the mental illness of Bi-Polarism. I find that during my episodes I am very much right brained, but when stable I am left brained. It also seems that my bio-chemistry switchs automatically between these two options.

Both of my kids had been diagnosed with ADD, but after taking them out of their public highschool and moving to small private schools with less than 8 kids per classroom and a teaching style very inducive to right-brained learners, they have excelled. I can’t tell you the frustration we’ve gone through and the havoc that public school with left-brained teaching focus has left on their self-esteems. I have been preaching to anyone who would listen to me that every child should take a 2 minute brain test upon registration and be paired with a teacher who used the same side of their brain so they were fed information the way their brains needed to hear it in order to absorb and maintain that info.

Thanks so much for this. I have a really awesome, open and listening principal that i am working with to improve teaching methods at my high school. This gives me some more ideas and further backs up and explains some of the ones we already have. Thanks!

Thanks for the quick non-uber-medical definition! Got me the answer I needed!

It certainly sheds a lot of light on the ways people learn.Teachers should let this knowledge guide them in their classroom instruction and also in using a variety of assessment that would cater to the different ways by which students acquire and process knowledge

I think this was very informative. If teachers would incorporate right-brained talents and skills in the classrooms I think education as a whole would be impacted more positively. And education would contribute to the production of more well individuals.

Yea, I agree with most of whats been said. I’m an extreme right brained design enthusiast and have had my share of perspective and difficulties regarding this argument. Though I think there’s far more that could be done to improve the developing environment of right brained people. For instance a redesign of the education system and its curriculum… sort of like the IB versus traditional AP, except geared towards a whole brained approach of children’s learning and their life development skills.

Right know I’ve been going through my IB Diploma and its been unnecessarily tough due to stupid right brained aspects of the way I am and the way I do things. As a result of my struggle however, me and a best friend of mine(a complete left brainier) have started going through the syllabus’ of our courses (HL Design & Tech, HL Information Tech, HL Econ & Maths), to in turn basically create a concise set online slide presentations that go through the whole course’s content in bullet point form within guiding images and features such. It it hopefully come’s through successfully, it’ll up as its own organization called Condensed IB. Once we reach that point it would be great to gain some publicity so it one of the reasons I’ve brought it up.

Brief and complete overview of brain working

I am a right brain thinker and applier. My strengths always lied within the world of hands on experiences, symbols, colors (which I still use today as an adult, to highlight important information, only so I could remember important information), creativity, seminars, public presentations and the list goes on.

When I was young, I always felt very insecure, and intimidated by some of the teachers in the school system. Now, I have since gone on to be a career woman and a mother. I realized how unique we each are.The fact that some people are left/right thinkers does not divide the intelligence but enhances the qualities of each gift we all have to offer the academic world as well as the creative world. I feel the education system must acknowledge first this is an issue, than do the research, acquire the necessary tools and skills towards understanding the learning differences and techniques that can provide a healthier and a fairer playing field for all our students that walk through each door of our educational institutions.

People fail to see the big picture ;} One should not put themselves in any rejected or superior state, because of “the left brain or right brain.” Is there any reason why, one cannot use or exercise the other side of the brain to have a good balance that satisfies the individual? The opportunity awaits you.

P.S. I took the challenge with a learning disability.

Interesting, I am teaching ESL and my students seem to have difficulty in “getting it” a quality of a right brain function as by definition. When I was in school I immediately “got it” while the rest needed to analyze and establish logic for all subjects, but I was unable to substantiate my “getting the whole picture” It was very close to the real McCoy but I felt I was too impatient and left it like that, that I would improve once I learned to be patient. Well I survived!! I wish we would have had better educational systems to teach. With this information I now know how I can improve my teaching to have a WHOLE impact in the process of learning,

I am a right brained person who got left behind in my school years(50’s-70’s). I was left to myself and forgotten; allowed to fall through the cracks. Causing me great failure,frustration and discouragement. The end result has effected my whole life.

The school system needs to make some very serious changes. that NO Child BE LEFT BEHIND!

good thank you :))

many to be right

being a right-brained thinker has been embarassing at times. oh, i am not logical, therefore i am bad. glad to see this “shame” might be revealed as simply a part of life. learning styles and ways 0f being are inborn in great part. thanks. aj smith

Regardless of what John McCrone wrote about the LB-RB theory, there is still some validity to the model.

Whether some functions are physically left or right (and BTW, some people are reverse-wired), we would be wise to follow the advise to incorporate more spatial and abstract subject in academic curriculum.

In addition, to enhance cross-hemispheric activity, regular use of “Brian Gym” will improve learning, and enhance thinking and communication skills.

According to John McCrone, writing in the New Scientist magazine in July 2000,the whole notion of RB-LB dichotomies has been proven false by more recent brain scan research. The lateral functions as listed above are over simplifications of reality. Both hemispheres function together in complex ways, and — in extreme cases, where half the brain is removed to treat epilepsy, persons still reflect LB and RB characteristics. McCrone calls the dichotomy “simplistic at best and nonsense at worst.”

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS

uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe
Number skills
Written language
Reasoning
Spoken language
Right hand control
RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS

uses feeling
“big picture” oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can “get it” (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking
Insight
3-D forms
Art awareness
Music awareness
Left hand control
^^these are some functions that i found i hopr they can help someone!!:]

It was useful and very nice. Thanks!

instresting