Have you ever asked yourself why do some people tend to be more logical and analytical, whereas others usually adopt a more creative and intuitive approach to life? There might be an explanation for that! In popular psychology, there is this widespread notion that people are either left-brained or right-brained, indicating that one side of their brain is more dominant than the other. According to the theory, the left side of the brain controls logic, while the right side is responsible for creativity. However, this might actually be just a myth, as it is unsupported by scientific evidence.
How did it all start? In the mid 1800s, two neurologists, Broca and Wernicke, examined patients who had problems communicating due to injuries. The researchers found damage to the patients’ left temporal lobes, so they suggested that language is controlled by the left side of the brain. This idea captured people’s attention. Later, author Robert Louis Stevenson introduced the concept of a logical left hemisphere, competing with an emotional right hemisphere. On the contrary, when doctors and scientists examined patients who were missing a hemisphere of the brain, the patients showed a complete range of behaviors, both logical and creative.
Interestingly enough, it seems that the Left Brain vs. Right Brain theory has existed for more than 200 years and is now a widely debated topic among neuroscientists and cognitive psychologists. In the era of Buzzfeed personality quizzes, this idea became even more prevalent, exploring the two hemispheres more in depth. As claimed by supporters of the theory, people who are left-brained tend to be organized, systematic, and detail-oriented. They typically follow a step-by-step approach to tasks and prefer structure and rules. For instance, left-brained students may find it easier to understand complex formulas, analyze data, and develop logical arguments for essays. On the other hand, those with a dominant right brain hemisphere are considered creative thinkers. These individuals often have a strong sense of intuition and are more inclined towards artistic pursuits. Nevertheless, there isn’t any evidence to suggest that individuals have dominant sides of the brain, or to support the idea of a left-right split between logic and creativity.
Although we all obviously have different personalities and talents, there’s no reason to believe these differences can be explained by the dominance of one half of the brain over the other half. People use both parts of their brains equally, and logic and creativity are not mutually exclusive. For instance, drawing, composing, and painting may seem like a right‐hemisphere activity, yet artists show bilateral activity. In the planning of artwork, they follow their own logic and rules about shapes, colors, and sounds. This is known as ‘The Paradox of Right-Brain Logic’.
But if there’s no evidence for the myth of right-brain and left-brain, why do so many people believe it? It may have something to do with our unlimited appetite for schemes that allow us to sort ourselves into “types” based on our emotional and intellectual characteristics. It seems like human nature to constantly label people according to various criteria.
In conclusion, the brain is actually a highly interconnected organ, and the functions of each hemisphere are not as distinct as the Left-Brain and Right-Brain theory would suggest. Solving complex math problems requires inspired creativity and many vibrant works of art have intricate logical frameworks. So why do we keep spreading the myth of Right or Left Brain dominance, when we could just accept that we are actually ‘whole-brained’ ?
Bibliography
Are There Really Right-Brained and Left-Brained People?- https://www.britannica.com/story/are-there-really-right-brained-and-left-brained-people
Left Brain Vs Right Brain: How Do They Compare?- https://hellodoctor.com.ph/brain-ns/left-brain-vs-right-brain-how-do-they-compare/
Left Brain Vs Right Brain- https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/left-brain-vs-right-brain/
Left-Brain vs. Right-Brain- https://success.uark.edu/get-help/student-resources/brain.php
The left brain vs. right brain myth- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMSbDwpIyF4
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