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Left-Brain, Right-Brain, Whole Brain Think

June 6, 2007 by Liz 26 Comments

Analysis and Synthesis

It’s no secret that our brains have two hemispheres or that the two work differently. Despite how we talk, people aren’t really right-brain thinkers or left-brain thinkers. Everyone uses both sides of their brain in everything that they do. Each hemisphere takes charge of certain specialized thinking.

What is managed by the left hemisphere of the brain?

  • action and response on the right side of the body
  • sequential and linear thinking — a, b, c, . . . 1,2,3
  • reading left to right
  • interpreting the meaning of text without context
  • analyzing details — drilling down into spreadsheets
  • knowing logic

What is managed by the right hemisphere of the brain?

  • action and response on the left side of the body
  • simultaneous thinking — That’s a math book. That’s newspaper.
  • reading right to left
  • interpreting the meaning of context
  • synthesis — the global view
  • knowing the world

People do have attributes that lean toward left-brain directed thinking or right-brain directed thinking. Here’s what Daniel Pink says about that in his book A Whole New Mind.

Call the first approach L-Directed Thinking. It is a form of thinking and an attitude to life that is characteristic of the left hemisphere of the brain — sequential, literal, functional, textual, and analytic. Ascendant in the Information Age, exemplified by computer programmers, prized by hardheaded organizations, and emphasized in schools, this approach is directed by left-brain attributes, toward left-brain results. Call the other approach R-Directed Thinking. It is a form of thinking and an attitude to life that is characteristic of the right hemisphere of the brain — simultaneous, metaphorical, aethetic, contextual, and synthetic. Underemphasized in the Information Age, exemplified by creators and caregivers, shortchanged by organizations, and neglected in schools, this approach is directed by right-brain attributes toward right-brain results.

Of course, we need both approaches in order to craft fulfilling lives and build productive, just societies. But the mere fact that I feel obliged to underscore that obvious point is perhaps further indication of how much we’ve been in the thrall of reductionist, binary thinking. Despite those who have deified the right brain beyond all scientific evidence, there remains a strong tilt toward the left. Our broader culture tends to prize L-Directed Thinking more highly than its counterpart, taking this approach more seriously and viewing the alternatve as useful, but secondary.

But this is changing . . .

What changes do you see? Are you using your right-brain talents more? Are you feeling less appreciated for your left-brain abilities?

–ME Liz” Strauss
Behind every successful business is an outstanding manager –The Perfect Virtual Manager.

Related
A Silly Left Right Brain Test
Thinking about How We Think
5 +1 Whole Brain Steps to Believable Strategic Goals OR Find Your Bliss Without Wasting Time
10 Reasons Creative Folks Make Us Crazy

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Filed Under: Strategy/Analysis, Successful Blog, Trends Tagged With: A-Whole-New-Mind, bc, Daniel-Pink, left-brain, right-brain, thinking

Comments

  1. Mike says

    June 6, 2007 at 5:06 PM

    Liz,

    Having written thousands of words on this topic, and planning to do more of the same after I finish this comment, here is my take.

    There are two types of not simple problems in the world: complicated and complex. Complicated problems are ones which can be solved deterministically, such as designing a cruise ship. They may take a LOT of brainpower, but an experienced engineer can guarantee how the process will work and about how long it will take.

    Complex problems are ones which cannot be deterministically solved. For example, load up the cruise ship with a few hundred passengers and then predict in advance exactly what everyone on the crew will need to do to keep everyone happy for a week. Doesn’t work that way.

    Solving complicated problems is a left-brain activity, and solving complex problems requires more right-brain thinking. The problem with complex problems is that because they are nondeterministic, they involve RISK. And managers don’t like RISK. So they pretend complex problems are complicated ones and measure themselves that way.

    But they’re not really solving the original problem. And as the world gets smaller, executives have realized that there is a world market across which they can arbitrage solving complicated problems by price alone.

    So if you’re you don’t want to play THAT game, you need to become expert at dealing with complex issues, and that requires a greater focus on right-brain thinking. I haven’t read Dan’s book, but I think that’s also his central premise: Get right-brained or get outsourced or automated.

    I can’t argue with that.

    Mike

    Reply
  2. Mike says

    June 6, 2007 at 5:06 PM

    Sorry,

    I didn’t mean to write a 1000 word comment.

    Mike

    Reply
  3. ME Strauss says

    June 6, 2007 at 7:21 PM

    Gosh Mike!
    Don’t apologize for being brilliant! It makes us humans feel bad. πŸ™‚

    Dan’s book is a fun and enlightening read and I’m reading it so I’ll tell what I get from it. Then you can buy it and put it on your shelf and say, “Liz read that.” πŸ™‚

    Having a whole mind isn’t anything you or I didn’t already know. But being whole is a lot harder than just reading a book, don’t we know . . . Sometimes I think that’s what we have each other for.

    Relationships and information, data and process, left and right brain, yin and yang, male and female . . . DUH!

    Expression and structure, beauty and substance, we have always yearned for both to be satisfied. Less is less. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  4. Dean says

    June 6, 2007 at 7:52 PM

    well I took the test off ‘your silly brain test’ and I’m 45% left and 55% right. I’m pretty sure that if I had took it 10 years ago I would be 75% left. I have become more arty in recent years, and have developed a love of olives; don’t know what part of the bain is responsinsible for that though!

    Reply
  5. Brad Shorr says

    June 6, 2007 at 8:39 PM

    Hi Liz, what a fascinating topic. All these comments have both my hemispheres spinning. Though woefully undervalued, left-brain thinking is crucial in business. Here’s why. In my experience, half the battle in overcoming business challenges is recognizing when to deploy left-brain thinking, when to deploy right-brain thinking, and in what proportions to combine both when circumstances dictate. This is a left-brain skill. Personality conflicts can’t be solved with a spreadsheet. On the other hand, profitability problems can’t be solved without one. Balance is key–the ability to adapt one’s thinking to what is appropriate for a given situation.

    Reply
  6. Brad Shorr says

    June 6, 2007 at 8:44 PM

    Oops–in my comment above I meant right-brain is undervalued, etc.!! Sorry–long day.

    Reply
  7. ME Strauss says

    June 6, 2007 at 9:00 PM

    Hi Dean!
    I know what you mean about taking that test before. I bet we all did a few times or so. It’s interesting tht you’re seeing more right-brain attributes coming out. Culturally, we seem to have more appreciation for things like art, spirituality, and things of the heart.

    Maybe I’m just getting old. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  8. ME Strauss says

    June 6, 2007 at 9:04 PM

    Hi Brad!
    I hear you and I agree! Learning how to crawl out of the spreadsheets and data to see the people around us is something that is important. Sadly, it’s not easy to measure so it will be hard to keep in focus. How do you explain that you held up budget and schedule for quality when no one can see the quality that you were holding out for . . . and was it really quality or just your personal opinion? Ah there’s the subtle rub.

    Reply
  9. GP says

    June 6, 2007 at 9:49 PM

    My right side’s evolving too over the last years. Predominantly left brained all these years. Unlike our equine friends, their left and ride sided ness is totally separate.

    They need to learn newly from each side. Can you imagine if that were the case with us humans??

    GP in soggy Montana

    Reply
  10. Alina Popescu says

    June 7, 2007 at 4:00 AM

    Great topic, Liz! Interestingly enough, I did wonder a bit about what side of my brain I tend to use more. I think it’s the right one mostly. But the left sure plays its part in helping me out when needing it. I guess, as Mike said, it depends on the needs or requirements of a certain situation and our brain does a great job out of adapting to specifics πŸ™‚

    BTW, I know a case were less is more πŸ˜› (it has to do with commands and Linux. Yeah, I am turning into a geek)

    Reply
  11. ME Strauss says

    June 7, 2007 at 4:52 AM

    Hi GP
    I’m becoming more comfortable showing my right-brain attributes and people seem to be valuing them more. That’s really a relief.

    Reply
  12. ME Strauss says

    June 7, 2007 at 6:26 AM

    Hi Alina!
    It’s only human to be curious with so much talk going on about right-brain this and left-brain that. πŸ™‚

    Can’t use one without the other, and only half of our body would work if one shut down. No left brain would mean no movement on our right side. A

    Ah, a newly turned geeky one. Your left brain will serve you there.

    Reply
  13. Mike says

    June 7, 2007 at 10:16 AM

    “But being whole is a lot harder than just reading a book, donÒ҂¬Ò„’t we know . . . Sometimes I think thatÒ҂¬Ò„’s what we have each other for.”

    There’s a right-brained memetic diamond if I ever saw one. And the locus of the importance of right-brained thinking!

    Nice one (as per usual), Liz!

    Reply
  14. Kirk M says

    June 8, 2007 at 1:49 PM

    I took that “Silly left-right brain test” and came out 75% “right brained”

    Hmm. 75% Right-brained and male. No wonder I’m so constantly confused.

    How about an example or two here from my rather skewed way of thinking?

    Dealing with the physical world that humans have created meaning all the things we’ve built; machines, vehicles, buildings and the “Vegamatic” for example is strictly “left-brained”. Machines can be complicated. However, dealing with each other whether it be just two individuals or groups of people, in my experience, is strictly “right-brained”. Just one person alone is terribly complex.

    And of course, the most right-brained that any human will face comes in attempting to understand and accept themselves as they are. Being happy about is a whole other matter but it can happen but thinking logically won’t help. More “right-brained” thinking?

    Kind of explains the anomaly of even though we may be masters of the things we build, we are very much the apprentice when it comes to dealing with each other.

    The mechanics of blogging are left brained…Dealing with an entire world of potential readers is “right-brained”.

    It’s an obvious thing to say but I do believe that the WWW and the art of blogging is one of the very few factors that is slowly but surely changing the way the entire human race thinks about themselves. And it takes a whole lot of “right-brained” thinking to do that.

    Or perhaps I’m thinking too much? πŸ˜‰

    Reply
  15. Kirk M says

    June 8, 2007 at 1:53 PM

    Messed up my website address in the previous comment.

    Liz, I forgot my wheelchair but I did bring some lemonade. πŸ˜›

    Reply
  16. ME Strauss says

    June 8, 2007 at 2:15 PM

    Hi Kirk,
    I agree that the aesthetics, emotion, the synthesis of the right-brain directed thinking are SO important to revery relationship between people, but dont’ forget that even with our blogs our left brain is what lets read and decode the initial meaning of the words and the language that underpins the communication we use to make the conversations that form our relationships.

    We need our whole brains.

    Are racing in our wheelchairs tomorrow then? I’ll have a glass of that lemonade instead today and we can just talk. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  17. Kirk M says

    June 8, 2007 at 2:33 PM

    Hi Liz,

    Unfortunately a good portion of my “whole brain” is still wandering around under the ocean somewhere so I have to make due with what I have left.

    Okay, lemonade today and you’re on for tomorrow. The readers can handle the odds although I think we should get a take of the bets. πŸ˜€

    Reply
  18. ME Strauss says

    June 8, 2007 at 3:21 PM

    Okay, Kirk,
    Looks to me like you have enough of your whole brain to keep up . . .

    YOu’re on for tomorrow. I’ll meet you in our wheelchairs at the top of the sledding hill so that we have a good start. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  19. sarai says

    July 15, 2007 at 10:18 PM

    hey i have taken many left/right brain quizes and the majority of the tests have came out with almost the same result. i do not have a compleet dominate side in one quiz my right brain dominance was 58 and my left was 50.and another my right brain score was 12 and my left was 11 there isn’t a big enough difference to truely say i am right brained.i do love art any kind (music included)but i also enjoy logic and math just the same.its just really confuseing trying to get my situation explained.doese being ambedexterous have any thing to do w/ it

    Reply
  20. ME Strauss says

    July 16, 2007 at 4:05 AM

    Hi Sarai,
    Most of what you mention are right-brain directed thinking, but I wouldn’t worry too much because we can’t do anything without both sides of our brain. In this conceptual age, the idea is to get both sides working for us, right brain to bring to us the “high concept, high touch” and left brain to support us with the more grounded linear knowledge skills. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  21. Curtis Threats says

    October 9, 2008 at 1:00 PM

    Hello, I am cross dominant. Dominant right eye, right legged and dominant left handed.

    I took several tests that said that I was a whole brain. So does this mean my cross dominance could be affiliated with me being whole brained? If left handed has something to do with the right brain than surely my cross dominance would have something to do with me being a whole brain.

    A response would be really appreciated.

    Reply
  22. ME Liz Strauss says

    October 9, 2008 at 1:30 PM

    Hi Curtis,
    Certainly what you say seems to make sense. I’m not a expert on brain dominance. We all use both sides of our brain. Most of us favor processing with one, usually the left in this culture. Being able to access both is a distinct advantage. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  23. Peter Woodrow says

    February 20, 2012 at 3:47 AM

    Hi all, I’ve been greatly left brained most of my life but I’m really keen to learn all there is on this subject, with the plan of developing a more whole brain train of thought. Great post, thanks for sharing.

    Reply

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