The brain is an amazing part of the human body; in fact it is what controls the rest of the body, and it is what makes everything work. The brain is made up of the right hemisphere and the left hemisphere, and they both function differently. It is important to be a healthy person to have a good balance between both sides of the brain, but most people are dominated by one side or the other. This article will help you understand the different attributes to both sides of the brain, and it will help you realize which side of your brain you are dominated by.
Both sides of the brain process information differently. The "left hemisphere is analytical, breaking things down into separate parts in order to understand the whole" (Turgeon, 1994, p.15). This side of the brain does not examine this as a whole. "The tendency of the left brain to focus mainly on details that have emotional impact often results in a loss of objectivity and to some extent isolates it from reality" (Turgeon, 1994, p.15). This method of focusing on details allows the left brain to create strict plans and rules that can not live up to the changes that are always abundant in life. Left brain is the "action brain", and it is not concerned with "the reasons driving it toward a goal, only how to get there" (Turgeon, 1994, p.16). This is productive because it helps to formulate plans of action, but the plans may not necessarily work because the reasoning behind the goal is not there. This method of thinking requires trial and error.
The right part of the brain has an "overview of things," and it relates events to each other and studies the effects of their interaction" (Turgeon, 1994, p.16). The right hemisphere seems to take in many ideas in a more global general view; it does not stick to strict facts instead it works of several differing ideas and scenarios. "The right hemisphere is systemic, grasping the whole system at once and making sense of the parts within this overall context" (Turgeon, 1994, p.15). The right part of the brain thinks in terms of the whole plan instead of the details, and it checks it with already existing experience of events to see what the outcome may be. The left side of the brain's function is to "accumulate knowledge", and the right part of the brain's function is to "support creative thought" (Turgeon, 1994, p.17).
It is amazing how many differences there are in the two parts of the brain, but I hope this overview of the brain has helped you understand how you use your brain so that you can make better
References:
Turgeon, M. (1994). Right-brain left-brain reflexology. Rochester, VT: Inner Traditions &Bear
&Company.
