{"id":18832,"date":"2023-08-25T11:16:34","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T03:16:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/?p=18832"},"modified":"2025-04-02T20:52:14","modified_gmt":"2025-04-02T12:52:14","slug":"left-vs-right-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mindvalley.com\/blog\/left-vs-right-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"Left Brain vs. Right Brain\u20147 Science-Backed Differences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From the way you feel to the way you think and act, your brain is a complex system that controls so much of who you are and what you do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And we all use both sides of our brains 24\/7. Or do we?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If that\u2019s the case, how did the left brain vs. right brain<\/strong> argument come to be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you really use one side of your brain more than the other? And what are the different characteristics of the two hemispheres?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding how your brain works can actually help you \u201crewire\u201d it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Jim Kwik<\/strong>, a renowned brain performance coach and trainer of Mindvalley\u2019s Superbrain<\/em> Quest, says, \u201cWe need to understand how our minds work so we can work our minds better.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the Main Part of the Brain?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To simply say that our brains are complicated would be an understatement. And they absolutely need to be. It\u2019s hard work to keep someone alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three main brain regions<\/a> include the cerebellum, the brainstem, and the cerebrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cerebrum is the biggest part of your brain, taking up more than 85% of its weight. And it\u2019s responsible for regulating your emotions, reasoning, and learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In simple words, it\u2019s what makes you, you<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also divided into two cerebral hemispheres<\/a>\u2014the left and the right. (Fun fact: it\u2019s the area of the brain we\u2019re referring to when we say someone is right- or left-brained.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your left hemisphere controls the right side of your body, and vice versa. Hence the whole left-minded vs. right-minded debate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are the Differences Between the Left and Right Brain?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Think of the left hemisphere<\/strong> as your go-to strategy game partner, always ready with a solid game plan. It is the center of your brain\u2019s logical and \u201cbookish\u201d functions, helping you break down complex problems and find those \u201caha\u201d moments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other side, the right hemisphere<\/strong> is the more free-spirited side of your brain. It\u2019s responsible for processing emotions and dealing with intuition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the left and right hemispheres of your brain don\u2019t act independently, they are essentially polar opposites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are the Characteristics of the Right Brain and Left Brain?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The left brain vs. right brain theory is heavily based on the fact that your two hemispheres function differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This first came to light in the 1960s. And that\u2019s thanks to the research<\/a> of psychobiologist and Nobel Prize winner Roger Wolcott Sperry<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though much is still being learned about how the brain functions, here is what we do know about the difference between the left and right brains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Left brain characteristics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Left-brain dominant people, by contrast, prefer cold, hard facts and real data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They approach every potential risk with the necessary caution, and when facing problems, they try to find the most efficient solution based on logic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some key left brain characteristics<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n