University student Matthew “Matt” Kafker has a broad range of interests. A physics major, he is fascinated by such topics as computer science, math, and literature. Beyond that, Matt Kafker is also interested in psychology. To feed this interest, he has enrolled in psychology courses at school and studied such books as “The Master and His Emissary” by Iain McGilchrist.
The psychological concept that human beings are either “right-brained” or “left-brained” has existed for roughly two centuries. According to this theory, a person’s dominant personality traits are based on the side of their brain that has more control over them. While it’s true that the brain is composed of two sides, and that these sides each have different functions and focuses, the myth that a person’s personality is either right-brained or left-brained is a drastic oversimplification of how the brain actually works.
The left and right hemispheres of the brain are connected by the corpus callosum, a thick bundle of fibers that bridge communication between the two sides. In most people, the left hemisphere is predominantly in charge of language, vocabulary, and grammar. It also handles functions that are more mechanic, specific, focused, and abstract in nature. This is why the notion that left-brained people are more logical grew in popularity.
Conversely, the right hemisphere is largely responsible for emotional expression and recognition. It handles broad attention (or scanning) behaviors, along with functions that are more general, evolving, and organic in nature. Because of this, people believe that so-called right-brained individuals are more creative.
While each hemisphere has its own functions, one side does not dominate the other. Nearly all cognitive tasks involve both sides of the brain, and people who are high performers often display both intuition and high cognitive abilities.
