Learning on the Right Side of the Brain

Anna    Learning     brained, creative learning, creativity, holistic, how the right brain works, intuitive, jill bolte taylor, Learning, left brain, right brain, right hemisphere, right side of the brain, spatial, thinking, visual, visual spatial, what the right brain does

We live in a predominantly left-brained culture. Everyday things like language, numbers and the symbols we use to identify the world around us are understood by our left brain. Many jobs require us to be detail oriented. That’s left brain thinking, too.

The arts are commonly associated with right brain thinking. Certain traits, like left-handedness, are considered right brained. However, right brained thinking is more than just the arts. It’s about creativity.

A Side-By-Side Comparison

Our two brains are complete opposites, and we need both of them to understand the world the way we do. Let’s compare the two.

Left Brain:

- Logical: Draws conclusions according to rational information.
- Analytic: Figures things out step-by-step and part-by-part.
- Detail Oriented: Focuses on small bits of information.
- Symbolic: Turns information into symbols.
- Linear: Understands information in a linear one-thing-follows-another way. Is time oriented.

Right Brain:

- Intuitive: Bases itself on feelings, patterns, hunches, and visual information. Makes leaps in insight.
- Spatial: Understands relationships and how parts form a whole.
- Big Picture Oriented: Sees how things are structured into a whole. Recognizes patterns. Jumps to conclusions.
- Realistic: Sees things as they are, without symbols or short cuts. Lives in the present, without recognition of time.

What the Right Brain Does

We all use our right brain in some way or another, no matter what type of thinking we prefer (visual, kinesthetic, auditory, etc). The way we see the world relies just as much on the right brain as on the left. The right brain does a lot: read more