The Left-brain-right-brain Theory of Personality

Hovering at the edges of neuroscience is the left-brain-right-brain theory of personality, the semantics of which have been debated since the 18th century and have evolved into a myth as of recent history. The structure, with its uneven landscape visibly split into a left and right hemisphere, is what inspired one of the most pervasive theories about the brain: that left-dominant people are characterized as logical, analytical and calculated, while right-dominant people are creative, intuitive and emotionally-based. Although not nearly as dichotomous as once thought, the two sides are responsible for different tasks and specific neural processes can be more lateralized to one or the other. It’s the connections between the two functionally different hemispheres that inspire reasoning behind our higher-order behavior, complex cognition and ultimately our defining purpose.

Left brain: picture this; an eleven-year-old girl, maybe sixty pounds, alone in her garage at nine o’ clock on a Tuesday night with an enormous saw in her hands, cutting wood for the 8’x25’ skateboard ramp she was building for the kids in the neighborhood. That was me. I took every measurement, organized all appropriate materials, precisely calculated the platform skeleton dimensions and steadfastly committed my time, focus and energy until it was completed. I used my logic and reasoning to sort through the numbers and solve any problem that arose throughout the process, traits that set me apart then and have continued to develop and do so since. I have always embraced challenges, secure in the knowledge that my courage, resiliency, and determination would help me reach the finish line. As professional, strong left-brain qualities have enabled me to be successful in a variety of roles where data analytics, strategic thinking, organization, and detail-oriented planning are everyday requirements.

Right brain: I wrote a song for my grandmother and surprised her by playing it on the guitar and singing it at her 80th birthday bash, which turned out to be one of my most cherished nights with her. A year later, I was back at Syracuse for the spring semester of my junior year. I sat on my floor, casually strumming the song before bed as I often did, but this time was different. I had a feeling; an unfamiliar, uncomfortable, extraordinarily strong feeling that did not pass. I woke up the next morning frozen in fear, tears streaming down my face after recalling the most vivid dream. It was dark, my grandmother and I sat by a warm fire, cuddled up together as she calmly yet powerfully explained to me that it was her time to go, while expressing her gratitude for our relationship. My eyes teared as I told her I loved her and before I knew it, we had peacefully said our goodbyes. Minutes later my phone rang. It was my brother calling.

My stomach dropped as I instinctively answered with, “tell me.” He immediately heard the tremble in my voice and was dumbfounded. “I don’t understand. How do you know?” “Tell me,” I replied. “Joyce passed this morning.” To hear it aloud broke every piece of me. It was an unimaginable, time-stopping feeling that took my mind to a hazy place that felt separate from my body. How lucky I was to be able to say goodbye to my favorite person. For as long as I can remember I have been improbably intuitive, and able to connect, understand and relate to people of many dispositions on a treasured level. Strong right-brain qualities have enabled me to have a creative outlet in music, a holistic and empathetic approach to relationships and the ability to accept, trust and believe in the sometimes-inexplicable nature of our world.

It is true that some functions occur in one or the other side of the brain, but the sides are intricately co-dependent. The two are tied together by millions of nerve fibers and the connections can differ significantly from person to person, but no matter how lateralized the brain can get, the two sides work together and complement each other to create a personalized mix of creativity and methodology. Because of my versatility and ability to call on various parts of the brain, I have a natural advantage that will propel me as I enter the life of the law. Using creativity to solve problems and intuition to guide the process will be just as important as pure deductive or computational power in the elusive legal field. Law school will give me the tools and opportunity to engage the two simultaneously while enhancing and growing my long-standing passion for the law.