Believe it or not, left-handers being right-brained
The good, the bad and the lefty
There are many positive myths too. Left-handers are said to be more creative since they are using their “right brain.” This persistent misbelief while appealing is disappointing to all the lefties who still think they will one day wake up with the artistic talents of Leonardo da Vinci or Shakespeare. There’s also the false belief that we utilize a “dominant brain side” that influences our decision-making and personality.
The whole truth
What is true is that there are a few proven differences in special focuses between left-handers and right-handers. Another interesting fact is that the left side of the body is controlled by the brain’s right hemisphere and the right side by the left hemisphere and that each hemisphere has specialties. Language, for example, language is generally processed more in the brain’s left hemisphere and the recognition of people’s faces more in the right one.
The concept that each hemisphere of the brain is specialized is called brain lateralization. The hemispheres don’t work alone though because the corpus callosum–a band of nerve fibers–connects them. There are also some common confusions.
One is that many sources report that almost 95 percent of right-handed people are “left hemisphere dominant.” But this isn’t the same as the previously-noted “left brain” claim.
It’s actually a reference to a previous discovery that most right-handed people are more reliant on their left hemisphere for language and speech. The opposite was mistakenly assumed about left-handers. It’s not true though as 70 percent if lefties process language more in their left hemispheres. (No one knows why yet.)
The reason why there are so many questions is that when it comes to studies of the human brain, lefties have often been avoided or ignored. That and research teams often make assumptions about asymmetries. Today we know better.
Left-handers might not be right breained but they are key to new research. In fact, studying them can do more than help us understand them. It can also aid in solving the neuropsychological mysteries of the human brain.
