In “The Divided Brain” by Iain McGilchrist, he talks about how the left and right
hemispheres interact with the world in different ways, despite the fact that they are
both important for most cognitive functions. One key distinction is that the left
hemisphere is more involved when paying attention to detail, whereas the right
hemisphere views everything as a whole. For example, when looking at a face, the
left hemisphere pays attention to small details like the colour of the person’s eyes
while the right hemisphere will view the face as a whole. A second key distinction is
that the left hemisphere doesn’t change whereas the right hemisphere is constantly
changing and evolving. Another difference is that we use the left hemisphere when
doing things that we are familiar with while the right is used more when we are
experiencing new things. For example, when I eat my favourite food I am living more
in my left hemisphere because I already know how it will taste but when I am trying a
food that I haven’t tried before then I’m living more in my right hemisphere. Lastly,
another key difference is that the left hemisphere is used more for specific
knowledge while the right hemisphere is used more for wisdom about the world as a
whole. For example, I use my left hemisphere when I am doing a multiple choice test
and relying on my knowledge about the topics discussed in lectures in order to
choose the correct answer, but when I am making a life-changing decision and I need
to be wise about the decision I make then I am relying more on my right hemisphere.
One of the times in my life where I felt my right hemisphere was dominating my
approach to a situation was when I first experienced university life for real. I started
university during covid so I barely went to school in person and even when I did it
would be mostly empty, but when everything was back to normal during my second
year I was caught off guard by how crowded the school was and I feel that ties into
how the right hemisphere is more concerned with new experiences. Some times
when I feel my left hemisphere is more dominant is when people in my family are
speaking Arabic. Most of my family is fluent in Arabic but I never really learned it very
well, however, somehow I can still understand what they are saying a lot of the time
because of previous instances when I would learn what certain words and tones
mean. Overall I think I live almost equally in both hemispheres in my everyday life.
Some ways that help me to “break out” of the left hemisphere’s perspective include,
being physically active, listening to music, praying, going on nature walks, and
occasionally trying new things or going to new places.
In conclusion, the documentary shows how the two hemispheres have different
views of the world and everything in it but are still both equally important. They are
two halves of one brain and despite their differences, they complement one another.
hemispheres interact with the world in different ways, despite the fact that they are
both important for most cognitive functions. One key distinction is that the left
hemisphere is more involved when paying attention to detail, whereas the right
hemisphere views everything as a whole. For example, when looking at a face, the
left hemisphere pays attention to small details like the colour of the person’s eyes
while the right hemisphere will view the face as a whole. A second key distinction is
that the left hemisphere doesn’t change whereas the right hemisphere is constantly
changing and evolving. Another difference is that we use the left hemisphere when
doing things that we are familiar with while the right is used more when we are
experiencing new things. For example, when I eat my favourite food I am living more
in my left hemisphere because I already know how it will taste but when I am trying a
food that I haven’t tried before then I’m living more in my right hemisphere. Lastly,
another key difference is that the left hemisphere is used more for specific
knowledge while the right hemisphere is used more for wisdom about the world as a
whole. For example, I use my left hemisphere when I am doing a multiple choice test
and relying on my knowledge about the topics discussed in lectures in order to
choose the correct answer, but when I am making a life-changing decision and I need
to be wise about the decision I make then I am relying more on my right hemisphere.
One of the times in my life where I felt my right hemisphere was dominating my
approach to a situation was when I first experienced university life for real. I started
university during covid so I barely went to school in person and even when I did it
would be mostly empty, but when everything was back to normal during my second
year I was caught off guard by how crowded the school was and I feel that ties into
how the right hemisphere is more concerned with new experiences. Some times
when I feel my left hemisphere is more dominant is when people in my family are
speaking Arabic. Most of my family is fluent in Arabic but I never really learned it very
well, however, somehow I can still understand what they are saying a lot of the time
because of previous instances when I would learn what certain words and tones
mean. Overall I think I live almost equally in both hemispheres in my everyday life.
Some ways that help me to “break out” of the left hemisphere’s perspective include,
being physically active, listening to music, praying, going on nature walks, and
occasionally trying new things or going to new places.
In conclusion, the documentary shows how the two hemispheres have different
views of the world and everything in it but are still both equally important. They are
two halves of one brain and despite their differences, they complement one another.
