The division between the Left and Right brain isn't absolute; it's not like one half of your brain is literally devoted to Analysis and the other to Creativity. It's more of a symbolic distinction based on the fact that there are analysis-oriented structures on the left side and creativity-oriented structures on the right side. So while the difference wouldn't be taken seriously in a neurobiology class, it's useful for us as we analyze the Enlightenment vs. the Romantic view. So to begin, take this Left/Right brain dominance quiz: ttp://homeworktips.about.com/library/brainquiz/bl_leftrightbrain_quiz.htm Which way do you typically use your brain? Post your results below in the comments. Add a little discussion of whether you think your results really capture the way you think and feel. Also, do you feel that your style of thought is respected and valued within our culture and school system?
62 Comments
Jon Nielsen
10/22/2013 10:30:14 am
According to the website I am:
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Mr. Biggs
10/23/2013 08:15:54 am
Interesting thoughts, Jon! I do think there is a fair amount of diversity in that 1%, but clearly there is a lot of commonality if were are 99% connected. It's more like we are all individual versions of the same thing, to me - snowflakes being a nice example. Either way, stereotypes are as absurd and indefensible as they are harmful. I like your images of being "molded into someone's mind" and "placed in a bin." Every stereotype or prejudice is an attempt to limit what people can become.
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Aliyyah Godsey
10/23/2013 05:12:28 am
After taking that test and seeing my results, I was really surprised. Usually people describe me as bossy, precise, and orderly. I would think that I am all those adjectives but the results say that I’m not. I am right brain dominant. I wouldn’t have believed that I’m right brain dominant but, the results described me exactly. It said that I ‘ plan books or movie plots and I don’t always follow through on the thoughts’. Sadly that is completely true, I do most times have a hard time writing stories because I tend to ramble and jump all over the place and just throw in new ideas. Making the story choppy and hard to follow. “you have strong instincts and you solve problems on hunches and feelings” that literally mirrors me. I can know a lot about someone by just looking at them and even more by listening to the way they talk. “ you might be a finalist on Survivor some day, since you know how to read people so well..”. Story of my life ‘you are a little on the dreamy side’. While reading the description of a right brain dominate I was really surprised how much it described me and also that it was for right brain. I thought of myself as more of a left brain person but I am a right brain dominate student!!
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Samantha Reynolds
10/23/2013 05:23:06 am
When taking the test it said that I am "Middle Dominant". I couldn't agree more with the website. While taking the test I noticed that all most every question I had difficulty answering. I had a hard time trying to choose an answer. It said as a middle brain student that sometimes I have trouble making decisions, I am open minded but also can be gullible sometimes. All of this is true, I hate making decisions most of the time. My mind will tell one thing and my instinct tells me somethings else. I am very open minded, I always try to think positive about things and always have my options open. However, the gullible side of me happens when I wear my heart on my sleeve; which happens once in awhile.
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Quinn Schembor
10/23/2013 06:49:34 am
While taking the left-right brain quiz, I found out that I was more left-brain dominant than right-brain dominant. I found the results to be very interesting. I thought that I would be more of a right-brain dominant person because i am very creative and artistic. I am a photography major and very well enjoy taking photographs and drawing. I do not however prefer to solve difficult math and science problems. Although I fell like I am more artistic and creative than intelligent, I did take a math course over the summer which means I must enjoy math, even if it is the smallest bit. I thought while i was taking the quiz that I would definitely be right-brain dominant because of my answers to the types of the questions, but I guess that was just my brain tricking me. though, it did state at the end of the quiz that i liked order in my life and that unclear assignments drive me crazy which are both true about me. The test also said that I might want to pursue a job in math and science, which I do. I want to be a veterinarian which requires many types of math and science. Overall, I would say that I agree and disagree with being left brained because I do enjoy almost everything to be organized and neat, but I am also very artistic and creative.
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Mr. Biggs
10/23/2013 08:19:15 am
Sounds like you're more of a "middle-brain dominant" person than left brained. It's interesting too because photography really does require both "sides" of the brain. You have to have an eye for immediate beauty, but also a good sense of angles and distance and frame.
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Cat
10/23/2013 06:59:26 am
When I took the brain dominance quiz, I was told I'm right brained. In a way I do believe that to be true, but in some instance while answering the questions, i wished there was a choice where I was able to choose either or neither as an answer. I know already that i was more right brained than left brain. I am an artist in the sense that i play all sorts of instruments, paint, draw, write, so on and so forth... but I think that I'm also slightly left brained. I love science, organized notes, and knowing the facts behind things. I love looking at the inner workings of things and sometimes taking them apart and rebuilding them just to really understand how they work. It was right in saying that i cannot sit through long lectures, because I tend to find that I get antsy and can't be confined to my seat for drawn out periods of times. This antsy- ness that sometimes happens also makes following a single train of thought from point A to B won't always go so well because I get sidetracked and just go off in any direction that catches my attention. I feel like these results were pretty accurate in their description of how my mind works for the most part. I have to say that choosing between a Star Wars convention and a concert was a hard decision though...
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Mr. Biggs
10/23/2013 08:20:27 am
What if you could have a concert AT a Star Wars convention??
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Cat
10/23/2013 09:45:57 am
You ask the REAL questions. But really that would be about the greatest thing in the world.
Gabby Recalde
10/23/2013 07:24:55 am
Unsurprisingly, I am a right brain dominant student. My results said that I have trouble sitting through long lectures and react better to freedom to move, think, and discuss. I know that this is true because when I am bored in a class, I'll leave my work to do at home. When I am engaged in discussion and thought in class, I'm compelled to do my work immediately. My results also said that I plan book and movie plots, but don't follow through with them. This is something that I've never given much thought to. I want to change that as soon as possible. Finally, the most life-changing part of my results was that I might be a finalist on Survivor because I can read people well and I have the survival instincts of Chuck Norris(not that he needs any)...I start training tomorrow.
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Mya Alexice
10/23/2013 07:29:10 am
I actually disagree with what I got. I got left brain dominant, and although I do adore logic and analysis and science and things of that nature, I have a deep, deep love for creativity and music and art and creation in general. Some of the questions had narrow answers and overall, I just thought it wasn't accurate.
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Mr. Biggs
10/23/2013 08:10:26 am
Maybe it's impossible to measure the qualities and abilities of human individuals with narrow questions and predefined answer choices. But wait - that would mean standardized testing is a big waste of time and money!!!!! On a more serious note, I tend to feel that our system emphasizes right-brained functions while using left-brained testing methods, which causes a major imbalance in our system. Finding ways to really integrate the two, as you talk about here, is the key to progress as both individuals and a system.
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Elijah Sullivan
10/24/2013 03:48:18 pm
I couldn't agree more to both of you. I thought the test with only 20 questions and only two far sided answers per question, isn't really a good gauge for determining something like this.
Lauren O'Brien
10/23/2013 07:58:15 am
The left-right brained dominance quiz tells me I am right brained, which is not a shocker. As a musician I am a very creative person and I have no patience for things like math and science, especially algebra. I am a very emotional person- I am notorious for crying during movies and while reading books, listening to some kinds of music, and when I get extremely happy about things. I also get "gut feelings" which can be positive or negative, but I get strange feelings in my gut and they are usually accurate, which shows I am indeed intuitive. People sometimes tell me I am "psychic" and I occasionally have dreams which end up becoming a part of my reality. The results go on to say how people who are right brain dominant are disorganized and messy, which is something I disagree with as in school I need everything to be orderly. One thing I found interesting about the results was how it says right brain dominant people are philosophical; I agree completely with this statement as I always look for deeper meaning to things and can be guilty of over thinking. My friends always come to me for anything philosophically related, or even psychological things as I like helping people and I find the human mind interesting. I also agree with the point the results make about the right brain dominant people being creative and developing plots to books or movies- I do this all the time, but I never write anything down. I can also attest to the points made in which right brain dominant people can often tell if someone is lying or fake, because I determine things like this on a daily basis. I see through peoples' acts easily, which can be positive and negative, yet in the long run it is a good thing. I feel right brain dominant people's ways of learning are respected in a school like RBR, where there are academies for the creative and there are a plethora of teachers geared toward these types of questions; however, if this question is asked to someone growing up in the 1950s, or someone who attends a non-visual and performing arts school, they may disagree because often times creative people are misunderstood for being "ditzy" or "stupid".
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Haley Watson
10/23/2013 08:19:41 am
Before I reveal my quiz results, I want to point something out about the left side versus right side illustrations. As we've discussed in class, we can't really determine which mind is better because a right-minded person most likely drew the picture, making us focus more on the right side than left because of its creativity.Just by looking at the illustration, more people would want to be right than left.However, can we really judge which side is "better" by its look?As the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover, or as we've been taught, don't judge a person by their appearance.I think you have to be somewhat creative in order to be logical and classical.What really drew you discovering advances in science and mathematics? Although most in society would disagree, it's not the end of the world if you're left minded. "Don't judge a book by its cover" most likely came from a left-minded individual, saying wouldn't it be smarter to choose the book for its content?Similarly, we shouldn't judge people by their level of romanticism or logic.Perhaps we will find the unknown balance of left and right.
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Mr. Biggs
10/23/2013 08:22:47 am
The right brain likes uncertainty and exploration, which is why it likes philosophy. I've noticed that a high degree of the students who come to Philosophy Club meetings are VPA-affiliated, which makes sense.
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Gabby Amorelli
10/23/2013 08:02:02 am
I very much mostly agree with my answer as right brain dominant. I'm generally not one of those people who always has a plan for everything but, I want some sort of order. I guess I consider myself inbetween the middle and right if that makes sense.
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Ava Merz
10/23/2013 08:19:59 am
On the quiz, I was told to be left brained dominant. I do agree with their answer they came up for me. I am interested in logic, science and analysing things. I need things to be ordered and maintained to keep me sane! I need to always be ready for things, and I like to get orders done ASAP. I need reason and laws to keep myself in order as well. My family and friends always say, "Oh, Ava, you always know what to do" or "You are going to become a leader/CEO some day." Being left-brained helps me stay in order and in form. I believe it is accepted in school/culture. We need some kind of order to sustain ourselves in our society. In school, my left-brain helps me be organized and strive to accomplish things. As for the moving knife theory, I conclude that the knife cut things for a real purpose or reason. Although I agree with my results, I also believe I am, in some ways, right-brained. I like to have "fun" and be full of energy. I am called "the party starter" from my friends. I do prefer the left-brained side, but I think that everyone needs a little of both to have a complete mind.
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Liv Winnicki
10/23/2013 08:31:06 am
I found this topic very interesting and I am very right brain but with some left brain. Which is very true to me because I think very logically and look for logic in things and for the deeper meaning beyond the surface of puzzles. I enjoyed this so much so I did the quiz on my mom and brother. My mom is both which seems to be true and this shows me that there is a balance between the two and that you don't have to be either or. No everyone thinks all right brain and no left or vise versa. I think there is a little of each in everyone and if when we think of someone else being the opposite of us, we just use that tiny bit of us that is the other side, we can be the devils advocate and not have a battle between the two sides.
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Anthony Jimenez
10/23/2013 08:52:32 am
My result was.. drum roll.. left brain dominant- which is odd. I've taken numerous tests before determining if I was either left/right brain dominant, and I've always had either left or right brain, never specially one. But I think those kinds of tests don't decide what you are. Most of the questions seemed pointless as to if you're left or right brain dominant, I wish one of the options was 'i don't care' because I didn't. If I like math and science that doesn't technically mean I can't stand arts or being innovated, because I do. I think the reason I never have a permanent answer is because I have too many interests, since I was young I've always was interested in a lot of things and wanted to figure out how to do them. Although, just to make it clear, I like being creative but also attentive to science and math. But I think being both sides isn't such an advantage because, in my opinion, being left brained doesn't necessarily need imaginative thinking. But as right brain, I think, being precise as well, doesn't allow you to be so open-minded about everything.
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Shannon Burke
10/23/2013 09:11:32 am
According to the quiz, I am right-brain dominant. I was kind of shocked by this result because I feel like I exhibit both right and left brain characteristics. Not to say that everything on the results I got was false because I get extremely antsy during lectures and presentations and it said that exact thing in the first line. I like things to be orderly and I love logic, and those are both left-brained things. I think you truly are the most balanced when you have both right and left brain qualities. You have the opportunity to tap into any resource whether it be in art or in precalc to be able to solve problems in your path. It is hard to see myself living a full life being only one sided (brain-wise). For example, if you asked Donatello to solve a geometric proof, he probably would look at you like you had two heads. Middle brained people would be able tap into the left side and use logic and reason to solve it. I am happy to live a balanced life being smack in the middle of the two sides.
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Mike H.
10/23/2013 09:27:23 am
This topic is great, especially since it makes so much sense to me. I confirmed that I was very right brained and it really reflect my acts; being messy, unpredictable, spontaneous, and don't use to much fore thought about what needs to get done. But it also said I have a little left brain where comes into play with my OCD scenes, where everything has to be equal or the same. Although, that only has a few special scenarios. But what I don't understand is why must we divide into two groups of Left-Brained and Right-Brained? If you take one right brained person and on left brained, I think they could do some serious work in a positive way.
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Mr. Biggs
10/26/2013 03:08:28 am
Right, Mike, I agree. When my very left-brained brother and I agree on something and work together we are pretty unstoppable (especially in a debate or game - we make a brutal team). Remember, the split is more of a metaphor than a physical reality. We don't HAVE to divide things. But it does seem like the division is made in our culture, so it is productive to analyze and understand where it comes from.
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Anya Carney
10/23/2013 09:40:27 am
On the quiz, my result was left-brain dominant, which I agree with--to some extent. After reading the excerpt from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, I considered myself half way in between left and right brain, but leaning more towards left. I guess because, as my results said, "You probably like some order in your life and in the classroom. "You are comfortable listening to lectures and taking most test types, but you might be uncomfortable with open-ended essay assignments that require you to imagine scenarios. You want class directions to be clear. A disorganized teacher or unclear assignments will drive you crazy! You are good at analyzing problems to find the right answer." All of this is true, but since I do think I have some right brain dominance, I really want to retake the test giving mostly right-brained answers, just to see what the results say...
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Luke Heck
10/23/2013 09:42:23 am
"Your ideal day out would be:
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Mr. Biggs
10/26/2013 03:18:52 am
This is a great analysis of why emotion can't be left out, but neither can it be allowed to completely dominate our world. We can't function with .
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Matt Reardon
10/23/2013 09:52:40 am
My quiz results said I was right-brained, but I think that I have more left-brained intuition than it accounted for. While I was reading the questions, I found myself keeping track of which answers I had already chosen. Many times it was obvious which answer was for which part of the brain. Although my answers may have been right-brain dominant, I feel as though the way I went about each question was left-brain dominant. Constantly analyzing what would result from my answer more than what my actual answer was seemed to be instinctive for me. I felt as though many of the questions gave too much of a hint to which result you would get; had they been more random and thought-provoking questions, I think I would not have looked at each question so transparently. The spinning dancer we watched in class was very similar to the types of questions to me. When you analyzed it closely, you could tell it switched rotation. On the other hand, the romantic view of the dancer appeared as just that, a spinning dancer. Despite all this, I do believe my quiz results were right -- no pun intended.
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Jose Montealegre
10/23/2013 10:07:25 am
Based on the website, the result I got was that I am left brained. I have a few opinions on this result though, because I don't necessarily think I'm completely left brained. After I finished the test, I went onto this other link explaining why I was left brained and most of the descriptions did describe me. I am a very neat person and want everything organized. I always have everything planned out because its so much easier to go through my day that way. Also, I am really good at math and I love it because there is always an answer. If there is no answer then I'll get lost and won't know what to do, which is something I should probably work on. But, I do have my creative side. I am an art major and I'm really good at drawing. I love experimenting new ideas when I draw or paint. Art I just something that really relaxes me. But when draw, I always manage to end up doing math. For example, if I am drawing something, it must be really proportionate (my neat freak side). I make measurements and in the end it comes out perfect. Maybe I'm like this because I grew up with a mom that tells be to do everything right. I believe that there are moments that everyone should be organized and other moments when you should do anything you want. It is kind of like our government. We want to have freedom, but at the same time have some type of structure. This is why I believe everyone is left and right brained, but maybe some just fall a bit more on one side than the other. It's really impossible to measure this. There should have been more choices for the answers on that brain test.
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Amy Thomas
10/23/2013 10:21:58 am
Just as I expected, I'm right brained. I knew what my result was going to be even before I took the test, but afterward, when it specifically described how my brain worked, I was a little stunned how accurate it was.
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Mr. Biggs
10/26/2013 03:34:49 am
Thanks Amy! I can't listen to lectures at all. I literally fall asleep. However, my class probably seems more difficult or unfamiliar to someone very left-brained, because of the very "openness" of the environment (interpretation, discussions and projects - all require you to be comfortable with uncertainty). But that's good too, because we all need to develop both styles of thinking, and most classes are run in a more left-brain friendly way.
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Samantha Quinn
10/23/2013 10:45:39 am
The results of the left-right brain dominance quiz proved that I was right brain dominant. I was not surprised by the results for I consider myself a very creative person. Photography is my passion which can be interpreted in numerous different ways. It is impossible for someone to come up with a right or wrong opinion of what the image shows. Honestly, the more freedom I am given, the more I will enjoy whatever I am doing. Thinking outside the box is more colorful in a sense, similar to taking pictures of a playground from different angles, rather than photographing the jungle gym at one angle. Without the ability to be creative, my life would be black and white, lacking spontaneous ideas or actions in which makes my days so interesting. If there was no way to be original, I would simply be bored. That is sometimes how I feel in writing an essay. Sometimes the topic might not appeal to me; hence it would turn out to be terrible. On the other hand, I could be writing an awesome essay with Finding Nemo examples, which is probably one of my favorite essays. Being right brain dominant allows me to see the world in many colorful ways.
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Katie Carroll
10/23/2013 10:57:46 am
My quiz results were that I am left brain dominant. I think that these results are 100% correct. When taking the test, I knew immediately what would be considered left or right brained answers. I then thought through every answer calculating if I were to be left or right brained. I knew even before taking it that my results would be left brained. Just based our discussions in class and with previous knowledge I follow directions step by step, try to analyze everything and am not good at writing without a structured assignment. I feel that i take things very literally. Even the activities I chose to participate in, rowing, knitting, running, painting my nails, and doing my makeup the same every single day, demonstrate how everything I do is structured and over all repetitive. I am also a rote learner, the way I learn things best is writing them down and memorizing them. Although it may not be the most interesting way to do things, I know it works so I stick with the same way, making me very black/white and left brained person.
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Amy Cavallo
10/23/2013 11:01:32 am
After taking the test, I got Middle Brain dominant. However, I've had quite an immense interest in how my brain works for a long time and have taken multiple assessments similar to this one. Every single brain dominance assessment test I've taken has told me that I'm "Middle-Brained" or possess and integrated hemisphere dominance. So, the results of this test were exactly what I expected. I think this type of brain functioning really fits my thought processes and how my mind works. Being so even on both hemispheres means that I have both a logical and emotional way of thinking at the same time. Often times, when I'm trying to make a decision, both the factual and the impulsive parts of my brain come up with their own solutions. At that point it becomes near impossible for me to make clear decisions because both options seem to make sense to me. Most times, it ends up almost as a chaotic mess inside my head as I try to weigh two equal options to find the better one. Additionally, I can be an emotional person (right brain) when I don't choose to supress my feelings to make things easier (left brain). Thirdly, my easiest subjects in school are usually math and science (left brain). But, I'm also an artist who loves to write, sketch, and create (right brain). The best way I've come up with to describe having a brain like this is that it's like being a living paradox. My way of thinking contradicts itself. Similarly, my interests and hobbies are rarely seen co-mingling with each other within the same person. However, I don't see the confusion this creates as a problem. I embrace my adaptability and use the combined dominance to see the world through a lense that some people never will. But, there are times where it can be a bit difficult to deal with. For example, my father is extremely left-brained and my mother is extremely right-brained so whenever they have a disagreement, I can understand where both of them are coming from and ,therefore, can't decide who's right or wrong.
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Pat Monaghan
10/23/2013 12:09:44 pm
The quiz results said I was more Right-Brained and had a chance of being a finalist on Survivor. So I got that going for me. I think it’s strange that I can answer twenty questions and automatically a computer takes it all in and spits out facts about me based on how goofy I think psychics are. I think that your brain is your brain and its never going to be one way or the other. Everyone has an equal balance of both sides of the brain. Some people may favor a part of the brain that allows them to do a certain thing but I think there still has to be that balance. If someone is deemed more right brained they might not think they can do certain things that parts in your left-brain control and vice a versa. Or they might use their Left Braininess to get out of something normally a right-brained person would do even if, if they had done that thing they could’ve learned something from it or acquired a new skill the other half of the brain could’ve never given them. If we think we only use one side of our brain then we will only use it and the other half will never get any stronger.
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Jazz Graham
10/23/2013 12:11:04 pm
The quiz told me that I'm right brain dominant, but I know for a fact that I'm not. I am actually obsessed with structure and order to the point where I need to control everything. But the obsession I have with control is kind of like my passion, it's the way I show emotion. I show that I have feelings for something by taking complete control of it and molding it to become even better. So I guess my result is somewhat correct considering the fact that I can't really pay attention to things that don't interest me, and I refuse to put effort into things I don't have a passion for. These are actually characteristics of my zodiac sign, Aries, which is a sign with more child-like tendencies; having a hard time focusing, and wanting to do everything my way. In conclusion, I think I'm more of a middle brain person because I like structure, but it's all structured around things I have a passion for.
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Brian Chamberlain
10/23/2013 12:42:50 pm
When I first starting taking the quiz, I really had no idea what to expect. I thought I would end up pretty much in the middle. So I was a little shocked when the quiz told me I was a right brain dominant student. Some of my characteristics could be considered right brain according to quiz results such as, "Being a little on the dreamy side". Being on the dreamy side can help you in school in certain areas. For example, it can make you a more creative writer. Also being right brain dominant means I have some characteristics that maybe are not so great such as not always following through on things.. This is a charactistic that I have that doesn’t help me both in and outside of school. I have noticed that I often do this- I say I’m going to do my homework when I get home from school, but most of the time I end up waiting until the last minute and rushing through it. I guess being right brain dominant can be good and bad. I wonder though what it would feel like to be left brain dominant and how different I would be?
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Ricky Wild
10/23/2013 01:10:57 pm
This being my second time typing this, hopeful I don't refresh the page and lose all my work. Or I'll just type it on microsoft word first. Sorry for spelling and grammatical errors in advance.
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Mikey Brewer
10/23/2013 01:53:46 pm
The way Mr. Biggs described left brain versus right brain in class I felt that I was a complete split between the two, but the spinning woman on the screen told me I was a right brain so I thought I was a right brain. Then when I took the brain quiz, I was deemed a left brain. My dad is the farthest thing from right brain, but my mom is the complete opposite of a left brain. The way I was brought up made me more of a left hand brain; I spent much more time with my dad in sports and activities. But, I think that my brain is naturally a sliver more of a right brain. When the website was telling me the characteristics of left brain students, some of the stuff was extremely relatable, but some of them sounded stupid, like “you read sitting up,” I just thought “What, am I supposed to read upside-down in some sort of fetal position?”
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Hannah Wallis
10/23/2013 07:38:53 pm
After taking the quiz, I found out that I am right-brained dominant. This came as no surprise to me. The quiz says that right brained people are very dreamy and often get lost in their thoughts which couldn't pertain more to me. I find myself most if the time day dreaming and golfing off, but instead of getting so lost in my thoughts, I'm able to draw myself back to reality. Although I strongly belive I am right-brained, I don't think the test is displaying totally accurate responses. Yes I goof off and tend to go deep into my thoughts and emotions, however like a left brain person, I'm able to analyze those thoughts and feelings. What I'm trying to say is, this quiz is making it seem like we're either right, left, or directly down the middle (kind of sounds like politics) when really someone could be more so right-brained, but still have that hint of logical left-Brain thinking. And vice versa. I don't think a computerized quiz can tell a person truly if they're right or left brained, because maybe the test was made up by "left brained people" or "right brained people". Already there is an unknown bias. See, right now I feel like I'm thinking more left brained because I'm analyzing a situation, but the results just told me I'm more right brained. I believe everyone has both, and depending on what situation or time you express this thinking you could either be deemed and one or the other. I also found it interesting how the right brained person test results matched up with what my zodiac sign characteristics. I'm an Aquarius, and we're said to be quick with our emotions, very dramatic, goofy and can't keep still, and we don't dwell on the past, we're always moving forward. I just really thought that was a cool connection because I'm really into zodiac and astrology. In short, I think this quiz response got me using both sides of my brain, and now I'm tired.
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Jose Ramirez
10/23/2013 08:42:45 pm
According to the test results I'm "middle brain dominant" which wouldnt surprise me because in my sense I felt as if I was a little more on both sides than specifically more on one. I believe that my results really capture the way i think and feel because both art and science capture my attention, almost perfectly balanced out. I have a very strong interest and science and mathamatics but i also have an interest on very creative things such as music, art, culture, and the beauty behind certain things. Although in my opinion i feel like being middle brain dominant people are more respected valued than more right brained dominant people but less than full left brained people in our culture. This is mostly because we have a bit on both side on each brain that allow us to work as a left brained person as well as a right brained person. I like to think of it as a grading system almost as if left brained people are like an A or A+ and middle brained people are like a B or B- and left brained people are considered like a C or a D in repected and valued wise. Although i strongly feel like no side is exactly supieror than the other. It's just that our society considers one side more valuable and "gifted" than the other.
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Sean Provost
10/24/2013 01:17:12 am
After completing the quiz i was told that i am a left-brained dominant student. i believe the results because i feel like i always have to have a fact to make me believe somthing i hear or see. I do imagine a lot of things and i like to think philosophically, but i always think of it being possible with the technology and knowledge that we have or can aquire. I am sure most students are left-brained because it is the way we are taught to be every day in class.
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Ann Palma
10/24/2013 06:53:35 am
After taking the left -right brain test, I was not surprised the least bit by my results of being "Middle Dominant." I've always been that type of person who is extremely, over-the-top orderly and OCD to the point where it gets on your nerves. I'm "that kid" who keeps her room picture-perfect and clean all the time. During the school year, you can go into my backpack anytime, anywhere and my folders and binders will always be in the order of my classes (and color-coded), starting with Block 1A. My entire life runs around order and organization. Yet at the same time, I love anything that has to do with creativity and thinking outside the box. As a creative writing major, all I ever do is write or think about what I am going to write. I love writing because there is absolutely no limits and endless possibilities; I can use letters to turn fantasy into reality, yet at the same time make others look at life from a prospective they've never thought of before. My family says I think too much; they say that if you could see my mind it would be going in a million different directions at once. I believe this is because I'm always imagining and dreaming what else life offers outside of my world for me to discover. I love to get lost in new places and just explore. Also, I get bored and distracted so easily, especially in school. In the end, I don't really think I fit on one side or the other at all; it's almost like I have extreme cases of both, so that deciding between whether I'm more left brained or right brained is nearly impossible.
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Samantha Havens
10/24/2013 09:39:53 am
After taking the right brain-left brain test my result was, "dominant right brain". I agree with this partially. However, I think that a small online test cannot fully determine which side is your dominant one. Everyone has a little bit of left and right in them making themselves more complex, yet we characterize ourselves as one or the other. In addition, I feel as if our society and school systems in specific push towards the left brain. Red Bank Regional is an arts school, yet in academic classes they usually do not let us use creativity. Some people prefer to be creative and others prefer strict directions, there is no right or wrong. I believe I am right in the middle. I have qualities of right brain and left. For instance, I like to plan things out and follow a schedule, but I also would rather take a philosophy or art class then sit and learn math, science, or listen to lectures. Just like me everyone portrays qualities of the left and right brain. Therefore, we should not classify ourselves as one or the other.
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Will Cronin
10/24/2013 09:59:46 am
After taking the test, I was categorized as a left-brain dominate student. I honestly agree with that because I find myself very methodical most of the time. Sometimes I am so logical that it scares me. I am very intrigued by learning and especially sciences and math. However, I do tap into my right-brain a lot so I consider myself creative but at the same time, orderly and structured. Unlike my description that the quiz gave me, I like mushy love movies and I openly express my emotions a lot. I do utilize both sides of my brain so I do believe their can be middle ground where people are both left-brain and right-brain students. I don't think that one side can completely envelope your life because I think that you use both sides equally whether you notice it or not. Also, there are many outside influences that can change your way of thinking.
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Brandon Alvaro
10/24/2013 10:31:58 am
This website tell me I am:
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Mike Rice
10/24/2013 10:40:35 am
After taking the quiz in class, I recorded a score of 19 to 1 left brain to right brain and to be honest I was not surprised the slimmest bit. I love thinking about history, math, and more organized traditional subjects. Learning with organized outlines and PowerPoint notes really is the best way for me and helps me the best. It actually hurts my brain to think psychology and I'm really not good at it. The way my brain works is that thinking analytically and using reason comes a lot easier to me than using emotion and feelings to base my decisions. I would so much rather write a research paper on a war and have a specific direction to go than look at a book through all these different lenses. Although I believe being left brain dominant is a good thing I believe it has its consequences as well. For instance, I commonly over think things to the point where I question my own knowledge at times. However most my family is left brained so genetics must have a role in what brain you are dominated by.
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Katelyn Johnson
10/24/2013 10:53:37 am
After taking the test, my result was a right-brain dominate person. This is not a shock to me, being I am an actor. I'm always taking the role of other people, thinking outside the box, and using improvisation to create a completely new person with given circumstances that relate to the situation they are in. Often, I find myself daydreaming or dozing off in class. I would much rather be in a class like drama or english where I can think freely over history, math, or science where I have to remember facts and formulas. I also often think too deeply about topics and cannot have a clear answer to a question within the first five minutes, which is why I'm so terrible in discussions. I cannot easily pick up on philosophical things than I can psychological. Additionally, if there is something I am passionate about, I go out and get it and I back up any opinion I have.
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Hannah Christensen
10/24/2013 10:55:38 am
According to the quiz we took in class, I am mostly right brain dominant; however, it was close and I did have a significant amount of answers that related to the left brain as well. I consider myself to be a laid back person, but I also tend to be very prepared and "take care" of others very well. In addition, I am very good at math and science, but i don't enjoy them as much as I do, say English. Those Enlightenment-like subjects come easier to me than more creative classes, yet those classes that aren't as "left-brained" tend to be my favorite, which is why I don't mind working harder in them. Like many other people, I strive to be more creative and it isn't as naturally apparent as in other people. The main reason I lean towards to being more right brain dominant, I believe, is because I am laid back, but like other people stated before, an online quiz cannot fully determine our personality or dominant sided brain. Analyzing myself, I would assume that I am middle brain dominant.
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Bridget Kelly
10/24/2013 10:58:52 am
When first seeing the entire "left brain vs right brain" idea, I originally assumed that I would be more right brained. Looking at the drawings of the flowers, bright colors, and music, I was immediately drawn to that side. Therefore, when I found out from that test that I was more "left brained," I thought it had to be a mistake. At first, I could not fathom how I was like the dull, boring working people and geometric shapes. However, the more and more that I think about myself and how my brain thinks, I definitely see myself as more of a left brained person. Although I am not completely into math and business like the picture displays, I do find myself to be more organized and liking everything planned out. Also, in I would not consider myself all that much of a "creative" person, because my art projects always turn out horrible. Other aspects of my life are much more left sided too, such as my running. To many, running seems incredibly boring and repetitive, but for myself, running miles and miles on repeat gives me the best feeling. Also, I like the things in my life to be as perfect as possible. For example, I always plan out my outfits the night before, because I want to make sure everything looks just right, or at least I try to.
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Jack Anderson
10/24/2013 11:00:54 am
When I took the quiz, I ended up with 12 questions answered indicating the left brain, and 8 indicating the right side of the brain. To be honest, I was expecting maybe even a little more lopsided result. I've always known myself to think more logically and mathematically and I've always had trouble expressing my creativity; especially through artistic or musical ways. As a kid growing up I was always set in school in terms of my grades and lessons. I could always analyze the problems that teachers put in front of me, but I feel like it was easier for me because, looking back, I think that early education is extremely in favor of the left- brained thinker. Sure there's finger painting, arts and crafts, and lessons on the recorder, but even from an early age there was much less stress put on those type of activities. The focus always remained on the core subjects. However, although I succeeded I always envied the kids who could sing or play a musical instrument or draw because I knew those skills couldn't be learned, You can get piano lessons, but even if you practice until your fingers bleed, chances are someone who's naturally good at playing will still be better. It's very much a give-and-take situation and I also think it's very much a matter of "the grass is always greener on the other side".
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Katie Peter
10/24/2013 11:07:44 am
According to this test, I was a left-brain student, it assumed that I think of things very analytically...this is a very correct statement. If there is one way I could describe my thought process it would be precise. But what really bothered me about this blog post was that everyone explained which side they were placed on, and whether or not they agreed to that statement. And then almost all of them desired the characteristic they were no given, I think that this shows first of all that most people either just want to be that characteristic, or the whole test is just bogus. In every student's mind when taking this test they had images of what a left brain person was like and what a right brain person was. In fact, some of the things that right brained people said about left brained people was in a way offensive, that we are boring and colorless and uninteresting. I think the best way of proving this hypothesis about me and my fellow left-brainers, wrong is a description of my bedroom, it is organized everything is placed with precision, yet the walls of my room are neon orange. This analogy is relevant because just because my "boring" organized process of placement seems so "dull" to the right brain, it is the way that I live my life happily with my happy-colored room. So just because I think out the world in numbers and organization doesn't mean that mine and my fellow left brainers are dull and boring, it is just the way that we function. And as for right- brainers, it doesn't necessarily mean that just because you are classified as creative, doesn't mean that you are just a ball of sunshine all of the time and I'm not saying that you aren't, but that is the bogus part is that just because your brain functions a certain way doesn't mean it necessarily gives you certain characteristics. This was what went unrecognized throughout the entire blog post, was that everyone associated certain attributes to certain people depending what they were classified as.
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Elijah Sullivan
10/24/2013 03:43:27 pm
I appreciate this post because though I identify more on the right side, there are pros and cons to both sides, and I don't think left brain people are given the credit they deserve. I think our society has a way of viewing that right brain people are all just wonderful creative colorful imaginative artistic people, and that left brain people are all just dull and boring and too analytical, but in reality, there are right brain people who don't become famous or who don't know how to apply their kind of thinking and slack off. And there are left brain people who can be imaginative and have amazing ideas on how things work, and because they think logically they can create very efficient things. I think that Left brain and Right brain people both can think in very amazing ways, they just think differently.
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Adel Soliman
10/24/2013 11:21:12 am
According to the test, I am right brain dominate yet I feel this can not always be accurate. I was always the most creative kid back in kindergarten building crazy things everywhere and being the only non-Christian kid in the class building the class Christmas tree by himself, yet at the same time, after school i would go home and jump on the computer and play crazy mind strategy games and zone into a complete left brain mode. If the left brain is more focused on algorithms and order, Then I would be considered to go extreme left at moments such as playing minecraft making sure everything is perfectly symmetrical and built in an orderly fashion. Because of all the formulas and just all the patterns with numbers, math is my favorite subject which would be considered more left brained yet at the same time, If i was to draw a picture, imagine something, or free write a story, there would be no order in it. My notes for some classes are just scattered everywhere yet some of them are perfectly organized. I suppose the point I'm making here is that you can easily change from one perspective to another instantly. Saying you are dominantly one sided will make people believe they are more and would therefore want to be more of that side yet can easily switch to a different side within seconds. Perhaps it's just me but that's what I think. Also, I feel like people today are being pressured more to be more right brained because of the young generations today being obnoxious. I notice people aren't too excepting to the left side and because the majority are, people close them self out to that side.
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Olivia N.
10/24/2013 12:05:39 pm
Add a little discussion of whether you think your results really capture the way you think and feel. Also, do you feel that your style of thought is respected and valued within our culture and school system?
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Mr. Biggs
10/26/2013 03:04:09 am
Wow, Olivia, this is great analysis. I think your points about how we are taught in a left-brained way, but continue to value creativity as a society/culture is very interesting and true. It would be great if we could add more creativity into the school system, though. Especially because, as we discussed in class, creativity can be most powerful when it is combined with good analytical/technical skills from the left brain.
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Eric Banal
10/24/2013 12:45:33 pm
When i took the test, I discovered that I was more right minded. I very much agree with what the test told me because I do believe I am a very creative person. I don't live very organized and everything I do is kind of messy. I've always liked the arts and anything hands-on or creative. I believe that my structure of thought is viewed positively by media. On TV, they always have actors or artists telling you to follow your dreams. But when younger kids hears this, they tend to listen to the right side of their brain and say that they want a career in something they enjoy doing as a hobby like painting or building. But in a school system, being right brained is kind of put down more and they want you to be more organized and live life with order. And being that painter that you wanted to be as an 8 year old kid is looked at as more of a hobby and not as a legitimate career. The school system wants something more orderly out of you like a lawyer or doctor. There is somewhat of a delicate balance between left brains and right brains in society.
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Zack Sabat
10/24/2013 01:22:11 pm
The quiz told me I was more right brained than left brained; however, I think that I'm actually more of a balance between the two sides. I think I am logical because I am pretty good at science and math which promotes the left side of my brain, but I also think I am creative because I enjoy acting and I use that to promote the right / artistic side of my brain. I think my style of thinking is respected in today's society because having a strong balance between the two sides of the brain is ideal. This idea would be ideal for most people because you can understand conversations about chemistry and math, while also being able to find the artistic and creative aspects in literature or visual art.
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Elijah Sullivan
10/24/2013 03:12:16 pm
When I took the test in class I was definitely right brain dominant with around 75% of my answers being right brained and a few missing from not being able to decide. I was shocked at these results because though I've been told I was probably right brained and I do have a bit of a bias for right brain thinking, I used to think I was more left brained. I took the test again just before writing this, but with answering all of the questions after struggling for a few minutes. I would have to say if I wrote the answers out this time again and counted, it was probably a little more balanced, but I still got right brain dominant. Perhaps I am considering I've been listening to Chopin all night while doing homework (thanks Mr. Biggs, I'm hooked now). I tend to look at everything in a gray way and what I mean by that is that I almost never see things as one way or another, or black and white, I generally see things from multiple aspects. I always look at situations with reason and fact, but then also emotion and feeling. My thoughts are always bursting at the seams and constantly racing and I am creative, but on the other hand, I understand logic. I find math and science incredibly boring but they are generally my stronger subjects, and I like organization. As of recently, but even before we started talking about right and left brain, I have been catching myself jumping from thought to thought very quickly and without fully analyzing them which I have been trying to work on. I think this shows that I'm probably more right brained. I do however think that I have started realizing my thoughts because of meditating more often, so I will probably start meditating a bit more in hopes of strengthening my mind to be a bit more in the middle than I am now.
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Elijah Sullivan
10/24/2013 03:32:28 pm
I ended up talking all about myself and not the rest of the questions. I think the test probably did capture most of how I think, even though I believe I think a little more middle brained then the test said, I definitely lean to the right. I feel that our culture generally more in the media field respects and values right brain thinking, because it is more aesthetically appealing. When you think of right brain you think creativity, art, music, fame, luxury, wildness, colorfulness, and nature which I feel that our society glorifies these things, not that any of them are bad things, but I think most people are attracted to these kind of things. When you think left brain its almost industrialized and repetitive, involves numbers and math and science, very organized and all about technology. I personally feel that it's almost one track minded even though that isn't the case necessarily. Most people probably think of it as dull and boring, and therefore it is less valued in our culture. In the school system, I think they value left brain thinking more because I feel like school focuses on, you need to get good test grades, and do homework every night, and do well on standardized tests so that you can get into a good college to do a boring job that pays well so you can live luxuriously. I think the school system believes that tests and scores and just spitting out remembered information that you will forget in a week is the way to a good career. RBR definitely doesn't specifically fit into that because we do appreciate the arts, and some of our teachers try to take a more fluid approach at teaching instead of handing out worksheets, but over all, schools in general are very curriculum based.
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Grace Giffen
10/24/2013 09:22:15 pm
From my perspective, each side of the brain has equal ability to do many different things. For example, I think that Leonardo De Vinci was more left brained than right brained. He studied human anatomy and discovered different ways to paint anatomically correct portraits and paintings. His art is still art, just with a different approach than a right brained person would have done.
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Mr. Biggs
10/26/2013 03:06:04 am
He is definitely very left-brained for an artist, which makes sense because he was also an inventor. Invention is the ultimate combination of right and left brain - a creative vision combined with the technical skill to make it a physical reality. In fact, you might even say inventors "overcome" the whole split between creativity and analysis.
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Sophia Mazzini
10/27/2013 06:22:39 am
My computer just started working again, sorry for the delay but here is the blog post!!!:
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