Perception and Writing

This is about the actual task of writing, and how it's an indication of how we think. In Western languages we read and write left to right, which uses the left side of the brain. Around 550 BCE Greeks developed the alphabet to do this. Remember the left brain is the rational, logical, sequential side, and that's the side we use the most in Western civilization. So we in the West have developed more behaviors guided by that side, our writing, reading, talking, all influencing how we perceive and respond. Linear single file thinking.

I was surprised by this about non-Western writing. Remembering the right brain has more of a gestalt approach, seeing things as a whole. Languages like Arabic and Hebrew are often written in consonants, so the reader has to fill in the vowels. I would have a hard time understanding 'stmp n th bg'. Are you stomping on the bug, or putting stamps in the bag? So the context is all. The languages that do this are written right to left. Your eyes move right to left, controlled by the right hemisphere.

I'll leave it up to you to ponder how this influences the clash of civilizations, cultural misunderstandings, the attainments and historical development of each. I'm thinking, how one group of people came to develop left to right writing and the other right to left. What were the influences on Western human groups that lent itself to left to right; what experiences? How come their human experience was so different from the people that started their writing left to right? Since I'm from the civilization that is left to right, I wonder if a right to left writer/reader would even bother to ask this question.

Are You Left-Brained or Right-Brained?

http://www.testcafe.com/lbrb/

Are You Left-Brained or Right-Brained? The link above is an assessment...very cool.

These are my results:

Although one side of the brain is generally dominant over the other, we should strive to utilize both halves. A balanced brain makes a balanced person - combining sequential thinking with a holistic approach, or linear thinking with intuition, enables us to fully comprehend issues and solve problems. Left-brainers can dramatically improve their problem solving abilities by learning to "follow their gut," while right-brainers can improve the execution of their creative efforts.

Realizing your dominant half is the first step in becoming balance-brained.

Your percentage score for the right brain is 51%.
Your percentage score for the left brain is 49%.

You are more right-brained than left-brained. The right side of your brain controls the left side of your body. In addition to being known as right-brained, you are also known as a creative thinker who uses feeling and intuition to gather information. You retain this information through the use of images and patterns. You are able to visualize the "whole" picture first, and then work backwards to put the pieces together to create the "whole" picture. Your thought process can appear quite illogical and meandering. The problem-solving techniques that you use involve free association, which is often very innovative and creative. The routes taken to arrive at your conclusions are completely opposite to what a left-brained person would be accustomed. You probably find it easy to express yourself using art, dance, or music. Some occupations usually held by a right-brained person are forest ranger, athlete, beautician, actor/actress, craftsman, and artist.

Your left brain/right brain percentage was calculated by combining the individual scores of each half's sub-categories. They are as follows:

Left Brain
Linear
Sequential
Symbolic
Logical
Verbal
Reality-based

Right Brain
Holistic
Random
Concrete
Intuitive
Nonverbal
Fantasy-oriented