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The whole left-brain vs. right-brain debate is a popular way we attempt to define our personalities and strengths. Are you a logical left-brain type or a creative right-brain thinker?

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But there’s a flaw with that line of thinking: Your brain doesn’t really work that way.

“Oftentimes, we think of right-brain thinkers as the more creative types — more artistic or free-spirited. Left-brain thinkers are considered more rigid, logical and detail-oriented,” says health psychologist Grace Tworek, PsyD. “But that’s not really accurate when we break down the science.”

Dr. Tworek explains what each side of your brain does and how both work in tandem to make you ... you.

Left brain vs. right brain

The idea that you’re either “left-brained” or “right-brained” starts with a kernel of scientific truth.

Your cerebrum — the largest part of your brain — does have a left side and a right side. They’re called hemispheres, and each hemisphere has some distinct jobs to do.

The left side is more analytical. The right side is more creative.

But your personality isn’t an indication that one side of your brain is running the show.

“The idea that one hemisphere is substantially stronger than the other — and that that plays a major role in your personality or abilities — hasn’t proven out in research,” Dr. Tworek says.

In one study of more than 1,000 people, researchers examined thousands of regions throughout participants’ brains. They found no evidence that people consistently relied more heavily on one hemisphere than the other.

So, yes, you may be more comfortable painting a portrait than solving an equation. Or maybe spreadsheets are your happy place and improv class sounds like your worst nightmare.

Those preferences are real. But they don’t mean half your brain is doing the heavy lifting while the other side slacks off.

Left hemisphere functions

Being “left-brained” is associated with being good with language, logic and analytical thinking.

That’s based on the fact that your left hemisphere plays an important role in abilities like:

Analyzing information
Communicating words and ideas
Planning and strategizing
Reading and writing
Remembering information
Solving problems

Your left hemisphere also controls movement and processes sensory information for the right side of your body. That means the left half of your brain helps move your right leg and grip a pen in your right hand.

Right hemisphere functions

Your right brain is often associated with more creative and intuitive abilities. It also controls movement and processes sensory information for the left side of your body.

Your right hemisphere plays an important role in things like:

Creativity
Imagination
Intuition
Processing emotions
Recognizing broader patterns and context
Understanding visual and spatial information

How the left and right brain work together

Your brain’s left and right hemispheres may have some different specialties, but they’re intricately connected.

The two hemispheres are bound by a thick bundle of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum. Think of it as a superhighway that allows your left and right hemispheres to communicate constantly.

“Even though the left and right hemispheres do different things, they have to work together to successfully perform so many of the tasks that we take for granted as part of our everyday lives,” Dr. Tworek explains.

Consider something as seemingly simple as having a conversation. You need to understand language and choose words — typical “left-brain stuff.” But you may also be interpreting facial expressions, tone of voice and emotional context. That’s based on input mostly from the right hemisphere.

That kind of left- and right-brain collaboration happens all day, every day.

Unless a traumatic brain injury or another condition has affected part of your brain, both hemispheres are continuously active and sharing information.

And that’s important to remember when thinking about your own “strengths” and “weaknesses.”

Is there a left-brain vs. right-brain test?

You can find plenty of online quizzes promising to “reveal” whether you’re left-brained or right-brained. They may be entertaining, but don’t expect them to tell you anything meaningful about how your brain actually functions.

“There’s no scientifically validated test that can tell you whether you’re a ‘left-brain thinker’ or ‘right-brain thinker,’” Dr. Tworek clarifies.

We all have different strengths. And there are tests that can assess things like memory, language, attention and problem-solving skills when there’s a medical reason to do so.

But those assessments aren’t sorting you into Team Left Brain or Team Right Brain.

More importantly, you don’t need to fit neatly into either category. Labeling yourself a “left-brain person” because you’re good at math — or a “right-brain person” because you love art — can become limiting.

“Sometimes, it’s a matter of context,” Dr. Tworek notes. “The narrative that we tell ourselves going into a situation can actually bring out these different characteristics.”

If you decide you’re simply “not creative,” for example, you may avoid opportunities to draw, play music or try other “right-brain” activities. And without practice, you won’t get the opportunity to develop those skills. The same goes for abilities like organization, problem-solving and analytical thinking.

Rather than worrying about which half of your brain is supposedly dominant, Dr. Tworek recommends challenging yourself to practice skills that don’t come as naturally.

“For example, if you’re more analytical, try enrolling in a class to learn something you haven’t done before — maybe painting or glassblowing,” she suggests. The reverse is true, too. If organization doesn’t come naturally, tools like reminders, timers and to-do lists can help you practice those skills.

Final thoughts

Your strengths may lean in certain directions. But your brain itself doesn’t.

Instead of letting a left-brain or right-brain label define what you’re capable of, give yourself permission to venture outside that box — and bring your whole brain along for the ride.