Because once you - and the other - is in a box, well defined, there is nothing more to do. No need to think, to make an effort. "Oh, he is left brained, no wonder.."

Simple, easy - and who cares if it's wrong?

Hi Dave

Couldn't agree more. The whole left brain v right brain thing is a very bad simplification of Sperrys work for which he won the Nobel Prize in 1981.

I also share your frustration of how people need to put things (and themselves) in neat and tidy 'boxes'. Isn't the latter something to do with personal identity though?

Presumably your willingness to remain un-catagorised and unlimited means that you will be supporting both sides equally in the rugby final on Saturday.!!!:)

Nice comments guys, but I am sorry Stuart I will be wearing green not white on Saturday. Mainly on this occasion in the belief that rugby is a game for 15 people not 12, scoring tries is considered to be desirable rather than something that only happens by accident and finally the spectators are meant to go away entertained ....

Hi Dave

Some of the reasons why the left brain/right brain myth survives, is because it's good business for many consultants and because very few clients ever demand evidence. When consultants are confronted about the pseudoscientific nature of the left brain / right brain model, their fallback position is usually that it's merely a metaphor. Their publications, however, very seldom mention this. This brings about the question of the difference between being a quack (misleading unwittingly) vs. being a charlatan (misleading knowingly).

Thanks Dave for supporting the Boks. As you know their coach is also into the left brain/right brain nonsense. I just trust that they won't be left brainless in the final!

I'm one of the naive ones, but I wasn't thinking along lines of absolutes but rather tendencies. But I would say that we're all naive or not well-read in all areas. We just take turns exposing our ignorance. After all, is there much difference between being left-brained/right-brained and most educators' fascination with learning styles and multiple intelligences?

Good points Leon and I have now taken Jake White off the list of desirables for Welsh Coach (I thought Kamp Staaldraad was bad enough). Interestingly Woodward was in to management speak as well, and while the English team were used to it it was one of the main factors behind the most abysmal Lions team in history (and I was there in Christchurch)

Charles, tendencies works but in context. Some psychometric tests acknowledge this and show characteristics and change in context rather than categories. That I think is acceptable while left/right brain is not. And you are right there is not much difference with most educators desire to put people in little boxes ....