Left Brain/Right Brain Harmony: It Can Be Done


I'm kind of offended by this shirt (God, she's so sensitive). At first I thought it was funny, which I still in a way do, but I hate the left brain/right brain stereotypes surrounding it. Back when I was at UCLA, South Campus majors (math, sciences, engineering, etc...) saw the North Campus majors (humanities) as touchy-feely, impractical, time-wasting hippies, while we saw them as nerdy virgins who holed themselves up in labs refusing to shower, breathe fresh air, or have fun of any type. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but there definitely tends to be a divide in academics. It's annoying.

People are always shocked to learn that I have both biology and English teaching credentials, or that I switched majors from biology to English after my first year in college. It is possible to be fascinated by the human body and books; my head hasn't exploded yet! Reading and writing definitely come easier, as many sleepless nights trying to figure out organic chemistry proved. But who cares? Just because something is easier doesn't mean it's better (umm
, if for some strange reason my boss is somehow reading this, I really don't want to teach biology... I love it, but I'd like to stay in the English Department, thankyouverymuch).

Somewhere during our educational careers we learn that some things aren't as hard as others; some people gravitate towards math, some language arts, others PE, and a few smoking weed in the bathroom. Then it seems as if we're placed on a track, whether by our parents, teachers or ourselves, and we go from there. I constantly hear "I've always failed English, I hate reading, I'm not good at writing." There are people who break away from these expectations, but some people end up missing out on interesting things, whether modern fiction, mitosis, or yoga because they think they fit a certain mold. Live a little, calculate a tip without your phone, read a novel, watch the history channel, lift some weights. Variety is the spice of life (see below).

1 comment:

  1. I have a degree in marketing, my husband in accounting and finance. Unfortunately, ever since I graduated college I've held positions that require me to do quite a bit of math (budgets, really) and I always say "I was a marketing major because I didn't want to do math". It's true, but it doesn't mean I'm not good at it!

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