Right brain languages Vs. Left brain Languages

When you look at languages, there is a whole world out there. But maybe,just maybe, it is possible to differentiate languages based on which part of our brain processes them. The left brain is traditionally the seat of language or that is what scientists would have us believe. But in languages like Chinese or Japanese, the right brain is also involved when the processing happens when the language is read.

This is because the Orient Languages are pictorial. One image implies an action or a concept or a thought. Isn't that a fascinating thought? Somehow, these languages are more sophisticated than Occidental languages because when that same Chinese character (or a part of it) is seen in a different context, it becomes possible to grasp the meaning. Like if you had the Japanese word 出る, it means "to come out" or "to leave". Now if I see this same character in 出口, it means exit or in 出発, it means "departure". In an alphabet- based language, when we read a text, the words have to be first "sounded" in our brain to make sense whereas in a pictorial language, it is possible to grasp it at first glance itself.

It's very interesting to note that these languages have been processed differently by the brain, which could have a direct impact on indigenous behaviour, cultures. I came across this article in which Masaomi Isewho talks in detail about this phenomenon.

In his book "A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age", Daniel Pink talks about how our left brain of analytical thinking has made our economies flourish, but in an age where the Internet opens up possibilities of abundant information and where technology has simplified everything, right brain thinking of creativity will add more value. At least this seems to be applicable in a Western context as enumerated by him, since most information and knowledge related work are being outsourced to Asian countries.