There seems to be a lot of disagreement on how best to summarize how the hemispheres differ. Here are two summaries:
The left hemisphere deals with hard facts: abstractions, structure, discipline and rules, time sequences, mathematics, categorizing, logic and rationality and deductive reasoning, knowledge, details, definitions, planning and goals, words (written and spoken and heard), productivity and efficiency, science and technology, stability, extraversion, physical activity, and the right side of the body. … The right hemisphere specializes in … intuition, feelings and sensitivity, emotions, daydreaming and visualizing, creativity (including art and music), color, spatial awareness, first impressions, rhythm, spontaneity and impulsiveness, the physical senses, risk-taking, flexibility and variety, learning by experience, relationships, mysticism, play and sports, introversion, humor, motor skills, the left side of the body, and a holistic way of perception that recognizes patterns and similarities and then synthesizes those elements into new forms. (more)
The [left] is centered around action and is often the driving force behind risky behaviors. This hemisphere heavily relies upon emotional input leading it to make brash and uncalculated decisions. … The [right] … relies primarily on critical thinking and calculations to reach its decisions.[11] As such the conclusions reached by the [right] often result in avoidance of risk taking behaviors and overall inaction. … . In environments of scarcity, … taking risks is the foundational approach to survival. … However, in environments of abundance, as humans have observed, it is far more likely to die to damaging stimuli. … In areas of prosperity, … [right] domination is prevalent. … In areas of scarcity where cold and limited food are concerns [left] domination is prevalent. (more)
After reading a bit, I tentatively summarize the difference as: the right hemisphere tends to work bottom-up, while the left tends to work top-down.
Separate Top-Down, Bottom-Up http://www.overcomingbias.com/2018/08/separate-top-down-bottom-up.html
