A horse walks into a bar. Or, a GIF of a walking horse goes viral on the internet. And now everybody wants to know — is this horse going forward or backward?
On July 20, 2021, Damayanti Datta took to Twitter and posted a black and white GIF of a horse walking … well, we’ll be the ones to let you decide in which direction you think it’s going.
And your answer to which way the horse is heading may reveal if you are a left-brained (logical and analytical) or right-brained (creative and artistic) thinker.
Do you see this horse going forward or backward?
“Which way is the #horse going, backward or forward,” Datta asked, after which those of us who saw the GIF and heard the question found ourselves wondering if we could figure out which direction we could see the horse going in, as well as why it would even matter.
What does it mean if you see the horse going forward vs. backward?
Datta and others sharing the GIF on various platforms like TikTok say that if you see the horse going forward, you are likely to be a left-brained thinker who is analytical, logical and methodical.
If you see the horse going backward instead, they say it means you are likely to be a right-brain thinker who is creative, intuitive and artistic.
Of course, some people replying in the comments said they can see the horse going in both directions. If you are one of the people who can see the horse going forward and backward… well, we don’t know what to tell you.
What is the left brain/right brain theory?
A single human brain is divided into two hemispheres — the left and the right. Both the left brain and right brain look similar, but they control different functions and process information differently.
The left brain vs. right brain theory does not make the argument that the left and right brain are mutually exclusive, but rather that one side of your brain is dominant. So if someone refers to you as left-brained, it means that they think you’re left-brain is more dominant in your personality. The opposite applies if someone refers to you as right-brained.
What does it mean to be right-brained?
The right brain is the intuitive, imaginative, and creative side. If someone describes you as a right-brained thinker it means that you like to think outside of the box.
Daydreamers, artists, musicians and poets tend to be depicted as “right-brained. If you prefer playwriting or painting to mathematics, you’re most likely a right-brained person.
What does it mean to be left-brained?
The left brain is the analytical side. It’s useful for linear thinking, mathematics, facts, and sequencing. A “left-brained” person is analytical and orderly. If you’re skilled in solving algebraic questions, writing critical essays, and conducting scientific experiments, you’re most likely a left-brained person.
That doesn’t mean left-brained people aren’t creative or that right-brained people aren’t smart.
Does being left-handed mean you’re a right-brained thinker and vice versa?
The research on this question seems divided. What we do know is that the right hemisphere of the brain controls the muscles on left side of the body and the left hemisphere of the brain controls those on the right.
And while we also know each hemisphere of the brain has its own areas of specialty, but exactly how they correlate to handedness is said to be currently “understudied,” which isn’t surprising given left-handed people make up only 10% of the population.
Is this left-brained vs. right-brained test accurate?
If you have fun with these personality tests, have fun! Don’t let something as silly as a walking horse to tell you that you lack creativity or logical reasoning — or both.
To be clear, there’s no scientific evidence to suggest that the direction you see this horse GIF moving in actually determines whether someone is left-brained or right-brained.
But most of us love personality tests because they make us feel as though we are closer to knowing who we are. It might be fun to partake in the challenge the GIF proposes, but it doesn’t mean that what you see reveals anything factual about your brain, so take it with a grain of salt.
