Hair Parts - Who has which hair part and what does it say about them?

The Alltel Guys

2008-04-15T23:40:00.004-04:00

the

In the recent series of Alltel commercials, where they have the 4 nerdy guys upset about the better Alltel deals, look at how the nerdiest (Scott Halberstadt) is a right parter! (note, the Alltel guy, Chad Brokaw, looks like he has a right part, but in fact it is a left part.

Founding Fathers

2008-03-23T21:27:00.006-04:00

In the recently released series "John Adams", the actors playing all of the characters appear in public with those wigs - and what do you know, they are all non-parting. So it would appear that the founding of our nation was accomplished without all partisanship (pun intended) of all the right parts and left parts that dominate our current political landscape. The time was not without a huge amount of bitter fighting and polarization, but perhaps the dynamic was quite different back in that day, and led to the final compromises and decisions of the United States.

Wikipedia's article on fashion during the period has this to say about men's hair: Wigs were worn for formal occasions, or the hair was worn long and powdered, brushed back from the forehead and clubbed (tied back at the nape of the neck) with a black ribbon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1750-1795_in_fashion#Hairstyles_and_headgear_2

Here are some portraits of a few of the more famous founders - and the others also appear to have similar non-parting looks?

George Washington

Ben Franklin

John Hancock

Alexander Hamliton

Thomas Jefferson

John Adams

Famous Right Parting Women

2008-03-13T23:36:00.013-04:00

As is the way of men, it turns out that very few women in public actually part their hair on the right. While it would be more natural for them to be emphasizing the right brain, more feminine side, when it comes to getting in the limelight, the left part wins over more often.

But as we have to acknowledge, there are exceptions to the rule - and often these women are in have very high public profiles.

Below are a few of the famous women with right parts. Most would be considered strong assertive women, so they are not good examples of how the Hair Part Theory works to emphasize the more receptive right side of a person. But they are unique, for sure, and when you actually reverse their image, sometimes the effect is dramatic.

Dana Perino - White House Press Secretary

Condoleeza Rice - Secretary of State

Geraldine Ferraro - former Vice Presidential Candidate

Martha Stewart - CEO

Nancy Pelosi, current House Speaker, wears her hair on the right, but there are a few pictures with her hair on the left - this is more accurate than just flipping the image - see how the look is different?

Look at how two of the photos change dramatically when reversed - almost different people no?

The other two don't change as much, but i am including them here for completeness

Hair Part Swithcheroos

2008-03-09T15:19:00.014-04:00

The reason that hair parts can affect personalities is that most people wear the same part day in and day out, often since childhood. The psychological term is "interactional continuity" (which arises when an individual's style evokes reciprocal, sustaining responses from others in ongoing social interaction, thereby reinstating the behavior pattern across the individual's life course ( Caspi, Avshalom "Continuities and Consequences of Interactional Styles Across the Life Course")

So given that many people, especially men, stay on the same side their whole life, its pretty interesting when public figures, and or movie casting has the person switching...does it change the personality? Well, it will change the perception of the person, and perhaps lead to a different lifestyle, and maybe over a longer period, someones original personality could be considered to be changed.

The most famous example of switching is President Jimmy Carter, who in 1979 was delivering that famous "malaise" speech. As it turns out, John Walter wrote to him to suggest that he switch his hair part (the letter referenced the story of the little girl who wrote to Lincoln to suggest he grow a beard). About 6 weeks later he actually did change, and if you look at him 3o years later, hes a long way away from that rather naive peanut farmer persona he came to Washington with:

Then there is the Superman/Clark Kent switch that made me fall out of my seat when i saw it - how perfect an example of the two stereotypical personalities created by the left and right hair parts:

What's also interesting is that the actor that plays superman in Superman 2006, Branon Routh, has the Clark Kent right part, but also his Superman has a right part...not much difference in the two, no?

Imagine both of these images reversed - see how the left part changes the picture!

Also, look at Smallville's Clark Kent: Left part, no nerdiness there!

From England (March 2007):

http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2007/03/spot_the_differ.html?cid=106564728#comments

March 13, 2007
Spot the difference
In "Won't Get Fooled Again", The Who sing of how the "parting on the left becomes the parting on the right".
Times cartoonist Peter Brookes has noticed that Cameron's parting on the right has become a parting on the left. It's a pleasure. All part of the Comment Central service.

The left picture shows Cameron as he was until early this month. On the right, Cameron yesterday.
(UPDATE: Extensive picture research suggests that the change took place between Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday 7th March and 11.58am on Thursday 8th March)
(question: now that a full year has passed, is there any difference in Cameron's

public persona?)http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1511688.ece

News Anchors

2008-03-09T10:28:00.015-04:00

News anchors are almost all side parters, and there are clear differences between the left and right ones...the left are all very status quo, the right are very ideosyncratic.

For laughs, included at the bottom TV world' famous anchormen - Ted Knight, playing Ted Baxter - who sports a right part and the wacky personality that fits so well.

Tom Brokaw

Tom Brokaw was replaced by Brian Jennings - very similar indeed.

Of course, the master, Walter Cronkite could never be duplicated.

Following are a few right part anchors, and although Dan Rather has been on both sides, the last few years its been on the right - surprising how rapidily he lost his position among the great anchors over a story that allegedly was right, but with bad evidence.

Dan Rather

Ted Koppel - an intense interviewer and presence.

How about the fake news with Ted Baxter, who played the bumbling fool to a T, his unique character is not suprisingly supported by the way heparts on the right.

Look how his look changes when it is reversed!

Religion

2008-03-09T00:45:00.006-05:00

In the religious world, side parts dominate. Specifically with the big churches, the charismatic preacher is often striking that strong pose of dualty - good/evil, us/them, heaven/earth. Surprising is the number of the top religious leaders that have the right part - and often they are very different from the typical...here is a sample

Pat Robertson

James Dobson (Focus on the Family)

Tim Lahey (Left Behind book series)

Of course, the right parts are not the only ones out there...there are plenty of left parts and even a few non-parters. but consider this...which part would Jesus wear? Can you imagine him with anything other than a middle part?

Actually, I did find a painting of Jesus with a right part:

and flipped it just to see what if he had a left part....do either of them look right?

I think this illustrates the ultimate strangeness of the side part when it comes to considering a personality which should be more balanced - can you see how this could be an effect in people who are living now?

THE EFFECTS OF HAIR PARTS ON THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL RACE

2008-02-26T19:27:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2008
Contact: John Walter, jwalter@truemirror.com
True Mirror Company, Inc.
646-319-5524 www.truemirror.com/hp

THE EFFECTS OF HAIR PARTS ON THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL RACE
Side parts dominate again, but for the first time, a candidate with no part takes the lead

Full Press Release (PDF) with accompaning photos:
http://www.truemirror.com/hp/hpttmc2008.pdf
Also, visit www.truemirror.com/hp for full information about the Hair Part Theory

The Hair Part Theory and the 2008 Candidates
The Hair Part Theory, an unusual but surprisingly accurate way to analyze images and personalities, reveals new insights to the 2008 Presidential candidates, and can help explain voter choices in this chaotic election season. Typical of most leaders in our culture, almost all of them part their hair on one side or the other, with only Barack Obama standing out as a charismatic “no-parter”. In fact, when you look at the top 19 candidates, more than 80% show characteristics directly related to how they part their hair. The theory says that parting one’s hair on the right projects more of a right brain, intuitive and often unusual image; on the left gives more of a left brain, logical and often more standard image; not parting at all will project more of a balanced, and often less prominent image. Personality traits and behaviors follow these general biases through “interactional continuity”, because often this image is carried throughout ones life. While choosing a candidate is based on a wide range of qualities, appearance and personality are at the top of list – using the Hair Part Theory sheds light on these and on how a candidate may act once they are in office.

The 2000 Presidential Election
In 2000, we released a press release entitled “The Real Reason Al Gore Lost the Election” that stated that voter unease with Al Gore’s appearance and personality often was the decisive factor, not necessarily his policies or experience. According to the Hair Part Theory, this is was directly related to his right hair part – which emphasizes the right side, which is seen as “intuitive”, and often more “feminine” – qualities that are unusual and less acceptable on a man. George Bush, while not having the experience to match Gore’s, sports a left part, which is seen as more rational and masculine – qualities more standard and accepted on a man.

The 2004 Presidential Election
In 2004, the voters had a choice between two left parting candidates, George Bush and John Kerry, and while hair parting can’t be used to distinguish between them, it still had its effects on them and the other candidates. Bush continued to project the “regular guy” personality but had not lived up to his right brain concept of “compassionate conservativism”. Kerry was often accused of being unemotional and dispassionate in his demeanor – both left brain traits. In fact most assume that Kerry picked John Edwards because he brought warmth and emotional passion to the candidacy (Edwards parts on the right).

The 2008 Presidential Election – front runners
By early February, 2008, the initial 19 main candidates had been winnowed down to 6 front runners, all showing characteristics that can be explained by the Hair Part Theory:.

Mitt Romney: left parter, seen as standard, all business, stay the course
John McCain: right parter, always seen as a maverick, causing worry among
regular Republicans for not being in the mainstream;
Mike Huckabee: right parter, quirky character, outside the mainstream
Hillary Clinton: left parter, seen as unemotional, causing worry among some
Democrats for being too much in the mainstream
Barack Obama: no parter, seen as new and different, bridging divides, has a unifying presence
John Edwards: right parter, very passionate, populist, outside the mainstream

2008 Presidential Election – All candidates
The rest of the candidates were a mixture of mostly left and right parters (Obama is the only neutral one of the final 6, and although Fred Thompson and Joe Biden have no hair part, when they were younger both wore left parts – which usually is when personality is developed). When comparing the predictions of the Hair Part Theory to the kind of personality each projects, the theory is correct for 16 of 19 candidates, a percentage of 84%. The stronger effects are always seen with men with right hair parts – the theory is 5 for 5 in predicting that each of the “right parters” is unusual and outside the mainstream.

Why part the hair at all? What about no parts?
The biggest reason for parting on the side is that it adds flair and pizzazz to an appearance and personality. Without it, the candidate can have a hard time standing out – witness Joe Biden and Fred Thompson who both have no hair part and had lackluster campaigns.. Barack Obama is unique in that he can connect with people even without the side part. It is interesting to note that almost all black men wear no hair part at all.

Side parts and leadership roles
Overall, side parts dominate in all leadership roles – in business, media and politics. The percentage is usually over 90% in these roles, even though this doesn’t follow the general population, which generally has about a 50% no parts, 45% left parts and 5% right parts. In some demographics, such as African American men and many of the younger generation, the percent of no parts is much higher, more than 90% in some cases. These “no parts” personalities may not have that same flair, but tend to be more balanced in left and right brain characteristics, since their hair part is not biasing every interaction. When a person does stand out, it can be more genuine and based on strong communication qualities, rather than just a hair part.

The issue: Imbalance is caused by a side part
Either of the side parts creates an inherent imbalance to the image. Through long term interactions, it also affects personality and behavior. While the right side (intuitive), and the left side (rational), are both valid, emphasizing one side at the expense of the other, could be a source of the strong polarization we have in our politics and culture. In contrast, for example, the rousing speeches by Barack Obama are a believable call for unity and acceptance of our common nature. As predicted by the Hair Part Theory, Obama would be coming from this centrist place - he is one of the few politicians you will find that have no part at all.

Voting biased by hair parts
Voters have been having their judgments subtly affected for years by this bias towards one side or the other, possibly overshadowing the candidates’ ability to govern. The presidency of Jimmy Carter is a good example – voters chose him because he was honest, warm and outside the mainstream (he parted on the right). But when it came to governing the country, he had a very difficult time – even with his own party controlling Congress (As a side note, in 1979 he switched hair parts after a letter from John Walter, and has had a significantly different public persona since then.) Consider left parting George Bush, whose popular personality and widespread connections helped him win the presidency, but in governing, it would appear that popularity overshadowed competency, not to mention the strong polarization that occurred on his watch. Al Gore would likely have been competent, but his right hair part and personality are disconcerting to the public, as the right part usually creates that on a man, and he too may have had trouble with Congress. Hillary Clinton has the competency and the left part, but because she is a woman, the left part is often seen as too aggressive for many, and she definitely polarizes the electorate.

Hair Part theory origins and purpose
The Hair Part Theory was discovered by John Walter in 1978, and researched by his sister Catherine Walter in 1998. It is such an unusual idea, but one that becomes more and more valid the more you look at it and at famous people through the last 100 years. Not just in politics, but in entertainment and in business, the hair part effects can be seen over and over again in . Historically, it’s a pretty recent phenomenon – old pictures and portraits before 1850 rarely show a side part. The first President with a side part was Andrew Jackson. The goal in publicizing the theory is that it may make a difference in changing people’s viewpoints and choices. Perhaps a larger representation of neutral, or center parts will become more common in our leaders and we as a country can actually get less polarized. When Mr. Walter first discovered it, he changed his part from right to left, and completely changed his social life and standing for the better. However, it wasn’t until he put a center part, and then no part at all that he discovered some truly beneficial aspects of balancing out his image.

Mirrors, the True Mirror® and the Hair Part Theory
Because there are effects caused by left or right parts, then one’s self image as seen in a regular mirror can be quite different than the world’s understanding of the persons image, because the mirror image is reflecting the opposite side part. What is thought one of projecting is actually the opposite. In fact, watching a candidate in a mirror is quite revealing – seeing them backwards can show an entirely different side of the person, and often makes more sense! In the appendix to this release, the list of candidates is shown below alongside a reversed image…looking at them side by side shows a strong difference in many of them. This effect of mirrors is what led to the creation of the True Mirror – the mirror that reflects without being reversed. Within this image, one can see exactly what is projected, so if a side part is chosen, at least the choice is conscious.

Disclaimer and Qualifications
Important disclaimer about the Hair Part Theory: While it is often very illuminating, it isn’t a necessary or sufficient condition for predicting the nature of a candidate’s public image and personality, nor are there any direct correlations with public policies. It is a contributing factor, along with the other, well known determinants of personality, such as gender, age, race and background. One thing that sets it apart from these other determinants is that it is by personal choice – and therefore can be changed if desired. See the full theory on the True Mirror website at http://www.truemirror.com/hp.

# # #
Appendix: The 2008 Presidential Candidates
This is the original slate of the top 19 Presidential candidates for 2008 Whether and how they can lead the country is a combination of ability, vision, delegation, and a host of other characteristics. But above all, there is the communication with the world – how will their hair affect that? The Hair Part Theory shed lights on where their personality and communication styles come from. Note that the theory is never 100% - there are plenty of exceptions and the effect has varying degrees of strength. However, it can add a new dimension of understanding as to our choices in politics, entertainment and choices.

As an aside, reversing the photo shows what they might look like with the opposite hair part – and also how they see themselves in a mirror. Often the reversed image is strikingly different, especially when you look into their eyes and interpret their expression. Note how Hilary Clinton looks a lot warmer with a right part. Obama looks almost the same. McCain looks much more assertive than his laid back actual image. Romney looks less relaxed. If instead of the mirror image, you actually changed the hair part, these effects would be stronger.

For a good look at the candidates and their hair parts, please visit:
http://www.truemirror.com/hp/hpttmc2008.pdf

Right Wing Commentators

2008-01-17T13:35:00.000-05:00

Not that this is a conclusive test of the Hair Part Theory, but it does seem that quite a few fringe commentators, often on the right, are right hair parters. What does seem to match the theory is how extreme they can be...as in "out of right field"some of their comments are:

Michael Savage

Rush Limbaugh

Matt Drudge

Bill Cunningham

Bob Grant

Actors

2007-12-16T23:37:00.001-05:00

A surprising number of very successful actors are men with right hair parts. Perhaps this is because they can portray a character with easy sincerety and empathy. But on the flip side, very often the character is also weak and has some critical flaw in their social interactions. Again, as a generalization, this one has a slew of exceptions, but the fact that it fits so many times makes you take notice.

Another factor to consider is that the movie heartthrob quality of many of these stars would seem to negate the premise that the right part can be a handicap to men, but the theory basically says that if you are especially good looking, it can be an incredible bonus. Rarely is the effect neutral.

The classic movie that features the power of hair parts is Superman, with Christopher Reeves. As Clark Kent, the constanly bumbling, ever scared reporter just happens to have a right part, but when he flips to the perfect Superman, they part his hair on the left!

Another movie that uses hair parts to color how we look at the actor is Risky Business. When Tom Cruise was shy, introverted, worried, he wore a right part:

But when he gets that magic makeover from Rebecca Demorney and gets cool, voila, his hair part changes as well:

Historical Movie Actors

Cary Grant

Watch what happens to that debonair look when you reverse the photo:

More coming!

Comedians

2007-12-16T17:26:00.003-05:00

A lot of comedians are sporting the right hair part, either directly, or as a foil a left parting comedian (Conan Obrian and Andy Richter are a good example). The thing that is clear about each of these comedians is how unique their personalities are - think about the skit that Steve Martin and Dan Ackeroyd did with the "Wild and Crazy Guys". Who else could have pulled that off?

Steve Martin

Dan Ackeroyd

Andy Rooney

Louie Anderson

Princess Diana

2007-12-16T16:51:00.000-05:00

Princess Diana was often described as very beautiful, but interestingly, you don't necessarily hear "sexy" used very much (one post to illustrate). Perhaps a hair makeover? She always parted on the left - almost every single picture i have ever seen is with her with a left part. On women, the left part emphasizes the masculine, assertive side, and generally hides the feminine side. Its a lot tricker with women to apply the hair part theory consistently, but its effect is still present in a lot of cases. Consider the following photos of Princess Di, all with a left part, followed by the one picture I have ever seen of her with a right part:

So compare the general feeling you get from the above 3 very familiar, left hair parting, images of Princess Diana, with the only image I discovered where she is not wearing a left part...it was on a Newsweek cover for a commemorative edition. Different, no? Sexy, yes!

Rogues Gallery

2007-12-15T18:50:00.000-05:00

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Hair Part Theory is how it can shed light on some of the most bizarre personalities in history - specifically those of men who have parted their hair on the right - the non-traditional, often eccentric side.

Once again, its important to stress that the effects of a hair part are not a sufficient or necessary condition towards anything - just that it often fits.

The best example of the eccentric, and frightening, is Hitler. So many of his biographies point to the masterful way that he was able to take advantage of the emotions of his countrymen, and not surprisingly, had a very unique personality.

The second in our gallery is the notorious Jim Jones, of the Guiana Kool-Aid massacre

The third, Marsall Applewhite, of the Hale-Bopp comet cult actually appears on the same page as the above in a blog about false

Messiahs

Then there is PolPot, notorious for killing more than a million of his fellow citizens:

Cause or Effect?

2007-12-06T20:46:00.000-05:00

Recently, the news was full of another mass shooting that occurred in America, and as I saw the picture of Robert Hawkins, i noticed his right hair part right away. So would the hair part theory help characterize him? What were people saying about him?

from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3012136.ece

"Robert Hawkins was a depressed teenager " ...“When he first came in the house, he was introverted, a troubled young man who was like a lost pound puppy that nobody wanted". Mrs Maruca-Kovac described the note in which he said “he was sorry for everything, that he didn’t want to be a burden to anybody, he loved his family, he loved all of his friends. He was a piece of shit all of his life and now he’ll be famous."

So yes, the image of the loner, depressed, self-depreciated image fits one of the possible types of the right hair parter. When you read further in his short biography on the web, it looks like he had a rough life in a lot of ways. Whether his hair part contributed or not is unknown - was his particular difficulties a lot more unusual than the "normal" ones a troubled teenager goes through - thats what might be the effect of the hair part - it always seems to push the envelope in a personality.

Interesting that just from his appearance, you would think he could be a lot more. what would he look like with a left hair part? Here is his image flipped, which gives a bit of an idea:

Caveats - When does the Hair Part Theory apply?

2007-12-02T12:39:00.000-05:00

The goal of this blog is to post examples of public figures - celebrities, politicians, newsmakers and newspeople - who I feel have personalities or behaviors that might be affected by their hair part.

The main thing to remember about this kind of analysis is that the hair part is a "bias" - its just one factor in many that determine what someone is like or what they might do, but my belief is that it can be an important, and previously unacknowledged factor. It is like saying that someones race or gender is important factors, but we all know that those are just partial factors, and of course they are accepted and acknowledged factors. The fact that hair parts are not considered is, to me, a huge missing factor, and that often we are picking our leaders and newsmakers based on subconscious choices - which may not be particularly valid.

For instance, in the current Presidential race, there are quite a few men with right hair parts - Edwards, Huckabee, McCain - all are considered outside of the mainstream, but they appeal to our emotional and eccentric sides, our desire to get someone in the presidential spot that is coming from somewhere other than the archetypal patriarchal model (such as Romney or Guiliani). But while the softer, more feminine and receptive side of a candidate may be good for our emotional side, what happens when they get into office and can not govern the basically male dominated world of politics? This happened to Jimmy Carter - a classic right parter - his soft spoken, heart felt world hit a wall even with his own party's Congress. Note how Jimmy Carter has appeared since 1979, when he switched his hair part to the left (this actually was after I wrote him a letter suggesting he do so!)

So through the last few presidential cycles, the right parting maverick candidates have made a strong showing, and yet no one is saying that they might be disasters in governing! Al Gore (right parter) may have upheld the core values of our American system much better than George Bush (left parter), but who can say what other kind of mess we may have been in after his term as President?

There are clear exceptions to this rule of the right parter being able to govern - so its not a hard and fast rule - its just something that should be taken into consideration, and not allowed to hoodwink the electorate with someone who appeals to one side of us and misses out the other.

The strong asymmetry of a hair part and its effect is essentially the biggest flaw of all - its not that the feminine or masculine side is bad, its just that its out of balance if it is always there - a defined hair part affects every single encounter at some level. As it turns out, there is only one candidate that has no part - Barack Obama. When he gave his speech at the convention a few years ago, we saw what that kind of balance can produce - a sense of symmetry between the conflicting sides - towards a goal of "we are one" vs more and more disharmony.

Whats this all about?

2007-11-24T00:24:00.000-05:00

The effect of hair parts on social appraisal is one of the most intriguing new ideas proposed in a long time. Its one of those ideas that might seem rediculous on the surface, but over and over again has proved to be surprisingly accurate. This blog will post examples of historical and current figures in the public eye...and showing how their hair part could be an illuminating part of their character and predictor of behavior!

Surprisingly, a hair part has a crucial impact on interpersonal relationships by affecting immediate character appraisal, perceived personality traits, self-perception and self-development!

In short, the Hair Part Theory says:
The way a person parts their hair is related to many subconscious associations when assessed by others. Each hair part type initiates cycles of behavior toward, and response from, the individual. Over time, these cycles affect personality development, perpetuating a system of cumulative and interactional continuity.

Parting the hair on the left or right initiates, in viewers of the individual, subconscious associations with the aspects of cognition generally ascribed to the same cranial hemisphere that is accented by the hair part (i.e. left part, left hemisphere). When there is a center part, no part or baldness, the subconscious associations are more balanced or neutral, with neither cranial hemisphere’s activities given more importance in the assessment.

When a person puts a part in their hair, left or right, they are emphasizing the left or right cranial hemisphere functioning. Currently accepted knowledge of cranial hemisphere functioning is that the left hemisphere specializes in language, memories of words, math, logic, linear operations and activities traditionally attributed to masculinity in our culture. The right hemisphere specializes in visual processing, memories of pictures, musical perception and nonlinear tasks traditionally attributed to femininity in our culture. It is also believed that men’s brains function more asymmetrically than women’s brains and are more likely to use highly specific areas for different tasks, whereas women’s right and left hemispheres function more in conjunction with each other.

Most of the possible choices generally do not negatively affect perceptions of the individual, but the individuals who are potentially put in the worst position are men who part their hair on the right and who are also striving to be assessed positively within a traditional male role. Our observations have shown that the right part on a man might interfere with positive social interaction and personal development, and might lead to highly atypical behavior, occupations and preoccupations. The majority of the posts on this blog will be examples of famous and infamous historical and current characters that exhibit the most consistent correlations.

It is important to note that the correlation between hair parts and personal characteristics is not a necessary or sufficient one -- there are many influences on the character of a person. However, hair parts can play a significant role and this theory describes strong tendencies of an individual to develop specific personality traits in reaction to unconscious societal response to personal hair part choices.

Please see the following link for the full theory:
http://truemirror.com/hp/hpttmc1999.pdf