Predisposition of the eye is to move from left to right

Our eyes have a predisposition to move from left to right, according to Jerry Weissman in "Presenting to Win - The Art of Telling Your Story". This is from the field of Perception Psychology.

Jerry writes on page 118 and 119 "Next time you watch a well-directed movie or television drama, notice how the characters move across the screen. Most often, the sympathetic characters, the heroes and heroine’s with whom the audience identifies, move from the left side of the screen to the right, flowing with the natural movement of the eye. By contrast, the unsympathetic characters, the villains whom the audience dislikes, move from right to left, fighting against the eye’s natural flow."

''In the theatre, directors incorporate the same approach with actors on the stage; protagonists to move toward the right and antagonists to move toward the left.''

This means if you want to be liked by your audience, move from their left to their right should the opportunity arise during your presentation. Do not move from the right to the left, unless you want to go against the grain.

He provides insightful recommendations to position bar charts in PowerPoint Presentations. Always stack the highest bar on the right, if you want to show how your company has higher revenues/ratings than your competition. Our eye goes up and to the right, showing your company at the peak of the chart.

Do yourself a favor and get a copy of Jerry's book for your library.