Did you know you have a 'dominant' eye? Try this 5-second trick to find out

Most people are aware of a 'dominant hand,' but only a few know that we may also have a dominant eye — the one our brain relies on more. But how do we find out which one is our dominant eye? Well, Dr. Alex Dainis (@alex.dainis on Instagram) is here to explain that with a simple activity, and it's something that we all must try. The intriguing video has garnered over 60K views since it was posted on July 27, 2025. 

"Just like you have a dominant hand, you likely also have a dominant eye," Dr. Alex said, explaining how identifying it could help people in life. To determine your dominant eye, one must look at a distant object, "like a doorknob, or a tree, or a birdhouse," she said. Next, extend your arm and try to capture that particular object in a circle. "Keep looking at that object and first close one eye, then open it, and close the opposite eye," Dr. Alex said. Now, the object, she said, will stay in the center if you're looking at it through the circle with your dominant eye; otherwise, it'll move if the non-dominant eye is open. Identifying the dominant eye can help you in sports like golf or target shooting. The American Academy of Ophthalmology claims that eye dominance often matches handedness, meaning if someone is left-handed, most likely, their left eye is dominant; however, this isn't always true. Sometimes the dominant eye can be the opposite of the dominant hand. 

The now-viral video (shared by u/themuseumofscience on Reddit) encouraged many people to come forward and take the test. For instance, u/littleteapotsrevenge commented, "The way I was taught when I was younger is to use both hands and make a little triangular hole by overlapping your fingers and thumbs of one hand over the other. Look through that hole at a fixed point in the distance. Then, bend both elbows and slowly bring the hole closer to your face until your hands make contact. The hole will be over your dominant eye, as that is the one that was primarily focused on the distant object." u/kyanitebear17 commented, "I tried this and noticed it is always the opposite eye of the hand I am holding up."

Similarly, a user who goes by u/goldeneudemon said, "Eye dominance is a spectrum for cross-eye dominant people. Some are more, some are less cross-eye dominant." Another user, u/single1won, on the platform, wrote, "For me, it all depends on which eye I open first. If I open my left eye first, the right eye's perspective changes, and vice versa." u/SaveThePlanetEachDay wrote, "I’m cross dominant as well, with right handedness and left eye dominance. When I was in martial arts, I could spar southpaw and orthodox. When I skateboarded I had to skate with my left foot front, but I could only do tricks when my right foot was forward. So basically I always sucked at skateboarding, because I lost my balance while moving forwards and doing tricks. It was always one or the other."