You can do both always, but what you are better at is determined by neuroplasticity. A bottom up thinker will analyze the environment very thoroughly. A top d

You can do both always, but what you are better at is determined by neuroplasticity. A bottom up thinker will analyze the environment very thoroughly. A top down thinker will react to social cues faster, while skipping over the details. You can do both but one will be effortful and the other effortless, depending on your neurological makeup. In the context of social interaction, a top down thinker can become irritated against bottom up thinkers due to processing speed difference and mirroring difficulties. People can't just switch processing styles easily and they show it during normal interactions.