You’ve probably heard this phrase before: we only use 10% of our brains. That idea is either discouraging or encouraging depending on how you view it. It means you’re not doing as much as you could, or there is so much you could achieve if you only tap into that other 90%. No matter how you respond to this idea, don’t worry about it. It’s a total myth.

What Percentage of the Brain Do We Use?Why We Know We Use More Than 10% Of Our BrainsWhere Did The 10% Myth Come From?Our Brains Use More Energy Than Anything ElseWant to Tap Into Your Potential? Keep Your Brain Healthy!

What Percentage of the Brain Do We Use?

Why We Know We Use More Than 10% Of Our Brains

Where Did The 10% Myth Come From?

Our Brains Use More Energy Than Anything Else

Want to Tap Into Your Potential? Keep Your Brain Healthy!

So don’t believe that old myth that we haven’t unlocked our full potential. There is no secret part of the brain that will make us fly or show us the path to a billion dollars. You are using your brain. As long as you keep it healthy and learn new things, you aren’t wasting anything.

Even without access to PET scans and MRI machines, the myth that we only use 10% of our brains can be debunked. Let’s look at some reasons why.

Brain Damage

We know that brain damage can seriously inhibit a person’s ability to perform basic functions, think critically, or complete other tasks. Brain injuries happen to all parts of the brain. If we only use 10% of our brains, then only 10% of brain injuries would actually make an impact. No two brain injury cases are the same, but a heck of a lot more than 10% of brain injuries have a serious impact.

Evolution

If 90% of our brains were a useless mass of tissue, we probably would have gotten rid of it years ago. Humans don’t have tails because we don’t need them. (When was the last time you swung on a tree?) We don’t have fur because our subcutaneous layer of fat does a much better job of insulating the body (and makes us look better.) Evolutionary progress holds onto useful traits and discards things that we don’t need anymore. So why would we end up with a big, useless brain in our skulls?

Scans of the Brain

Of course, neuroscientists have also consulted various forms of technology to see what is going on in the brain at different times. What they found is pretty astounding - there is no part of our brain that doesn’t do anything. Nothing is just sitting around uselessly. Even cells that are not neurons have a role in brain functioning. Everyday activities even activate more than 10% of the brain at once.

So where does this myth come from? The answer is partially psychologists and partially people who use psychology to make a sale!

William James

William James is widely renowned as one of the earliest and most influential psychologists. He was one of the first people to introduce a psychology class to a university. In1908, James wrote The Energies of Men. In that book, he said that “we are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources.”

Years later, Albert Einstein claimed that we used 10% of our brains. Or did he? There are plenty of Albert Einstein quotes that have been misattributed. (There are also a lot ofmisattributed quotesfrom Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, and Thomas Edison.) This is likely one of them, as there isn’t any solid evidence that he made this claim.

Self-Help Industry

This myth has stood the test of time because it sells! Self-help gurus and motivational speakers often use it as a tool to show that humans are not living up to their potential. But if you follow their programs or purchase their products, you can live up to your potential! There are many definite benefits to personal development and self-help courses, but none of them are going to change the fact that your brain uses what it uses, and it’s actually using most of the brain, most of the time.

Think of it this way. Your legs aren’t always moving, your arms aren’t always moving, and your stomach isn’t always digesting food. Does that mean you only use a small portion of your body? No! Not every part of the brain is activated at once, but we are using all of our brains. (And our brains are always changing and using energy!)

Here is just how much of our brain we are using at any given time. Our brains only account for 5% of our body mass - yet it uses 20% of our energy! That’s a lot of energy going into one small part of the body, but thank goodness it does!

The brain uses energy to keep itself going and maintain its ability to send electrical signals when needed. Everything that we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch becomes an electrical signal that is sent to the brain so the information can be integrated and help us make decisions. Our brain is constantly passing back sodium and potassium ions to “keep that electricity on” and allow signals to move where they need to go. That takes up a lot of energy!

Here’s another interesting fact about how we use our brains. Did you know that we use just as much energy when we are sleeping as when we are awake? As we sleep, the brain uses energy to maintain itself and restore the body. It has to send out many different signals as we move through the different stages of sleep.

Through a process called neuroplasticity, our brains are always changing and growing. Even right now, your brain is sending signals throughout its entire structure and communicating with the body. Thanks, brain!

The best way to ensure that you “use your potential” is to keep your brain healthy. Quick ways to maintain optimum brain health include:

Care for your brain - you only have one, and you’re already using most of it!

Related posts:How Does the Brain Feel Pain?How Many Brain Cells Does a Human Have?What Endocrine Functions take place in the Brain?What Part of the Brain Regulates Body Temperature?What Part of the Brain Processes Emotion? (Pics + Chart)

Reference this article:Practical Psychology. (2022, April).What Percentage of the Brain Do We Use?.Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/what-percentage-of-the-brain-do-we-use/.Practical Psychology. (2022, April). What Percentage of the Brain Do We Use?. Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/what-percentage-of-the-brain-do-we-use/.Copy

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Practical Psychology. (2022, April).What Percentage of the Brain Do We Use?.Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/what-percentage-of-the-brain-do-we-use/.Practical Psychology. (2022, April). What Percentage of the Brain Do We Use?. Retrieved from https://practicalpie.com/what-percentage-of-the-brain-do-we-use/.Copy

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