I was trying to inspire a friend to action over one of the weekends and I found myself mindlessly repeating the quote "we use only 10% of our brains, so just imagine the enormous potential there exists if we committed to using just a bit more of it".
But it struck me after I ended the conversation. We use 10% of what? Our brain? How is that even possible? Does it technically mean that our brains are still functional if a part of it gets injured or cut off? In today's edition of Ponder Explains, I want to explore this popular saying.
Do we really use just 10% of our brains? To answer this question, I entered a rabbit hole of reading article upon article, and I almost read a 50+ page neuroscience research paper into this. Thank God for sanity and the ability to resist temptations. Thank you Lord Jezozzzz!
On a more serious note though, I learnt through my findings that this belief has been around for over a century and is often cited as evidence of our untapped potential. I wasn't mistaken, then, when I used it. But the truth is, this belief is a myth that is not supported by scientific evidence. At least, not yet.
More questions arise then. Where did this belief come from? And how has it been so popularized? Stay with me, it's fascinating.
Apparently, the idea that we only use 10% of our brain is known as the "ten per cent myth" and it is thought to have originated from experiments done by two psychologists in the 1890s. As part of the experiments, these psychologists studied the cognitive development of a child prodigy named William Sidis.
Williams's cognitive development was studied based on the methods used to raise him. The psychologists came to the suggestion later on that the average person only utilizes a small portion their brain's full potential.
You read about William Sidis, and you realise why this argument was thought to hold water. William was known for his exceptional intellectual abilities - he could read and write at an early age; and by the age of 8, he was already attending Harvard University. He then graduated from Harvard at the age of 16 and went on to teach at Harvard and other universities. Unbelievable!
But then, the more I read, the more it became clear to me. There have been no other studies to support this claim. The scientific method supports repeatability and reproducibility, so if an experiment cannot be repeated and validated, the truth cannot be ascertained.
Nonetheless, if there's anything to know about humans, it's that we gravitate towards sweet ideas, irrespective of their validity. Consequently, the ten per cent myth gained popularity with the rise of motivational speakers. Yes, motivational speakers are responsible for the transmission of this idea.
In a foreword to Dale Carnegie's best-seller - How to Win Friends and Influence People, the 10 per cent myth is emphasised even more (again, without evidence!)
To make the argument that the average human uses just 10% of his brain is to claim that other parts of the brain are not necessary for the brain's functioning. And this is clearly not true!
Several studies I encountered showed that virtually every part of the brain is active and plays a role in cognitive processes (though not at the same time). Even during sleep or rest, different regions of the brain are performing essential functions such as memory consolidation, regulation of bodily functions, and more. On top of all this too, I learnt that small tasks tend to activate a significant portion of the brain.
So no. You don't use only 10% of your brain. You're using all of it. Don't let anyone deceive you. The beauty lies in the fact that the brain is malleable and is very open to training. You can teach your brain to form new neurons and build more connections - making it more efficient, and making you more likely to achieve impossible things.
With Ponder this year, I am committing to taking the pains to read extensively about certain ideas and their origins, the 10% myth being one of them. This myth is a reminder that we should be careful about accepting popular beliefs without questioning their basis and origins. Always ask questions! You might get beaten, or be tagged as annoying.
But then.... Why not?
