It’s appealing to think we could be smarter if only we applied more of our brain power. Unfortunately, the idea that people only use 10% of our brains and could use more is not true. This persistent myth may have originated as early as 1908 when William James wrote, “We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources.” (The Energies of Men, p. 12). The idea has been perpetuated by many individuals claiming extraordinary powers from tapping into the unused portions of their minds.
According to the Department of Neurology at UAMS, individuals without a neurological condition use almost all of their brain. Your brain is constantly active and involved in all of the conscious and unconscious activities of your body. In fact, the brain uses approximately 20 percent of the body’s energy. This is because many parts of the brain are active during different of activities, with neurons firing back and forth. So everything from reading a book to throwing a ball requires a significant portion of your brain.
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