If You Use Just 10% Of Your Brain, What Does The Other 90% Do?

If we have managed to accomplish so much with just 10% of our brains, imagine how much more we could do if we could “activate” the remaining 90%. If you think this sounds too good to be true, that's because it is!

The '10 percent of the brain' myth is one of the most popular and persistent urban legends, which is why even cynics and skeptics wonder if there could be a grain of truth in it. It's also pretty encouraging to think that we could be capable of so much more if we were to tap into that hidden 90 percent. So, is there anything to this myth?

Is There Any Truth To This Myth?

“Evidence shows that you use 100 percent of your brain, so there's absolutely no truth to the myth”

There's nothing wrong in wondering whether there is any truth to this myth and if you have any lingering doubts about this myth, we have just 2 words for you – Brain Scans!

With modern brain scans, scientists can monitor the activity of the brain (down to the firing of neurons) and it is clear that all brain areas are always active. Research shows that even when you are asleep, your brain is still active – it's just that the level of activity is lower. In other words, evidence proves without a shadow of a doubt that you use 100 percent of your brain.

As pointed out by renowned neuroscientist Barry Beyerstein, “If 10 percent of the brain is normally used, then damage to other areas should not impair performance. Instead, there is almost no area of the brain



that can be damaged without loss of abilities. Even slight damage to small areas of the brain can have profound effects.”

Moreover, evolution is extremely egalitarian, and no part of the body that utilizes energy would exist if it served no purpose, especially not an energy hungry organ like the brain. If we only utilized 10 percent of our brains, brain size would eventually shrink to precisely what is required!

How Did This Myth Originate?

“The '10 percent of the brain' myth is misattributed to Albert Einstein”

The myth is often attributed to Albert Einstein, but there is no record that he ever said it or anything like it. While the exact origin of this myth is uncertain, it came to everyone's attention when it appeared in 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' – one of the first best-selling self-help books ever published. Like many other myths it has also been publicized through pop culture, especially through movies like Lucy.

Although there is no doubt that we use every portion of our brain, there are still several aspects of our mental capabilities that scientists still don't understand. One of the biggest mysteries is how the various regions of the brain interact with each other to create conscious experiences. Psychologists say that the main reason this myth has stuck around for so long is because people get to “blame” their untapped grey matter for their shortcomings.

So use your brain…100% of it, and don't believe this myth!