Is it true that we use only 10% of our brains?

Nowadays, you can often meet with the opinion that the human brain supposedly works at only 10% of all its capabilities. On the basis of such a statement, the plot of some popular films is even built. Let's try to figure out whether each of us can suddenly become ten times smarter, or is this a myth, and if so, where did it come from?

Statements that the human brain allegedly works by only 10% for the first time began to appear at the beginning of the 20th century in various, far from scientific, but commercial books about self-development, psychics, and so on. It followed from these materials, as if 90% (or so) of the real potential of the brain is hidden and not used. The same sources also promised to offer some methods, thanks to which it would be possible to reveal this potential in oneself easily and quickly and achieve superpowers.

At the moment, it is already absolutely obvious that this was an elementary game on human weaknesses and the desire for easy success. None of the proposed methods for unlocking additional abilities, obviously, never gave any result (otherwise this method would be used widely and everywhere today). All these books and the ideas presented in them were quickly forgotten due to their complete inconsistency. However, the demand for such literature has always been present and still is, and similar books, offering more and more new recipes for quick and easy success, have been and are being published to our time.

The authors of these books, journalists and scribblers still tried to make their unfounded statements scientific and referred to the well-known psychologist William James at the time. Although he just suggested that it is only possible that we just do not fully use our potential. However, he did not make any numerical estimates. This incomplete use of the brain is based not on the fact that some of its potential is hidden and inaccessible, but on human laziness and lack of motivation. This is what the scientist meant.

The idea that the human brain supposedly works by only 10% became especially popular after the publication of Dale Carnegie's book “How to Win Friends?” In the foreword to this book, the journalist Lowell Thomas not only strongly paraphrased and distorted James's words beyond recognition, but also came up with the exact percentage from his head.

But where did this delusion come from? Let's figure it out:
1. Firstly, just at the beginning of the 20th century, scientists discovered that the human brain is 90% composed of glial cells, seemingly useless at first glance. At the moment, it has already become known that these cells are not at all useless, but play the role of complex routers and provide communication between the neurons of the brain. Moreover, it was found that the more cells in the brain, the better it works and the smarter the person.
2. Secondly, at the same time, scientists realized that at different points in time, different parts of the brain are active, i.e. at the same time it really doesn’t work entirely. By the way, when the whole brain is triggered at the same time, i.e. all of its parts, then a person has an epileptic seizure, such as it is known to happen, but is unlikely to be drawn to superpowers.

However, upon hearing about these scientific discoveries, journalists immediately twisted everything in their own way, so that it looked like sensation. However, until now, not a single truly scientific study has appeared that would claim that the brain works at a certain small percentage of its capabilities.

The fact is that this question is: "At what percentage of its capabilities does the brain work?" is not scientific at all. This question lies in the field of simple logic, not biology. The answer to it is too simple and obvious for scientists to study it at all.

And the answer is the following: For each individual person, at the moment of maximum mental stress, the brain gives out 100% of those abilities that it is capable of at the moment.

At the same time, if a person is sitting idle, then, obviously, the brain does not work at full capacity (although, as you know, the brain never completely stops, it always controls the work of all organs, monitors many indicators and factors and is in constant readiness).

This does not mean that the brain cannot be developed, on the contrary, it can and should be done, and perhaps it can be developed even very strongly and many times, but this requires a lot of work. At the same time, at any given moment, your brain will be able to give out all 100% of its capabilities at that moment.

Here you can draw an analogy with ordinary muscles. Suppose someone can lift a 100 kg barbell. Obviously, he doesn't always do this. Sometimes this person sits on the couch and uses his muscles to zero percent. In another situation, perhaps a person will need to lift only 10 kg, then he uses 10% of his capabilities. But it may happen that a person will have to lift all 100 kg, then he will also cope with this and use all 100% of his capabilities. And finally, this person can continue training, and develop his muscles so that he can lift 200 kg. However, this will not mean that at the time when he could still lift only 100 kg, and lifted them, he used his muscles by 50%, at that moment he used all 100% of his then capabilities. It's the same with the brain, it's just that the numerical expression of its abilities is more difficult to assess.

Let's make a few more comments on this issue. The fact is that the mass of the brain is on average only 2% of the body weight, but the brain consumes as much as 20% of the energy available to a person. And if there is a deficit of energy, then this percentage is still increasing, in such cases, the brain pulls off all the available energy from other organs. Thus, if it did not work to its fullest, then in the course of evolution, nature itself would get rid of these supposedly "extra" 90% of the brain and thus reduce the consumption of such valuable energy.

Let us also mention such a concept as neuroplasticity. The fact is that if a certain part of the human brain is damaged, then the rest of the brain takes over its functions, or at least they try to do it. The opposite is also true, if a certain part of the brain suddenly did not find work (for example, a person has lost sight, and the part of the brain that was responsible for processing these signals is no longer loaded with work), then this part of the brain takes over functions and helps the rest of the brain (and in our example, for example, other senses such as hearing, smell, and so on are heightened.) Thus, the brain always tries to load itself to the fullest and not be idle, i.e. the brain is capable and ready to work 100%.

Nevertheless, about 65% of the world's population believes in the myth that the human brain allegedly does not work fully. But why? Everything is very simple. The myth that every person has an incredible potential that can be simply unleashed "by turning a certain secret switch" is very popular with most people. And various charlatans are trying to feed this myth in order to continue selling books and services successfully or deceive people in other ways, promising them quick and easy disclosure of incredible superpowers. People really want to believe that they can read the secret recipe and without labor, effort and training they will become great and rich.

And we will repeat once again, it is possible and required to train the brain; you can increase its abilities, which at any given moment you can use to 100% of the achieved level. But this requires a long, painstaking and hard work, and this is the only way.