who told you that we only use 10% of our brain?

Question

I was told when i was a child, by my older brother, that people only use 10% of their brain, but over the years as I earned my degree and became a school teacher, I have been taught that every piece of the brain is used, every centimeter has a purpose and is controlling one thing in our body or another.

So my question is Who Taught you that we only use 10% of our brain, and if you know, who told that person?

center of the universe's answer really made me laugh, thanks! :-)

Answer 1

the other 90% of my brain told me

Answer 2

Huh? well I guess you have to take the words of the scholars.

I heard that old chestnut a long time ago and have never questioned it...maybe your question has opened up a can of worms? lol
I also think that over 90% of history is bunk..or another way of saying this is that history is only written by a very few and is open to debate.
Maybe 90% of what we know as fact could be bunk or not true. We could all be wrong in our beliefs but to blind to see our own failings? My parents told me a lot of stuff that I found out was not 100% right..but they thought they were right..and we will probably pass our erroneous thinking to the next generation.
Its 2007 and we still are fighting wars, world hunger, aides, unemployment, and many many ills ..are we really getting smarter? I think not.

Answer 3

No doubt one of my school teachers, who were the source of a lot of junk science info. (Hope you're better).

This "fact" is an urban legend. What is true is that at any one moment in time you only use a small fraction of your brain. But that's the way it is supposed to be, that's how the brain works.

Sometimes people use nearly their whole brain all at once -- that's called an epileptic seizure.

Answer 4

I think that the common misconception is that only 10 percent of the brain is used, this is innaccurate. The correct statement is that we only use 10 percent of our brains potential energy. Its true we use every part of our brain, there are people who use 15 - 20 percent of their brains potential energy (genius, psychic, etc.) but the amound of potential cannot be measured indefinately because everyone is an individual

Answer 5

The other 90% of Humans who actually believe that+

Answer 6

I have no idea. It is one of those wide-spread rumors that has no real factual basis.

Answer 7

you just did. i haven't heard of this before..