Is it true we only use 10% of our brains and if so... what does the other 90% do?

Answer 1

This is an urban myth - and totally false.

There is a very wide-spread belief that we humans only ever use 10 to 20% of our brain. Attributed to Albert Einstein, it is one of the ‘grab’ statements used to recruit people for the cult of ‘Scientology.’ It is also a favourite of new-agey ‘positive thinking’ gurus.

The reason for its wide acceptance may be because Dale Carnegie’s popular 1936 book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, stated that most people only use 15% of their brains—a ‘fact’ probably pulled from thin air.1

There have been many recent advances in brain research techniques, including sophisticated scanners. However, we still don’t know much about how the brain works overall. We know next to nothing about how it processes information.

We know certain activities originate in the cerebral cortex,2 and that certain memories are stored there. But we don’t know where and how they are stored, nor how we can recall memories, or come up with new ideas, for example. The little we do know has come about largely from studying people whose brains have been damaged through accidents, strokes or tumours.

So this oft-repeated belief is just plain wrong. If it were true, things which damage the brain would not have such drastic consequences for our ability to think, speak, and remember.3 If you compare it to a computer, the ‘hardware’ is all there, ready to process complex or relatively simple software tasks, which can vary from time to time. No computer uses all of its processing circuitry at once—in our brain, that would be like a major epileptic seizure.

http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/208

Answer 2

It's kind of like computer storage, in a way, except it isn't just about memory. The rest of the brain is available for use, we just never push it that far. The neural pathways available for use are numerous, and memory as well as muscle memory, coordination etc all have lots of available new pathways that can be created from learning both in the intellectual sense as well as learning a physcial skill. The more you learn physically as a kid, the more that will be possibly to learn in that region later in life.

The big determining factor is time. Most of us don't have or take the time to try and learn all we can learn. We spend a great deal of time at meals, or in traffic, or in front of the TV, where we use such a small portion of those pathways.

It makes you realize that we are capable of so much more as humans, we just don't stretch ourselves enough.

Answer 3

I would agree, I use 10% of my brain for thinking and the other 90% worrying about what I should be thinking about!

Answer 4

Not true! We use about 10% AT A GIVEN TIME. Like if you smell something only a part of your brain responsible for smelling is active.

Remember that the brain is divided into parts responsible for thought and action. If you walk, the part of your brain responsible for talking wont be active.

Answer 5

I am not sure if all of us are capable of using even 10% of our brain. There are of course, I believe, others who are utilising more than 10% of their brainpower.
As for the other 90% of our brain, it may possibly be implemented to regenerate parts of the 10% that we abuse with our vices.
Cheers!!sreehC.

Answer 6

The 90% is uncontrolable. The are reflexes like smell or pain or movement. Something that you cannot control. When you think about something you are using the controlable 10%.

Answer 7

I would say that 10% is the average because if your doing multiple things at once to do multiple things we have to be using more than 10% and when we just use 10% by doing one thing at a time IT TAKES UP THE MAJORITY OF THE AVERAGE - just like that

Answer 8

I think men use 10 percent of their brain and the other 90 percent controls their little friend! LOL

Answer 9

Not true wo use 10% of our brain wen we r feeling very busy but wen we r working we use 99% of our brain if we r paying attention.

Answer 10

The other 90% has to be there to fill up the hole in your head.

I mean if brains were only 10% of their present size they would rattle about in there!!