This is a popular myth and misconception as many not only believe it to be true but also think that the saying was attributed to Albert Einstein. Certainly we can do more with our intellect and brain power if we want but if research has anything to do with it, an expert panel convened by the National Research Council concluded that there is unfortunately nothing like good hard work for getting ahead in life. For those of you wanting proof for this before you can give it credence please refer to Beyerstein, 1999c; Druckman and Swets 1988.
These verifiable facts have done little to dampen the enthusiasm of those that think that the secret to their unfulfilled desires lies in tapping the dormant recesses of their unconscious, as if they were stupid for not having done so before.
Now, this might come as a bit of a surprise, but only because of possible confusion between bridging the right and left hemisphere of the brain through meditation and this particular hype over the last 30 years about unleashing the power of your unconscious, have the New Age gurus found a peg to hang their hats on, as if they themselves have tapped into the total energy of the unconscious- a bit of a stretch for most.
Certainly when it comes to using our intelligence, it has been revealed time and time again that negative beliefs will impact directly on a person’s perception of their intelligence or ability but this by no means implies that the actual brain power of most of us is under-utilised.
If this were the case, surely the natural selection process of nature would have made it easier for us to access this increase in processing power to give us the edge when it came to survival, prosperity and procreation.
It seems as if even Einstein’s foundation can find no evidence of the saying we thought was his, where he explained his own brilliance in relation to the masses never using the remaining 90% of their brain power.
There is more evidence relating to this misconception from clinical neurology and neuropsychology as they try to minimise the effects of brain damage through trial and continued research.
The good news is that if we want we can do something good for ourselves and our lives but there are no quick fixes as some would have you believe, certainly not a weekend course.
Chris Borrett
Image Credit- FreeImages.com:ArtM
If by chance, you have not encountered my previous posts outside this blog, one of my favourites is about “How To Make A Decision and Stick To It”. You have the luxury of reading it by clicking here.