We Only Use 10 Percent of Our Brain

Hollywood is a big proponent of this misconception. It has also been included in well-known book series like The Dresden Files and blockbuster movies like the 2011 picture Limitless and the 2014 Scarlett Johansson vehicle, Lucy.

Since the early 1900s, educators and neuroscientists have fought tooth and nail to dispel this notion, but like the Terminator movies, it just won't go away. It has even been known to be recited by teachers.

While it is unclear how this myth came to be, some historians believe it was misinterpreted when William James stated in the early 1900s, "We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical powers."

Now, James was not referring to the physical characteristics of the brain; rather, it is generally accepted that he was speaking about societal issues that sap an individual's energy rather than asserting that the brain has a certain amount of capacity.

The truth is that we use every part of the brain equally. In fact, if a person only used 10% of their brain, the majority of it would seem to be dark on the PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scan, which would suggest some very severe brain damage. But with these kinds of scans, we simply don't observe that in healthy brains. Even in patients with neurological problems, the entire brain is very active.