No Know-It-Alls Allowed
It has been said that we only use 10 percent of our brain power. If given the opportunity, I wouldn’t choose to unlock the full 90 percent that remains under-utilized. I would rather keep 25 percent in reserve for several reasons.
Really knowing it all would give me too much pressure. As a Know-it-all, I would be called upon to solve all of the problems of the world. There would be no way I could make everything work together and no way I could keep everyone happy. But, I would try and the pressure would be too great. I would be unhappy.
Knowing-it-all would also take away the joy of small surprises and the joy of learning something new. There would be no mystery in the world. I would be bored.
Knowing-it-all, or thinking I did, would also lead to arrogance. It would be impossible for me to believe that anyone knew more than me, even if they did. I would be unaware.
By leaving some reserve brain power I would avoid these traps. I could still work to improve my brain power. I would still have hope.
I would appreciate my expanded brain power and try to use it for good. I would learn new languages, learn to play a musical instrument, learn to sing and paint. I would use my newfound skills to find a cure for dementia that robs people of their memories and ability to communicate. I would work to cure neurological diseases like ALS that devastate the body. I would find a way to prevent strokes that impair brain and body function. I would find a way to share my religious beliefs (in my case, Christianity) in a non-threatening way that would (in my opinion) save souls.
It would be a blessing to have greater brain potential. But, I don’t want to be a complete Know-it-all! No way!
(In response to the daily prompt about unlocking the full potential of your brain.
Posted on January 15, 2015, in Contemporary Christian, Daily prompt, Joy, Musings and tagged brain, Daily prompt, power, reserve. Bookmark the permalink. 18 Comments.
the beespeak 
If knowledge is power, could a know-it-all rule the world?
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Interesting. I certainly believe they would try! Success would depend on whether they really knew it all or just thought they did. How would you answer the question?
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I think they could. The real question is how long would people put up with them before staging a coup.
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Good point. I think we see this play out in some way every day, don’t you?
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Absolutely. Dang politicians.
Liars and cheats – all of them. ;-(
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We do use 100 % of our brain, every day. It is an irritating myth that should be corrected.
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I respectfully disagree. I think the neuroplasticity of the brain shows the brain’s potential to change with the formation of new neural pathways and shows the potential for us to use parts of the brain previously not used fully.
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I know what you mean, but if we look at brain scans, we have actually “used” every nerve cell during a day. That doesn`t mean that we don`t have potential to become smarter or more integrated, just that we ALWAYS use every ounce of brain power there is:)
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I think it may come down to an issue os semantics. We may use our brain, but do we utilize it to it’s full potential. Have you ever read the book “the man who tasted shapes” about synesthesia? I wonder if we all have the potential ability to taste shapes or taste colors? Not that I’m sure I’d really want that skill 😀. Thank you for engaging in an interesting discussion.
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Is it by oliver sacks? I think you are right. People can truly achieve amazing things, and we can thank our brains for that. Cells that fire together, wire together, and when all fire at the same time we have a huge
Potential !
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Love your comment! Action potential! I believe Oliver Sacks wrote a similarly themed book. I first found this book by Richard Cytowick at an exhibit on synesthesia at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. I will take a look at your blog!
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Thank you for the tip, I will see if I can find it on audible:)
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Brilliant! 🙂
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Thank you! This prompt really got us all thinking!
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Yes it did but I think I liked your response better than mine and why I said “brilliant.” Because it was.
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Thank you for your kind compliment.
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Nice prompt! and a nice way of expression:)
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Thank you very much.
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