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4 common but harmful myths about how your brain works
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Using 10% of our brains
The source of this figure isn't entirely clear.
People's capacity to develop any skill is a combination of practice and talent. A person can get quite good at almost any skill if they practice hard at it.
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Left-brained or right-brained
People used to speak of being left or right-brain dominant (where the left brain is more logical and algorithmic, and the right brain more artistic and intuitive).
However, both hemispheres of your brain are involved in all of the complex work you do. The most effective thinkers are the ones who learn to rely on both their intuitive judgments as well as their reasoning.
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Emotions and rational thinking
The theory goes that emotions reflect a more primitive form of thinking and that good thinking is only logical.
However, when faced with risky decisions, it is possible to talk yourself into almost anything. But, even a little anxiety in that situation can provide information too valuable to ignore.
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The learning styles theory
People have different preferences for getting information, be it visual, auditory, or tactile.
Based on these preferences, there was a popular proposal that there are differences between how people learn best. However, people study best when they learn new material in different modes, not just the one they prefer.
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SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
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Re-reading and highlighting
Both of these study strategies are relatively ineffective. Passively reading the same text over and over again won’t do much for recall unless it’s spaced out over time.
Different learning styles
Systematic studies of learning styles have consistently found no evidence or very weak evidence to support the idea that matching the material to a student’s learning style is more effective.
Right or left-brained
There is no conclusive evidence that people preferentially use the left or right hemisphere.
Certain functions are processed more by one region of the brain than others, and this is known as lateralization. But we all use our entire brain equally.
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The right side of the brain
Creativity isn’t the preserve of one side of the brain, and it isn’t a talent confined to people with a special kind of brain. If you’re human and you’ve got a brain, you’re capabl...
The “Eureka!” moment
This myth encourages the belief that creativity is a passive process. It suggests you have to wait and hope that you’ll make a breakthrough.
That Eureka moment is actually the last step in a long, involved process and not the only step. For this to happen, your unconscious mind needs material to work with. You have to put in the hard work of studying and mastering your field and exposing yourself to different perspectives.
The lone, eccentric geniuses
In reality, creativity is a team sport.
The lone genius myth is a stereotype and it’s unhelpful because it suggests the route to innovation is to cut oneself off from colleagues and collaboration. You need a modest amount of intelligence to be creative, but extremely high IQ is neither sufficient nor necessary for being an innovator.
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Definition of Creativity
Creativity is the process of generating new ideas, possibilities, or alternatives that result in outcomes that are original and of value. Characteristics:
- It is not ...
"Naturally creative" people
Myth: "Some people are naturally creative and other people aren’t."
It’s true that some people spend more time on creative activities than others. But brain science is clear about the fact that there are creative brain states that can be turned on by some fairly simple actions. This means that everyone can learn how to be more creative.
Creativity and art
Myth: "Creativity means creating works of art."
Creativity is not just about being artistic. There are many ways to be creative, and creating works of art is just one way. Creativity includes many things, for example, cooking, programming, interface design, and problem solving.