10 Mind-Myths: Do Any of These Catch You Out?
Think our attitudes predict our behaviours? Think we only use 10% of our brains? Think blind people's other senses are more acute? Think again.
[Click the titles for the full posts]
- Seriously, Would You Admit to Only Using 10% of Your Brain?
It's a nice thought that we might have spare capacity, but there's no evidence for it. - Blind People's Other Senses Not More Acute
Blind people might learn to use their other senses better, but they are no more acute. - Why Psychology is Not Just Common Sense
If you want to see a psychologist's head explode, tell them psychology is just common sense. - The Attitude-Behaviour Gap: Why We Say One Thing But Do The Opposite
Even when people are doing their best to tell the truth, there's still only a small relationship between people's attitudes and their behaviours. - Newborns Don't Bond Immediately with their Mothers
Infants don't care who looks after them for the first three months, so long as someone does. - 50% of College Students Think We See Like Superman, Despite Perception Course
Our eyes are only receptors, we don't see by sending out rays. But even after being told the truth, people still revert almost immediately to the myth that we see like Superman. - Two Brains for the Price of One?
The famous left-brain/right-brain split in functioning isn't nearly as dramatic as you've been led to believe. - Graphology: Connections Between Handwriting and Personality are Illusory
It really seems like handwriting should tell us something about personality - but it doesn't. - The Mind Cannot Beat Cancer
If only it could. Psychological interventions can, however, help people deal with the disease. - Is a Bigger Brain Really Better?
It's the old, old story: it's not how big it is, it's what you do with it.
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[Image credit: Thomas Hawk]
Labels: Mind-Myths
3 comments
I know you're trying to convince people otherwise, but ever hear the saying: Someone forced against his will, is of the same opinion still.
That's why people revert to thinking they see like superman because they're FORCED against their beliefs. Even if you prove them wrong, they'll still try to defend their position. It's all in how you transfer this knowledge to the other person. Another thing is, if you believe something is true or not, you're right.
Whatever your beliefs are, you're right. If you believe that you use 10% of your brain, you do. If you don't, you don't.
That's why I don't think this post will convince people otherwise on some of these "myths."
That is just my opinion. Thanks for the enjoyable blog post.
I give props for the layout of the article, which allowed for easy access to all the information. Most articles use a wall of words to display information; i often don't read much of the information when it is presented in that manner...
and...
I don't think the article was insulting (definitely not purposefully) but I agree with Anthony, in that some people will still not believe...
...those people should now be more aware of this particular ignorance and perhaps not argue so strongly for an idea that may be scientifically proven wrong.
First off, nice article i enjoyed the read. I'm quite shocked by the number of people who don't understand how the eye works I've got to say, i though that would have been covered by primary school science, but i guess not. Also, as to the common sense comments, id have to say it really depends on exactly what definition of common sense your going by. By its literal meaning,Psychology is indeed common scene as is 2+2 right on though astro-physics, Possibly even more so, being more reliant on interpretation than the hard sciences.
Anyway, thanks for the interesting read :)
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"Whatever your beliefs are, you're right. If you believe that you use 10% of your brain, you do. If you don't, you don't."
- Anthony
Huh? Beliefs in regards to reality are somewhat irrelevant. Believing gravity doesn't exist isn't going to grant you the ability to fly, equally believing you only use 10% of your brain, will not make it so. Its perfectly possible to believe something's true when its in reality false, so those holding the idea humans use superman vision system are still wrong?
Someone's inability to process new evedence and refine the opinions, is a flaw in themselves, not in the information presented.