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Do you know that the brain of the world-renowned genius, Albert Einstein, was removed within seven and a half hours of his death?
What could be the reason for such an action? Well, I guess the doctor wants to see if his brain has any abnormalities. After all, a man like Albert Einstein must have had a very special brain to come up with the theory of relativity and other stunning insights that form the foundation of modern physics.
Author Bill Lucas shared five key principles that underpin our mind's operating systems in his book, Power Up Your Mind. Understanding these five key principles helps us in drawing out our brain’s full potential.
- The brain loves to explore and make sense of the world
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Your brain is endlessly seeking to make sense of what it experiences. It’s constantly searching for new data, and new experiences. So in order to ensure that your brain is powered up, you need to give it as many new experiences as possible, as well as time to make sense of them. Explore and liberate the brain
- The brain likes to make connections
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Has someone ever told you a half-truth? Yes, I guess. I also know that you immediately start trying to connect the dots to determine if what the person said was true or not.
Connecting the dots is a skill that is increasingly important for you as a person. People who can connect the dots are forward thinkers, innovators, and leaders.
The brain can become efficient in this skill when we begin to seek out new experiences or try things we haven’t done before. By doing this, we associate new pieces of information with old ones, and this ignites the brain’s hippocampus.
- The brain loves to imitate.
This is very obvious in our everyday lives. We are naturally copying beings since this is how we learn. When we are young, we learn to speak and communicate by observing and listening to others; this is known as imitation.
The capacity of the brain to mimic others is so important as it forms the basis for acquiring knowledge. By modeling the right behavior and standards, we improve our brain's capacity to do what’s right, which invariably affects our attitude in the right way.
- The brain thrives on patterns
The foundation of our civilization lies in our capacity to create patterns. Our road systems are built. We design number systems as well as languages. Humans always seek out patterns in their surroundings because learning is facilitated and made simpler by patterns.
Because the brain thrives on patterns, we can enhance this ability by participating in a variety of tactical activities, such as solving puzzles and other games, as this will keep the mind active.
- The brain does not perform well under too much stress
Your brain can only think about survival when it is under extreme stress, or what I refer to as chronic stress. This is the fight-or-flight response. In this case, blood and energy that might otherwise be used for higher-order thinking and learning are instead being used to prepare you for stressful situations.
It is equally important to note that not all stress is bad. Anything that forces you to grow and move out of your comfort zone is stressful but necessary for the primary development of your brain.
However, when an individual lives with chronic stress for a prolonged period of time, it can significantly or irreversibly damage and deteriorate your mental health.
The brain is arguably the most important organ in the human body. Understanding and caring for your brain is crucial for its optimal functioning and I believe these 5 tips have provided you with some knowledge about your brain.