Today, the world celebrates Brainless Day, which seems to have stretched on for many years. If once humanity sought knowledge, analyzed, discussed and searched for the truth, now the trend is completely different: “don’t complicate”, “don’t bother”, “trust simple explanations”. Critical thinking gives way to impulsive reactions, and in-depth analysis is supplanted by blind faith in the headlines pushed by the social media algorithm. Manipulations, fakes, primitive slogans – all this has long become a part of our everyday life, and what’s worse, many people don’t even try to resist it. Moreover, intelligence annoys them.
Interesting facts about the brain
Today is the Day without Brains – a symbolic holiday started to take a break from difficult decisions and accept simplicity in your life. And while someone allows himself the luxury of “taking a break from thinking”, it is worth wondering if many of us are not in this state permanently. But let’s start with interesting facts about the brain. It is one of the most mysterious organs of the human body, which functions continuously, providing our consciousness, thinking and memory. It is a unique structure that consumes about 20% of the body’s energy, although it occupies only 2% of the body’s weight. It is able to process more than 11 million bits of information per second, but we consciously perceive only 40-50. The rest is on autopilot. It is this “autopilot” that often plays an evil joke on us: simplifying the complex, avoiding analysis and blindly following patterns. Isn’t that what our everyday lives are about?
Despite popular myths, it works at full capacity, and its capabilities have no clearly defined limits. Our brain does not have a limited amount of memory like a computer hard drive. He is able to accumulate new knowledge without the need to “make room”. However, for effective memorization, it is important to give him a rest – it is during sleep that information is sorted and consolidated.
Despite all the myths about “intellectual fatigue”, the brain does not get tired from mental work. The feeling of exhaustion that a person feels after long hours of mental activity is not caused by the thinking process itself, but by emotional stress. Analysis of the blood circulating through the brain during intellectual activities does not reveal any changes.
Regarding the physical characteristics of the brain, it is worth noting that the sperm whale has the largest brain among animals – its weight reaches 8-9 kg. In humans, the average weight of the brain is 1.3-1.4 kg, and in men it is usually slightly larger than in women. However, this does not in any way affect intellectual abilities – the structure and neural connections are the determining factors of mental abilities.
Interestingly, the human brain generates between 25,000 and 50,000 thoughts every day, of which about 70% are negative. This is due to the evolutionary need to anticipate danger and respond to threats. Also, more than 100,000 chemical reactions take place in the brain every second, which support its continuous activity. At the same time, separate parts of the brain are responsible for various functions: motor skills, speech, memory, information analysis. Resection of certain areas of the brain can lead to the loss of specific skills, but thanks to neuroplasticity, other parts of the brain are able to partially compensate for the lost functions.
An interesting feature of the brain is that it does not feel pain, because it does not have pain receptors. That is why neurosurgical operations on the brain can be performed without anesthesia – patients can remain conscious. However, a headache is not a brain pain, but a reaction of its membranes or blood vessels. Another feature is that our brain is 60% fat. They are vital for maintaining his cells, transporting vitamins and maintaining the flexibility of his membranes. This is why a diet rich in omega-3 and omega-6 is key to cognitive function.
Regarding the statement that people only use 9-10% of their brains. This is a myth. In fact, the brain works completely and continuously. However, the use of his intellectual potential depends on individual development – the more a person trains his thinking, the more actively different areas of the brain are involved.
According to a Princeton University study, people spend no more than 3% of their time in truly deep thinking. The rest is a repetition of habitual decisions, emotional reactions and copying the behavior of the environment. Interestingly, the same scientists confirmed: if a person does not develop analytical abilities, the neural connections responsible for critical thinking literally atrophy. In simple words, the brain is lazy. The so-called “era of superficial thinking” plays a special role. Research from the University of Oxford confirms that over the past 20 years, the average attention span of people has decreased from 12 seconds to 8. For comparison, a goldfish has this indicator – 9 seconds. Draw your own conclusions.
And finally, neuroscientists have proven that falling in love is not only an emotional, but also a biochemical process. MRI images clearly show the activation of brain areas responsible for the release of dopamine, the pleasure hormone. This means that the state of being in love has a very specific neurophysiological basis. In general, male and female brains have certain characteristics. For example, men have more neurons in the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for logical thinking, spatial orientation and analytical skills. Women have better developed connections between the hemispheres, which allows them to process emotional information faster and solve several tasks at the same time.
Therefore, the human brain is not just an organ, but a complex system that works continuously, changes and adapts to new challenges. Its possibilities are incredible, and the more we explore it, the more we realize how limitless they are.
Manipulation of consciousness
Mind manipulation is not a conspiracy theory, but a very real mechanism used in politics, media and marketing. Its main goal is to control public opinion, create the necessary narratives, and shape predictable behavior. Instead of overt coercion, they use subtle methods of influence that operate on the emotional, cognitive, and psychological levels.
One of the most powerful tools is the principle of information fragmentation. A person is given only part of the truth, taken out of context, and forced to draw conclusions based on incomplete data. As a result, a distorted perception of events is created. That is why news headlines often do not correspond to the content of the article – their main purpose is not to inform, but to evoke the necessary emotion. At the same time, a very effective technique is to saturate the information space with unnecessary noise. The constant flow of sensationalism, conflicting news and entertainment content reduces a person’s ability to think analytically. When the brain is overloaded, critical evaluation of information weakens and trust in simplistic explanations increases.
The technique of repetition also plays a key role – the more often a certain thought is repeated, the truer it seems. This phenomenon is called the “illusion of truth” – even if the information seems absurd at first, its repeated repetition makes it familiar, and therefore more acceptable to the mass consciousness.
Another trick is to create an “image of the enemy”. The human brain works according to the principle of simplification: “own – other’s”, “good – evil”. Therefore, the easiest way of manipulation is to convince society that all problems are caused by a specific group of people or an ideology. It ignites emotions, eliminates the need to analyze complex processes and gives the illusion of easy solutions.
The phenomenon of the Dunning-Kruger effect complicates the situation even more. People with a low level of knowledge often have the greatest confidence in their own rightness. They are unable to appreciate their own incompetence, so they actively spread simple but false explanations. That is why the loudest opinions on social networks often belong to those who do not even bother to verify the information.
Cognitive dissonance is another factor that interferes with the objective perception of reality. When a person sincerely believes in a fake, he activates the same areas of the brain as true information. This explains why even proven facts are unable to change the beliefs of many people. That is, the brain protects its own picture of the world and rejects what contradicts the usual idea of reality.
The concept of “Overton’s window” plays a special role in the manipulation of public consciousness. Its essence lies in the gradual shift in the acceptability of ideas in society. At first, a radical concept seems unacceptable, then it is discussed as a possible option, and later it becomes a social norm. This allows changing the values of society without direct coercion, only through the correct dosage of information.
Thus, the manipulation of mass consciousness is a complex system of influence that works through information flows, psychological effects, and control of social narratives. And as long as a person believes that his thoughts are formed independently, he can already be part of a carefully planned process.
Surface thinking and brain degeneration
The modern world has created an ideal environment for superficial thinking. People are no longer interested in deep analyzes of events, historical parallels or complex philosophical concepts. Everything should be short, simple and clear at a glance. Long analytical articles have been replaced by short posts and comics, books by video clips, and complex discussions by primitive slogans.
Most do not even try to verify the information. Everything that sounds loud, creative and confident is perceived as the truth. A screaming headline on social media carries more weight than a serious investigation. Evidence? Facts? They are not interesting when there is an emotional narrative that pleasantly confirms personal beliefs. Critical thinking is replaced by simple maximalist and polar schemes: “own – other’s”, “good – evil”, “ours – enemies”.
The worst thing is that society stops being interested in its own past. History no longer teaches because it is not read. And without history, there is no understanding of how the cycles of the development of societies work, how the same mistakes are repeated. Classical literature, which could teach how to analyze human nature, also becomes irrelevant. Why? Because it requires time, attention and thinking, and people don’t like to strain. Many people remained with the acquired school knowledge, without developing and expanding their worldview.
Moreover, intelligence is starting to get annoying. People who know how to think more broadly, ask uncomfortable questions, criticize and do not believe in convenient answers, spoil the simplified picture of the world, which is so easy to accept without thinking. Smart people cause hostility because they force the brain to strain. And thinking is becoming unfashionable in modern society.
Oxford Dictionaries has identified brain rot as the word of the year 2024, reflecting the alarming trend of cognitive decline due to excessive consumption of low-quality content. In today’s world, where information spreads faster than it can be comprehended, brain degeneration becomes not just a metaphor, but a real threat.
The digital age has given rise to a new form of information consumption, where attention is scattered between endless news feeds, short-form videos and primitive entertainment content. Scientists emphasize that this approach to obtaining information changes the structure of the brain, reducing the ability for long-term analysis, concentration and critical thinking. This may explain why more and more people prefer simplistic answers and do not seek to delve into complex social or political issues.
The phenomenon of “brain rot” is closely related to the influence of social networks, where information is presented in the most concise form. Studies show that the modern user spends an average of 8 seconds evaluating information before moving on to the next source. This way of interacting with content forms a habit of superficial perception, which complicates the brain’s ability to process complex concepts.
In addition to digital overload, the problem is exacerbated by the proliferation of fake news and personalized feed algorithms that create “information bubbles.” A person begins to perceive only the information that corresponds to his views, ignoring alternative opinions. This leads to the polarization of society, lowering the level of discussion and general critical thinking.
Interestingly, the term “brain rot” is not new – its first use dates back to 1854 in Henry David Thoreau’s book “Walden”. However, in 2024 it took on a new meaning, reflecting concerns about the consequences of information consumption in the digital age. The recognition of this phenomenon by the world’s linguistic institutions indicates that society is beginning to realize the risks and look for countermeasures.
So, brain degeneration is not just a term, but a symptom of a general trend. If society continues to move in the direction of reducing the depth of analysis, abandoning critical thinking and mindlessly ingesting informational garbage, the consequences could be catastrophic. In this case, there will always be those who will take advantage of it. And they have been doing it for a long time.
Brainless Day is a holiday that should be a humorous opportunity to take a break from complex decisions and enjoy simplicity. But hasn’t this become the norm in our society? And the most important question: who benefits from a society that no longer wants to think? When simplistic thinking supersedes complex conclusions, reality becomes too convenient. And while someone rests from thoughts, those who control them work without days off.
Oksana Ishchenko
