Brain Up! Why I’m teaching myself Japanese
Like muscles that go slack without use, the research people tell us that using the same old neural pathways does nothing but create a well-worn groove. As far as honing mental acuity, cognitive focus and all the qualities that render that top-of-our-game experience, real mental exploration in unknown territory is required. Problem is, we’re wired to gravitate to what we know. The brain gets lazy. And, man, it’s hard to speak a syllable in a language other than English.
This is from SharpBrains.com “The 10 Habits of Highly Effective Brains”:
The point of having a brain is precisely to learn and to adapt to challenging new environments. Once new neurons appear in your brain, where they stay in your brain and how long they survive depends on how you use them. “Use it or lose it” does not mean “do crossword puzzle number 1,234,567″. It means “challenge your brain with fundamentally new activities.”
Chop, chop.
