The Illusion of Potential

• We have tremendous potential to learn new skills and improve our cognitive abilities. Many suffer from an illusion, however, that there are easy ways to unlock this potential. The brain’s potential is vast, but it takes time and effort to tap it. If you want to get better at something your best bet is to practice that thing. Some metal skills transfer to other highly similar skills, but there doesn’t seem to be any single activity that will make you broadly smarter. There is evidence that aerobic physical exercise can lead to improvement in cognitive tasks. Sitting in a chair and doing cognitive puzzles is far less beneficial than walking for as little as a few hours a week.

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