Why do we need ways to be dumber? We don't of course, but there are two basic ways to improve oneself. The first is to actively engage in new thoughts and behaviors that are better, and the other is to avoid those patterns of though and behavior that make matters worse. This is based on the latter approach.



Here are some of the things people do that hurt their brains or get in the way of effective thinking. In other words, the things that make them dumber. If you see some of your own habits on the list, you can start getting rid of your bad habits.

1. Explaining too much. Sometimes, as soon as you have an explanation for something you stop thinking about it. For example, we explain human aggression as a "survival instinct," and leave it at that. But that leaves a lot of interesting questions unanswered doesn't it? (Like why do some have more of this than others?) Saying "I don't know," may feel like an uncomfortable admission of ignorance, but it often leads to more understanding, certainly more so than having a ready explanation for everything.

2. Too much alcohol. It has been shown in many studies now that moderate alcohol consumption is healthy, and even good for some aspects of brain function. "Moderate" means a drink or two each day at most, though. More than two and the evidence points to damage to brain cells.

3. Too many simple carbohydrates. The long term consequences of eating too much sugar, white flour and other simple carbohydrates include the risk of diabetes and obesity, and possibly a decrease in brain function. The latter hasn't yet been proven, but the short term effect is the well-known "sugar blues" which causes brain fog. Eat a big piece of sugary pie on an empty stomach and you will probably feel yourself getting dumber over the following half-hour.

4. Blaming circumstances. Even if a person or circumstance really causes a problem for you, focusing on blaming or excuse-making short-circuits your problem-solving thinking. If you are busy blaming, you aren't usually looking for a better approach to a situation. Also, once you make an excuse or blame someone, your mind unconsciously starts to look for evidence to support your belief, instead of thinking of a solution.

5. Too many hydrogenated fats. Hydrogenated oils, found in most packages foods now, cause heart disease and general clogging of the arteries - including those that feed the brain. Less blood flow means less ability for the brain to think clearly and to repair cells. Better alternatives are olive oil and canola oil.

6. Mental laziness. Yes, the brain really does need exercise, just like the rest of our bodies. The functioning of the various specific parts improves with practice (practice solving problems and you'll get better at it), but there are physical changes as well. Mental exercises have been shown to grow new brain cells and thicken some parts of the brain. Mental laziness, on the other hand, makes you dumber.

There are more ways than these to be dumber, but avoiding the ones listed here is a good way to start increasing that brainpower.