To develop – and maintain – a good concentration ability, you need to practice using them.

In fact, Socrates was against writing (yes, actually putting words to paper) because it would atrophy our ability to memorize since we would be too reliant on the written words to actually use our memory and thinking.

Although we consider this an extreme measure (particularly in our modern world), his point is correct.

If you don’t use your attention, memory, or thinking, those faculties will start to atrophy, just like a muscle that it’s not being used.

Although this is pretty evident and obvious, we tend to avoid it. Mainly because our brains want as less work and effort as possible.

If we give two possible roads to take, our brain will always take the easiest one due to the principle of energy saving. It wants to conserve its energy as much as possible.

That’s why apps like TikTok can flourish. It gives us a passive consumption of precisely what we want. Its algorithm adjusts to what we spend more time watching. And more often than not, these are basic, short, funny videos. They are easy and fast to consume, so our brain loves them.

But our brain needs something else.

We can think of our brain and mind as small children that we need to discipline. We also wouldn’t give children everything they want. Therefore, just because our brain wants fast, easy consumption of funny videos, it doesn’t mean we should give it.

Instead, we need to balance what our brain wants with what our brain needs. And if you want good mental development, you should use your memories, attention, and thinking actively, which is what we train in the Concentration and Mind Control course.