Article created by: Justinas Keturka
Ask people any of these questions: whether mice really love cheese, sugar makes kids hyperactive, or if Ancient Greek architecture was made of pure white marble, and there is a big chance they will nod their heads in agreement.
But many of these common beliefs that live years and years rooted in our conventional wisdom have little to do with facts. So today we looked at this illuminating Reddit thread where people named all the annoying myths many of us still cling to, and it may help us to recalibrate our truth and fiction radar if it’s out of sync.
That carnivorous pets can live healthily on a vegan diet.
Stop it. It's animal abuse.
Vaccines cause autism.
That having hobbies as an adult is only worth it if it brings in money. No, I love my meaningless and expensive hobbies, even if they don't bring in any income.
Billionaires are smart and we should be “grateful” for the jobs they provide.
The 'just world fallacy'[people get what they deserve].
It's responsible for a lot victim-blaming, which re-traumatizes people who have already been traumatized. It's the worst.
Sometimes bad things happen to people who don't deserve it. It shouldn't be that difficult to grasp.
The alpha theory for wolves, people still believe it even though the person who made the theory took it back. The ‘alpha’ of wolves is actually just the pack’s parents, and the pack is usually made up of their offspring.
That we only use 10 percent of our brain
That polygraphs are accurate and irrefutable in detecting lies.
That antibiotics are needed for colds.
Zodiac signs and their effect on our everyday lives
The Shirley exception.
When looking at an issue, they assume that anyone who REALLY needs it will “Surely get taken care of…”
I.E. “All abortion should legally be banned, but surely one’s where the mother and child die will be taken care of.”
“It doesn’t matter how we treat prisoners because surely the ones there on accident are going to be protected.”
“This job won’t fire you for missing too much work because you’re REALLY sick, surely they realize that?”
“We don’t need to make strict laws about disability access because surely the legitimate cases will be taken care of.”
There is no Shirley making sure everyone is legitimate and those who need it with get some kind of justice in a magical fairy bending the rules just for them.
That when you meet "the one" you just know. And that there is a "one" for every one of us.
There are a ton of ridiculous myths around pregnancy. The worst one I was told was not to ever raise my arms over my head so the baby didn't get tangled in the umbilical cord.
"Lightning *never* strikes twice in the same place."
Not so much a myth but a misconception… I still hear people laugh at the fact that solar powered flashlights exist, thinking they must be useless because flashlights are only needed in darkness, where solar panels won’t generate anything.
They charge their batteries with sunlight. The batteries supply power on demand. Was that such a difficult concept?
You will catch a cold from being cold.
An undercover cop has to tell you they're a cop if you ask them.
Videogames cause violence. There is literally no correlation.
“Your blood is actually blue but only becomes red when it comes out of you”
That if you shave it grows back thicker
Road widening improves traffic flow. It doesn't, if anything it just causes induced demand and within Months the road is congested again.
That you cant swim after eating and must wait at least an hour.
That carrots give you good eyesight
That msg is bad for you
Ancient Greek and Roman sculpture and architecture being pure white marble.
They are now. That's because art dealers long, *long* ago washed the paint off.
Watermelon seeds can grow watermelons in our stomachs
