Myths have been around for millennia. Some are ridiculously beyond belief and need to go away, while others can be difficult to discern from the truth. In a recent discussion online, commenters shares myths they believe people need to stop falling for. Here are 12 of their top choices.
Cracking Your Knuckles Causes Arthritis
I used to hear from my parents all the time that cracking my knuckles would give me arthritis. As a young child I had no clue what that meant.
One commenter agrees, saying, “This one threw me for a loop when I eventually became flexible enough to crack the cartilage in my chest.”
I’m not a doctor, but taking it to that level sounds a little painful.
Wearing Red Makes Bulls Angry
Red makes bulls angry? We all accept it, but is it true.
One person cries foul, saying, “Yeah I think it’s probably the jabbing it with a bunch of little spears that make it angry, which is reasonable.”
That certainly makes sense.
That You Must Wait to Report a Missing Person
It’s a common thought that you should wait 24 or 48 hours to report a missing person. Maybe that was the case years ago, but it’s largely a myth today.
One person sarcastically points the foolishness of this myth, saying, “Ma’am, your infant son is probably just a runaway. They’re angsty and confused at that age. In all probability, he’ll come home in a day or two with his tail between his legs once he’s realize that a life riding the rails isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”
When in doubt, contact the authorities.
Vaccines Cause Autism
Don’t tell Jenny McCarthy this, but vaccines don’t cause autism. But, many people still fall for this idea.
“Not only is that study fake, it had multiple different profit motives, was full of literal lies, and contained multiple cases of life-threatening child abuse! While even saying it didn’t claim anything,” adds one person.
Healthy analysis is one thing, scare tactics are another.
MSG is Bad For You
As a child of the 80s I often heard about the ills of MSG. I often heard you should run from it.
Not so says one commenter, adding, “MSG is bad for you, most people believe it and those people probably have it at least once a week without knowing. It’s much better for you than salt.”
Shaving Makes Your Head Grow Thicker
Are you trying to get your locks to appear more luscious? Or, do you want your beard to be fuller? Perhaps shaving them will accomplish what you want.
Not so says many. “That shaving your hair in general will make it thicker! It doesn’t. It’s a visual illusion (due to the hair not being tapered to a point any more) and/or that you just forgot what it looked like before,” adds one person.
I know in my case it has never worked.
The 2020 Election Was Stolen
Somehow, President Trump knew before the 2020 election that it was going to be rigged. Unfortunately for him, that has been proven time and again as false.
Numerous court cases have proven otherwise. His own Attorney General has said many times it wasn’t stolen. Yet, some still believe it was. It’s time to let it go.
The Earth is Flat
The Earth is flat, right? It’s 2023 and still some people believe it is.
One commenter doesn’t understand it, saying, “I mean, I can understand the fake moon landing, the JFK conspiracies, the 9/11 being inside job. Literally countless conspiracies I can understand people believing them. They have some logic behind them. But the flat earth one? This one just boggles my mind. How can anyone believe that thing is beyond me.”
I’m with you there, buddy.
Carrots Improve Eyesight
Carrots are great for you. They have vital nutrients, but they do little to improve your health.
“I hate this one. There was an absolute fool in my scout troop who had a stupidly bright headlamp, constantly ruining the rest of the troops night vision. He claimed he needed it because he ‘couldn’t get night vision’ because his family couldn’t afford carrots,” adds one person.
If it were only that easy to eat some carrots and get better vision.
Introverts Don’t Like People
As an introvert I often hear that I don’t like people. That’s not at all the case. I just need time to recharge.
One person agrees, saying, “Being an introvert means that I need to recharge my social batteries away from people (unlike extroverts who recharge their batteries while being with people).”
Very well said.
Being Cold Gives You a Cold
Raise your hand if your Mom told you that being cold makes you ill. We all hear it, but it’s incorrect.
“There’s a slight decrease in your immune system that makes a marginal difference in your probability of catching a cold but it’s next to nothing. The colder temperatures are correlated with more colds because this is when humans come indoors and congregate together which is what spreads disease,” adds one person.
I’ve had doctors tell me the same thing, so I’ll go with that.
Trickle Down Economics is Good For Workers
President Reagan heralded the ‘promise’ of trickle down economics. The intention may have been good, but it’s only good for some people, not everyone.
One person summarizes it quite well, with a bit of sarcasm, saying, “If we give all of this money to one person with a history of hoarding it, surely they’ll share!”
It sounds about right.
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This thread inspired this post.
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