What’s an annoying myth that people still cling to as truth? There are so many, and it feels like new idiotic things pop up every day. Nonetheless, these were the best responses after someone asked for examples of these myths.
1. Undercover Cops
The number-one-voted falsehood is, “An undercover cop has to tell you they’re a cop if you ask them.” One painted the picture, “Imagine an undercover cop investigating a crew of violent criminals, and one of them asks, hey, are you a cop? He’s forced to reply with the truth, knowing they will surely murder him.”
2. Only Using 10% of Our Brains
Someone rebutted, “The myth that we only use 10 percent of our brain. The best analogy I’ve heard is that we use 100%, in the same way, a traffic light uses 100% of its bulbs. Not all at the same time. Also, certain situations do cause a total of 100% brain activity. They’re called Grand Mal seizures.”
3. Baby Bird Abandonment
Another noted it’s a myth “That if you touch a baby bird, its mother will abandon it because of the smell. Birds actually have a very crummy sense of smell.”
4. Missing Persons
“That you need to wait 24 hours to file a missing person’s report,” shared one. “It’s the exact opposite. The first twenty-four hours are the most important.”
5. Backwards ATM Pin Codes
Someone shared a myth that if you “Enter your PIN backward on an ATM, it will automatically summon police for you. That did the rounds on British social media for a while, and many people still believe it.” Another confessed, “I heard that many years before anyone ever heard of social media. What if your PIN is, if you will, a palindrome?”
6. Tangled Baby
One volunteered, “There are a ton of ridiculous myths around pregnancy. The worst one I was told never to raise my arms over my head, so the baby didn’t get tangled in the umbilical cord.” Another said, “I was told if you carry your belly higher/lower, it’s supposed to determine the gender of the baby.”
7. Meaningless Hobbies
“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,” one confessed. A second added, “I play guitar. Cost me $1600 with maybe a $50 upkeep per year, but the hours a day I spend on it instead of on TV, Netflix subscriptions, drinking, and drugs, I save money.”
8. Wolves Alpha Theory
“The alpha theory for wolves,” one suggested. “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.”
9. Carrots Give Good Eyesight
“The myth that carrots give you good eyesight,” one noted. “Dear Lord. For all those geniuses pointing out that nutrients from carrots benefit eyes, sure they do.
Still, there’s no direct correlation between improved eyesight and carrots. There’s no proof that excessive consumption of carrots provides any extra improvement in eyesight, that too more than any other food. This myth was also admitted as a false rumor spread to keep the radar tech a secret during WWII.”
10. MSG
One person shared, “The myth that MSG is bad for you,” before another said, “Yes, it’s so incredibly annoying. MSG tastes great and adds a little razzle-dazzle to certain food. The unhealthy food people eat is bad for them, not the MSG.”
11. Greek and Roman Sculpture and Architecture
“Ancient Greek and Roman sculpture and architecture being pure white marble,” one explained. “They are now. That’s because art dealers long long ago washed the paint off.” A second added, “Same for churches and cathedrals all over Europe. They were painted bright colors. It washed off over time, and the stone reappeared, but they were painted.”
12. Waiting to Swim an Hour After Eating
“That you can’t swim after eating and must wait at least an hour,” answered another. “It is an old myth, now debunked. For example, in Australia as a child in the early 1980s, we were often warned that ‘eating before swimming causes cramps, and cramps lead to drowning.”
13. Getting a Cold From Going Outside With Wet Hair
“You’ll catch a cold if you go outside with wet hair. The idea of being out in the cold, causing you to catch a cold, is maddening. The science is pretty clear that we get colds in the winter because a) we spend more time indoors and b) the dry indoor air makes it easier for viruses to travel from person to person. Yet many people still cling to these medieval-style beliefs about illness.”
14. The Whole Female Anatomy Debacle
One of the biggest myths still spreading around high school hallways, college dorm rooms, and other places young men congregate is that if a woman is active, her anatomy will become larger permanently. Women have babies and recover. So, do the math. This myth is absurd but widely circulated.
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15. Blood Is Blue
“Your blood is blue and only turns red when it hits oxygen coming out of you,” one asked. “Why do I hate that I was taught this myth in school?” Several others confessed to being taught this one too.
This thread inspired this post.
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Elizabeth Ervin is the owner of Sober Healing. She is a freelance writer passionate about opioid recovery and has celebrated breaking free since 09-27-2013. She advocates for mental health awareness and encourages others to embrace healing, recovery, and spirituality.