Some myths just won’t die. In some cases, they sound somewhat plausible, which explains why so many people believe and repeat them. In others, though, they’re completely inane or something passed down through the generations.
Let’s check out some that just won’t go away no matter how many times you correct the people spreading them.
Touching a Baby Bird Will Cause the Mother to Abandon It
People say this about newborn fawns as well. Neither is correct, so it’s okay to help a baby bird that has fallen from its nest.
Cracking Your Knuckles Will Cause Arthritis
It won’t. This sounds like something someone would say because they find the sound of cracking knuckles annoying.
Swallowed Gum Takes Seven Years to Digest
Just about everyone heard this at some point while growing up. It’s false. If the idea was to encourage people not to chew gum, it didn’t work. Worse, a lot of people who believed this ended up spitting their gum out, and not always in trash cans.
Red Makes Bulls Angry
In reality, bulls cannot see the color red. What makes them charge is the matador repeatedly waving the red cape. The red cape is tradition, and it also helps mask the blood of the bull.
You Have to Wait 48 Hours to File a Missing Person Report
You’ll hear this all the time on TV and in movies, with people sometimes changing it to 48 hours. It isn’t true. If your child has vanished, report it to the police immediately.
Blood Is Blue Until Oxygen Contacts It
Somehow, people got the notion that oxygenated blood is red and non-oxygenated is blue. That’s not the case; all blood is red. This may have something to do with veins sometimes appearing blue under the skin, but that’s due to a lighting effect.
You Only Use 10% Of Your Brain
During your life, you will use all of your brain. The basis for this belief might be in the fact that you usually only use around 10% of your brain at one time.
Shaving Hair Makes It Grow Thicker
If you’re trying to grow a thick beard or mustache, this advice won’t help. How fast and thick hair grows is a matter of genetics and time, not the frequency of shaving.
A Raise Can Be a Net Loss by Making You Pay More in Taxes
The thinking here is that if you’re at the top of one tax bracket and you get a small raise, you might be at the bottom of the next higher bracket and end up losing more income to taxes. In reality, the only income taxed at a higher rate is the amount over that line.
30 Was Old in the Middle Ages
First of all, there isn’t enough information available to measure the average lifespan accurately back then. What’s true is that infant mortality rates were much higher than they are now, which would have driven down the average. However, people who survived childhood often lived into their 60s or older.
Schizophrenia Means Having a Split Personality
Schizophrenia involves delusions, and some people suffering from it hear voices. That voice is not a separate personality, though, and having multiple personalities is an entirely different disorder.
Daddy Long Legs Are Highly Venomous
Maybe you heard that they would kill massive numbers of people if only their fangs could pierce human skin. Or maybe you heard that they’re so venomous that swallowing one would kill you. Both are false.
Urine Will Soothe a Jellyfish Sting
If you see someone get stung by a jellyfish at the beach, please keep your swimsuit on. That person will only wonder why in the world you’re peeing on them, and they likely will be pretty mad as well.
Driving With Interior Lights on Is Illegal
This is not the case, but it might have been a good way for your parents to get you to stop turning those lights on in the car. It’s still not a good idea to have the lights on for very long, though, since they can interfere with visibility outside the windows.
A Wagging Tail Is a Sign of Friendliness
Often, this is true, but sometimes it’s a sign of aggression or anxiety, just as a dog baring its teeth is probably not “smiling.” Always be cautious around any dog you don’t know.
All the Animals in Australia Are Deadly
In truth, there are a lot of dangerous animals in Australia, such as crocodiles and some of the world’s most venomous snakes. But it’s a vast exaggeration to say they’re all deadly. As far as we know, no one has ever been mauled to death by a koala bear.
Swimming Right After Eating Is Dangerous
One take on this myth is that you’ll get cramps that could cause you to drown. No. However, it is more likely that you’ll throw up if you engage in strenuous activities while you’re still full.
Introverts Don’t Like People
One way to debunk this is to point out that many sociopaths who enjoy others’ suffering or are indifferent to it are extroverts with good “people skills.” Another is to explain that most introverts are just shy or get nervous in social situations.
Not Dressing Warmly Will Make You Catch a Cold
Underdressing in cold weather puts you at more risk of hypothermia, but it won’t make you catch a cold. Illnesses like the cold and flu are transmitted from person to person, and their rates spike in winter because people spend more time indoors and close to one another.
Breastfeeding Women Can’t Get Pregnant
If you’re trying to space out the little ones, this is bad advice for family planning. Women can get pregnant as soon as 3 weeks after giving birth, and it doesn’t matter if they’re breastfeeding or their periods haven’t resumed yet.
15 Things Dad Taught Us That We Still Use Today
Our dads have a unique way of imparting wisdom that sticks with us throughout our lives. From life lessons to practical advice, here are 15 things Dad taught us that we still use today.
15 Things Dad Taught Us That We Still Use Today
15 Things That We Hate the More We Age
Aging is a natural part of life, and while it comes with its fair share of wisdom and experience, it also brings about a unique set of dislikes that intensify with each passing year. As we grow older, our tolerance for certain things diminishes, leading us to develop a stronger aversion to various aspects of life.
We’ve compiled a list of 15 things we tend to hate more as we age.
15 Things That We Hate the More We Age
15 Modern-Day Cults That Are Hidden in Plain Sight
Think cults are a thing of the past? Think again. Let’s explore 15 modern-day cults that are hidden in plain sight. From religious extremist groups to exploitative business schemes, these organizations are flying under the radar.
15 Modern-Day Cults That Are Hidden in Plain Sight