Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share Debunked Myths That Everyone Still Believes Today

People Share Debunked Myths That Everyone Still Believes Today
Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

People believe some really ridiculous stuff, don't they?

When I was younger, it seemed every adult believed that you couldn't swim for several hours after eating. Why did they all believe this? I fought them on this all the time, by the way.

I shouldn't have had to, just because I'd eaten some barbecue during a pool party.

Guess what, though? That belief is unfounded.

People told us more about the myths that annoy them after Redditor SugoiSuu asked the online community,

"What are the myths that got debunked multiple times but still believed by people?"

"That you get warts from frogs. Warts come from the human papillomavirus and come from contact with the virus through broken skin. It is a human-specific virus and cannot be spread through different species."

mtn_cat

Why do people believe this crap?

Do they still think you can kiss a frog and turn him into a prince, too?

"Popping your knuckles is actually harmless and the "study" that claimed it caused arthritis was heavily flawed. Studies now show that it has nothing to do with causing arthritis."

l-e-mon

I believed this... when I was a kid. I eventually learned. But the adults who still believe this? What's up with that?

"Many people still believe..."

"Many people still believe hymens are like plastic food seals that cover up the hole and get popped when you have sex for the first time, and if a girl doesn't bleed she's not a virgin."

[deleted]

The myths surrounding women's bodies are just ridiculous thing, aren't they?

Here's an idea: SEX ED!

"That if you get too close..."

"That if you get too close to a baby bird, the mother will smell human on the baby and abandon the nest. You probably should still avoid touching baby birds for other reasons like disease or risking injury to the animal though."

NawlSideNative

THE REJECTION!

But yeah, this doesn't happen. So farfetched.

"That fish only have a 5-second memory. My fish are fed automatically on a timer and they know dinner time better than my goddamn cat."

Osr0

I bet they do. Animals are much smarter than we give them credit for.

"That one thing..."

"That one thing about swallowing like 7 spiders a year in your sleep. Why the hell did anyone ever think that was a thing?"

ReaperSCP

Because people are gullible.

Sooooo gullible.

It hurts.

"That your hair..."

"That your hair and fingernails still grow after you die. It's mainly an optical illusion. Your skin decays and shrinks, causing hair and fingernails to look like they've grown."

CasinoKitten

I grew up hearing this. There are entire generations of people who believe this.

"That certain animal parts..."

"That certain animal 'parts' have healing/magical properties. Like tiger whiskers protect the wearer or rhino horn cures impotence and hangovers."

storm-in-a-teapot

Sorry to disappoint, guys, but animals are not "magic" and here for your personal amusement and woo-woo.

"That you have to wait..."

"That you have to wait 24 hours before filing a missing person report."

popthetab

We can definitely pin some of the blame on movies for this one. "Oh, you know for certain your daughter was kidnapped and might possibly be murdered? Looks like you'll have to take matters into your own hands and pursue some good old fashioned vigilante justice, sorry."

"No amount of reasoning..."

"That cats kill babies."

"I've run into this so many times since having kids. And it's not the older grandmas making these statements."

"I've had 20-year-olds tell me that you can't have cats if you plan to have babies because "they'll steal their breath" or some other variation. No amount of reasoning or rationale will dissuade them of this belief."

anothertimesometime

Cats are wonderful creatures. It's a shame that people believe such nonsense about them.

Here's some advice...

Google is your friend. It's very easy to debunk this stuff. I remember being taught that the tongue had taste zones––we even had to fill out a worksheet labeling the tongue's different zones. That's totally wrong, in case you haven't figured it out.

Know some myths that annoy you? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

screenshot from Fox News of Riley Gaines and Sophie Cunningham
Fox News

Riley Gaines Just Tried To Make Negative Fan Reaction To Anti-Trans WNBA Player All About Herself—And We Can't Even

The WNBA has been enjoying immense growth as more people tuned in to the women's NCAA championship then followed their favorite players to the professional league.

Sensing opportunity, Riley Gaines, a former collegiate swimmer who made a career out of tying a trans woman for 5th place in an NCAA championship race, went to a recent game between the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Max Miller
@MaxMillerOH/X

MAGA Rep. Offers Bonkers Reason For Why He Couldn't Have Assaulted His Ex-Wife In Bizarre Video

Ohio Republican Representative Max Miller was criticized for his defense against accusations that he assaulted his ex-wife during a custody exchange, saying he couldn't have abused his former partner because she had offered to cook him dinner days later.

Miller's ex-wife, Emily Moreno, alleged he poured hot water on her, held a gun to her head, and broke their daughter's collarbone. Despite the controversy, Miller has made no indication he’ll drop out of the Ohio House race.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot with Rosie O'Donnell; Donald Trump
On with Kara Swisher/YouTube; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Rosie O'Donnell Shares Brutally Accurate Assessment Of 'Snake Oil Salesman' Trump In Viral Takedown

Speaking to podcaster Kara Swisher, actor and comedian Rosie O'Donnell recently explained how she viewed President Donald Trump as a native New Yorker before he ever took office.

O'Donnell and Trump have feuded for years and O'Donnell, fearing the worst once Trump won the 2024 election, moved to Ireland shortly before he was inaugurated. She has cited the risks Project 2025 and Trump's potential retribution pose to her and her nonbinary child.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump; Ted Lieu
@atrupar/X; Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

Trump Just Claimed He Deserves To Receive 'Reparations' From Taxpayers—And Ted Lieu's Reaction Is All Of Us

California Democratic Representative Ted Lieu spoke out after President Donald Trump criticized the Justice Department's rescission of a proposed $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" compensation fund for January 6 defendants, saying he ultimately deserves "reparations" after "what they did to me."

Slavery was in fact a brutal legal institution, comprising the enslavement of Black people who were kidnapped from their homes and families and forced to reside in a foreign land where they served as the economic backbone of the American South. Advocates have long sought reparations for descendants of enslaved Black Americans as a result.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kalia "YaYa" Wong (left) and Mario Lopez (right) in the A.I.-generated video shared to X.
@mariolopezviva/X

Mario Lopez Hit With Backlash After Sharing Bizarrely Sexual AI Video Of His Niece At Dodgers Game

In the ever-growing category of social media posts people probably wish they could unsend, Mario Lopez's latest upload is making a strong case for the top spot.

The actor and Access Hollywood host is facing backlash after sharing a since-deleted X video—captured by freelance journalist Yashar Ali—featuring himself and his niece, Kalia "YaYa" Wong, at a Los Angeles Dodgers game.

Keep ReadingShow less