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."
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.
