Some myths are so strongly internalized by cultures, and even passed on to future generations, that a revelation of the actual truth somewhere along the line went completely ignored.
After all, myths are often ore colorful than facts. They appeal to intuition, and they usually have a seductive cause and effect set up.
Often, they center around health--how to preserve good health or, in some cases, how to avoid catastrophe. And remedies like that often come from parents, grandparents, or kids at school, all of whom are so influential for some kid wrapping his head around the world throughout childhood.
And let's face it, the urging, wise words of grandma are far more compelling than a newspaper article about a debunking study that just came out.
But now, as adults, we're ready for the truth. And Reddit brought it in spades with a recent thread.
Mutating_Mammal asked, "What are some common 'facts' that people believe to be true even if the existing evidence states the contrary?
Reality is Less Charming
"Camels don't use their humps to store water. They use them to store fat reserves., Because storing fat reserves around the body like humans would keep them too warm, so they have it all in one spot."
-- Cielbird
Portions Gone Awry
"Myth: 'The pool is definitely clean, it has such a strong chlorine smell!' "
"Fact: A strong chlorine-like smell, like the kind you associate with public pools, is actually an indication that the water is not chemically balanced. It might even be a sign that the pool needs more chlorine."
-- theTinderess
Relevant!
"If the police arrest you and do not read your rights, the case will automatically be thrown out."
"That only invalidates any interrogation they conduct."
In Case You Were Feeling Old
"That 30 used to be considered 'ancient' back when the average life span was 25 or whatever. The average is offset by a huge number of child deaths. 30 was never ancient."
"Even hunter gatherer societies had people routinely living into their 60s."
-- ben_abuyah
A Much Quieter Killer Than We Thought
"A person drowning is not likely to be flailing wildly and yelling like in the movies. Drowning can often happen with mostly silence, especially with kids."
"Read up on the signs, it might save a life. I was drowning and lost consciousness when I was 5, I was told I barely made a sound. I went under, sucked in lungs full of water when I tried to cry out in surprise and blacked out. If it wasn't for my dad's instincts and quick action I'd be dead."
-- Guitar3544
Crunches are not Lasers
"A lot of people think they can burn belly fat by doing crunches or slim their arms down by doing push-ups, but targeted fat loss isn't possible & there's no evidence to suggest it is." -- TokoyamiTreadwell
"True. One analogy for this I heard involves a pool of water and a bucket. If you take water out of the pool with the bucket (burning calories to burn fat), even if you scoop in one place it will remove water evenly across the pool. Some people's genetics store fat more in certain parts of the body and you can't spot reduce body fat." -- xiGoose
A Well-Intentioned Myth
"That if you touch a baby animal, like a bird or rabbit, it's mother will neglect it and it will die. That is a myth. It was just a way for parents to get their kids to leave baby animals alone." -- Marius314
"Can confirm. Grew up in the 80's and my parents drilled this into me." -- NicolasSequeiraSucks
A Relieving Truth
"Cracking your knuckles too often will give you arthritis. Nope, no conclusive study has ever backed this up. It just releases the gas from the synovial fluid in your joints, which is neither good nor bad."
Rules are Rules, Haters
"You can tap a block to see if it is loose in Jenga which is stated quite explicitly in the rules and f*** you everyone who said i couldn't." -- benj_1029
"It's not out until it's free of the system or it falls. I remember you can even try to put it back before it's out to try a different one! Maybe that's house rules, though." -- rotaryrose00
A Sore Subject
"Cutting your facial hair makes it grow in thicker. I had a full on argument with an individual who firmly believed that genetics played no possible role in hair growth whatsoever. I have never been more perplexed or angry in my entire life."
"Sincerely,"
"bald at 25"
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