Things People Were Told By Adults As A Kid That Turned Out To Be Total BS

Parents hoping to prevent a bad habit had interesting things to impart.

Advancing Bone Degeneration

"Cracking your fingers make you get arthritis."

– Haik11

Stroking Fear

"If you keep masturbating, you'll go blind."

– K333N4N

Interesting things were said in school but not everything stuck.

The Threat That Didn't Land

"HS teachers: 'That stuff won't fly in college" College: ✈️✈️✈️✈️'

– Comfortable_Wish_930

An Easy Pass For Today

"I got this BS all through school. 'I'll let this slide, but don't think you'll get away it next year...' "You can do this now, but don't think it'll happen in Middle School...' 'Don't expect to get away with this in High School...' 'Yeah, we'll let this go in High School, but if you think you'll get that sort of accomodation in college/the real world...(evil laugh)'. "

"Eventually, I caught on that it was more dependent on the teacher's attitude rather than anything else. Small example, in high school I couldn't remember the name of a town on a test, but I could remember everything else, even drew the diagram the teacher had the board in the margin, just to prove I had paid attention that day. Still got marked wrong. In college, similar brain fart, couldn't recall a place name, but I put as much description as I could otherwise. Professor gave me half credit."

– GrandSpecter

The Wrong Impression

"DARE activities in primary school gave the impression that grownups would always be giving away narcotics for free. lol"

– MiguelinaKnudsen

College Myth

"That a degree would open all the doors and knowing about politics, history and general stuff would make me an interesting person and that socializing was a waste of time. Nowadays I work for a big4 but I have the personality of a boiled potato. And they have the nerves to ask why I don't have a girlfriend or more friends at 27. Teach your kids social skills. Studying is not everything."

– davidmt1995

Certain behaviors get fact-checked.

The Thing About Respect

"That you gotta have respect for you elders.... Don't get me wrong you gotta have respect for everyone but I'm only gonna give what you give me. If you are a butthole ima be a butthole."

– Ok_Win7358

There Are No Stupid Questions...Maybe

“No harm in asking', boy did that get me in trouble…"

– khamelean

Combating Bullies

"Re: bullies."

'Just ignore them and they'll go away.'

"No it doesn't. It just makes them laugh so they do it more."

– j-c-s-roberts

Getting Old But Never Wiser

"That adults know what they are doing."

"31 and I feel like a chicken with his head cut off."

– Brontolope11

You Are Not What You Eat

"That you can't be full unless you eat bread. Carbs actually make you hungrier. Protein fills you up."

"Also: if you drink coffee, you'll grow a tail. Don't ask me where I'm from."

– Senishte1992

I was a very rambunctious and obnoxious kid, so maybe I deserved the tactic my mother resorted to using to get me to be on my best behavior.

Whenever I acted out, my mother used to convince me she would call the "mountain people" to come back and retrieve me back to the community from where she claimed to have initially found and adopted me.

One time, when I was incredulous and stood my ground after being a pain, my mother told me the mountain people were going to take me back.

So she called them up by using our rotary-dial telephone and faked a whole conversation with them about how unruly I've been and that it was time for me to return.

She sent me to my room to start packing–which I did. Unbeknownst to me, she rang the doorbell to indicate they had arrived to take me away.

When that happened, I profusely apologized to her and promised to behave so she could send them away.

That was the last time she used that effective tactic and the last time I think I was at my worst in terms of my rebellious behavior.

We laugh about it now but back then, I was terrified.

But I can't discredit her for her creative discipline.