People Confess The False 'Facts' They Believed For Way Too Long

People Confess The False 'Facts' They Believed For Way Too Long
tabitha turner on Unsplash

As impressionable youngsters, we absorb the information our elders teach us without question.

Kids and young teens don't challenge what they assume are facts until they get older and start developing the ability for critical thinking.
So when they eventually learn the truth about something a parent or other adult has bamboozled them into thinking for whatever reason, the revelation can be hilarious.
Curious to hear examples, Redditor Johnnyboi1322 asked:
"What false fact did you believe in for way too long?"

These innocent misinterpretations are completely understandable. Or are they?

The Remedy

"I used to think that eating cold turkey somehow helped people quit smoking."

– JLynn943

Don't Mess With The Bones

"Cracking your knuckles is bad for you and causes arthritis."

– lobie81

Star Power

"Wishing on stars was a real thing."

"When I was about 4 or 5 my dad overheard me wish on a bright star that the next time we went out to eat I would get a huge tub of vanilla ice cream (my fav)"

"A couple days later we went to the restaurant he was regional manager of (Hooters lmao) and out pops this waitress with one of those fancy tin things that you always see in gourmet restaurants in movies."

"You know, where they take the top of it off when you set it down? She sat it in front of me, pulled the top off, to reveal a big ole tub of vanilla ice cream. My little mind was blown and I don’t think I had ever been so excited."

"I would tell that story to prove my point until I was like 12 years old lol."

"My dad really is amazing, he was a single dad and grew up with 4 brothers and did the best he could with 3 daughters haha, I’m so thankful for everything he’s done and I can’t wait to share with him what you’ve all been saying. Keep on wishing ✌🏼 💫"

– humblyhuman888

We Have A Visual

"I thought that when blind people put on sunglasses, they can see."

– HuffyBumblebee

Knot So Much

"That the dr tied a knot in your umbilical cord when you're born, and the knot determines if you have an innie or outie belly button."

– kaia-bean

Undress Code

"That I couldn’t poo without being butt naked in the bathroom. You would be surprised how many naked poopers there are. It was tough for the longest time, like first 24 years or so. Needed to do it at home or in a leisurely space. Big gaps in American bathrooms didn’t make it any easier when others made laser eye contact with the naked pooper. Such a strange habit looking back at it."

– en-joy777

Family dinners were prime educational opportunities for parents.

Don't Scrap The Healthy Bits

"When I was a kid, my mom always told me that all the nutrition in bread is in the crust, so she wouldn't have to keep cutting it off. Found out that wasn't true when I was 20, after bringing it up to some friends. I still get sh*t for that."

– TheGriffnin

The Time Dad Brainwashed His Kids

"That artichoke hearts were toxic. All because my dad wanted me and my brother to leave them for him."

– caryatidcorp

The Truth About Pickles

"I had no clue that pickles and cucumbers were the same thing. I went to grow my first garden and commented that you can't find pickle seeds anywhere. /Facepalm"

– mYl1ttl3PWNY

Simmer Down Now

"I pointed out to a bud of mine something he held as truth for like 20+ years."

"If you boil water twice, it can kill you."

"His mom always screeched at him to fully empty a kettle before boiling more water, or when cooking once it's brought to a boil, then down to a summer, you're not allowed to bring the heat up again. Too much boiling WILL KILL YOU."

"A quick Google search proves this is wrong but also where the tiny grain of truth spun his mom's brain out of control. Things like fluoride won't boil off. So if you boil the same water or keep adding to boiled water, you will just concentrate these chemicals until you get a lethal dose! Except in order to do that you'd have to boil 100s of 1,000s of gallons of water AND drink it all in a single sitting. Which you would never do because drinking that much safe water could kill you a few times over."

– TheInnsmouthLook

Toxic Bonbon

"My grandad loved dark chocolates. He always told my dad that dark chocolate is poisonous to children so he wouldn't take any. Trouble is, he never corrected him."

"So, when my dad was 23 and at a friend's house, their toddler got hold of an after eight."

"Cue my dad leaping from the couch, shouting 'NO' and slapping the chocolate out of the toddler's hand."

– EmpressCheddarPickle

These Redditors strongly believed in their own assumptions.

The Truth Comes Crashing Down

"A blanket was a viable parachute when jumping off a porch..."

– Finalfantasylove85

When Kills A Spider

"That spiders have big territories, so if your father killed the ENORMOUS spider in your room it was safe to go to bed, because there would be no other spiders in the WHOLE house."

– chrisseren1988

A Sinister Tune

"That the song 'In the Air Tonight' by Phil Collins was about him witnessing a man letting another man drown."

– zenunseen

International Doppelgängers

"When I was younger I believed that in different countries a version of myself was there."

"Ex* in France there would be a French version of myself living a regular life."

– Warm-Presentation560

As a kid, I whistled a lot after discovering I was able to do it well.

I would whistle day and night. My mom finally put the kibosh on that when she told me, according to Japanese folklore, whistling at night was a signal for demons disguised as snakes would appear and wreak havoc on a family.

I was TEN, superstitious, and jumpy, and I believed that with every fiber of my being.

She could've told me to just stop it. But she went the creative route. Good one, mom.

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