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The Most Disturbing Secrets People Have Discovered About Someone Close To Them

Reddit user Electrical-Lemon187 asked: 'What’s the most disturbing secret you’ve discovered about someone close to you?'

Man with hand covering mouth in shock
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It takes one revelation about a person you know to suddenly have a completely different view of them.

A hidden talent, for example, can make you more impressed about a friend you had no clue could carry a tune.

Or someone who did an uncredited good deed can change your mind about them after you assumed they were the type of person who could care less about helping others.

But what happens if there's a sinister secret about a person you thought you knew coming to light?

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Woman whispering to another woman who is gasping
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Time and time again, people spreading lies about others for no reason has demonstrated the lack of humanity in our gossip-obsessed society.

People have nothing better to do other than to bring down others out of spite.

What's even more disappointing is that some of us have at one point played a part in perpetuating these rumors without even knowing it.

And other times, we are the subject of a rumor, and that's never fun.

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Conspiracy Theories People Absolutely Believe Are True
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We've sure been hearing the term "conspiracy theory" a lot lately.

And if history has taught us anything, it's that it would do us all good to avoid them altogether as they are rooted in falsehoods tied to clandestine government plans and sinister plots–which, yeah, doesn't sound good.

But like anyone spinning a rumor, people tend to latch on to spurious information that cannot be verified by science or fact because it's just easy to go along with it without taking the time for research.

But there are some conspiracy theories that do make us wonder if there is something to them.

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People Break Down The Stupidest Propaganda They've Ever Heard
Kyle Glenn/Unsplash

When we think of propaganda, we might think of wartime propaganda. There's that poster of Uncle Sam telling you to join the army that comes to mind.

Propaganda has been around for quite some time before the early 1900s, it just wasn't always called that.

Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines Propaganda as:

"Spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person."

It's still used all the time today. So we went to Reddit to see what the most ridiculous propaganda people have ever seen.

Redditor ospreysstuff asked:

"What is the absolute stupidest propaganda you have ever heard?"

Here's what Reddit had for us.

Anti-Trains

"I remember seeing an Anti Train Flyer from like the 1800s, said something like God didn't intend man to go faster than 20MPH. Or something along those lines."

- Elwalther21

"I recall reading that a report on the proposal for the first German railway suggested lining the route with a high board fence so that innocent bystanders would not be adversely affected by exposure to the sight of a train running as fast as 20-30 mph."

- steelgate601

"This feels like marketing, like how potatoes were popularised through the use of armed guards in fields."

- TheMania

"My high school history book said that a Prussian king ate a plate full of cooked potatoes in front of a crowd to prove that potatoes were a safe alternative for grain."

- Freezing_Wolf

Women shouldn't do anything.

"'Women shouldn't be allowed to vote because the stress of voting would cause them to become infertile.'"

- ss_00_14

"See also, 'Women shouldn't ride trains because the high speed will make their uteruses fly out.'"

- thewarnersisterDot

"See also: 'Women shouldn't be allowed to run marathons because all the running will cause their uteruses to fall out.'"

"This was in the 1960s, IIRC. Within living memory. Less than a lifetime ago."

- pbmcc88

Sporks from hell.

"'The spork is "the devil's utensil" because it is the amalgamation of the masculine fork and the feminine spoon and is trying to blur gender lines in society.'"

- -eDgAR-

"Man I wonder what that person thinks about knives."

- freemyboykaczynski

"'Stares at the pair of chopsticks. 'Which one of you is the fork?'"

- WolfgangVolos

Politician accused of witchcraft.

"There's a politician that was accused of witch craft a few years ago."

- Geepwriter

"Christine O'Donnell. She insisted 'I'm not a witch.'"

- JMW007

"That's what a witch would say."

- Syteron6

They want you to believe they're close.

"'Our company is a family.'"

- mythsofthevalley

"Our company is a family...a very toxic family."

- Seymour_John

"When I worked at Homedepot they had this monthly newsletter that came out called something like the Orange Apron that would get sent to your address. It was comically anti-union and with articles about employees pitching together to buy medical treatment for sick employees or volunteering off the clock in an Homedepot apron at a soup kitchen."

"It was a fun job but the magazine as look at our employees who don't have a living wage having to help each other out. Corporate and manager level I remember made a very good Salary with the jobs almost dangled above you to stay with no real chance at getting them."

- thecoolerllcoolJ

Conspiracy theories.

"JKF Jr. rising from the dead. WTF."

- 777lespaul

"Not only was he going to rise from the dead, he's also now a republican for some unknown reason. It's hilarious if you don't think about all the people who actually believed this."

- brownliquid

"He faked his death because his family didn't approve of him being a Republican. He was going to announce the reinstatement if Trump. Also, Elvis was coming back to give a concert."

- Myfourcats1

Alkaline water.

"Alkaline water is healthy for you, so better go buy some."

- erichmich

"Lemon infused alkaline water."

- outcastedOpal

"The stupidest selling scam water related thing I have heard is the one where 'water being oxidized means its old, which is bad.' Water is already oxidized, if its not, its not water because water is oxidized hydrogen."

- depressed_man1

"Everyone detests working from home so much and absolutely cannot wait to go back to the office full time...perpetrated by banks who are sh*tting themselves that commercial real estate might fall apart."

"I read this story in various forms in Canada two to three times a month. I have not met any of these people yet, virtually or otherwise."

- thewarnersisterDot

"America, land of empty industrial parks and full homeless encampments."

- shah357

"Don't forget the loads of articles about how much everyone adored commuting every day, especially on public transport! Yeah nah."

- tainkirrahe

These are very silly but real examples of propaganda. Like the JFK Jr. coming back from the dead episode, propaganda still works and had real consequences.

Be sure to really examine what you take in these days.

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People Break Down The Biggest Scandal To Ever Happen At Their School
Image by Igor Ovsyannykov from Pixabay

When word of a high school scandal first gets out, there is about a 45 second buffer period before every single person in the town knows what happened.

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