50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In

The fingers on my two hands wouldn’t be enough to count how many times I’ve heard that Einstein was bad at school math. Or that bulls go into full-on rage mode when they see red.

Turns out, many of those are just urban myths disguised as common knowledge. So what other nonsense do we, my fellow human beings, all blatantly believe in? This thread on r/AskReddit may give us some answers as people share some of the most annoying myths we all are guilty of trusting in.

Have any annoying myth on your mind to add to this list? Hit us in the comment below!

This post may include affiliate links.

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In 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 , Dave Stokes Report

Final score:

550points

POST

Phil DeBlanc 3 years ago

This one pisses me off the most of anything on this list.

156points

View More Replies...

View more comments

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In That vaccines cause autism, are made by the government to control you etc etc.

Bona-fide1 , Gustavo Fring Report

Final score:

540points

POST

troufaki13 3 years ago

Ugh! If anything, vaccines cause life

140points

View More Replies...

View more comments

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In That gold fish can life in small fish bowls. Worst possible thing to do to them. They die so quickly because they are messy fish and ultimate swimming in toxic water. The need twice the water a regular fish needs to dilute the ammonia their food and waste create. Goldfish can grow up to 12-14 inches and live 10-15 years in a proper habitat! Just because your parents’ parent did this or you see them at the fair doesn’t mean it’s right. Same goes for most animals kept in small cages/tanks. If you aren’t going to do it right, then you should not own that pet. Do your research. End rant ha

icpainsme , lina smith Report

Final score:

522points

POST

Beverly 3 years ago

This needs ranting, so bravo.

118points

View More Replies...

View more comments

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Not sure if this fits here exactly, but the McDonald's hot coffee lawsuit being a frivolous case filed by a money hungry customer. That poor lady was a real victim who suffered legitimate injuries who only wanted her medical costs covered.

Jed1M1ndTr1ck , Wikimedia Commons Report

Final score:

421points

POST

Stephanie Did It 3 years ago

She suffered third degree burns to her upper thighs and lower lap! McD's even acknowledged that the coffee was dangerously hot.

187points

View More Replies...

View more comments

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Poor people are poor because they don't know how to manage their money

phoooooenix , Chronomarchie Report

Final score:

393points

POST

chi-wei shen 3 years ago

They are poor because they don't have money to manage.

288points

View More Replies...

View more comments

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In That the customer is always right.

Pantominist , Lisa Report

Final score:

377points

POST

Stephanie Did It 3 years ago

"...In matters of TASTE." Yes ma'am that orange plaid looks wonderful on you! Let's wrap it up.

106points

View More Replies...

View more comments

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In You can "detox" your body from toxins and parasites by drinking certain teas or taking some weird medication.

Repeated diarrhea and frequent urination doesn't indicate toxins leaving your body, your liver and kidneys do the job. If your liver is not functioning or you have a kidney disorder, obviously you need help but it won't be teas that someone on Instagram is boasting about.

bitterherpes , Andy Melton Report

Final score:

359points

POST

Michelle M 3 years ago

You just destroyed the careers of some 'influencers'

131points

View More Replies...

View more comments

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In 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.

Vixrotre , Cassidy Dickens Report

Final score:

343points

POST

Thorfin Wolfsbane 3 years ago

The whole idea of “virginity” is made up BS to manipulate and control people. Particularly women.

205points

View More Replies...

View more comments

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In 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 , C Watts Report

Final score:

341points

POST

cybermerlin2000 3 years ago

We used to have a fish called Grimnos who chose what he was fed with. Crumb, Flake or pellets. We would line them up in front of his tank and he would swim to the one he wanted and stare at it until we picked it up, and he would swim to the top and wait. We tried giving him one he didn't choose once, and he refused to eat!

166points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#10

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In That violence in the world is getting worse and worse. Actually, in relation to the world's population we live in the most non-violent era in history. The problem is that, while 500 years ago you might have not even heard all the news from within your city, we can now hear all the horrible news from all over the world (and we're also more people). But still, human interaction and conflict in general is much less violent than it used to be.

mediocre_medstudent1 , Lindsey Turner Report

Final score:

336points

POST

Pervinca 3 years ago

This. The news love to spread negative news because they think to made more audience that way. But looking around in less main stream media is obvious that we, as humans, are going in the right way. Still a lot of work to do but we should be glad to be born in these times.

82points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#11

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In That historically, corsets were extremely dangerous. That is false. “Tightlacing”, which is basically just what’s seen in the movies, where they make the corset as tight as they can, was not very common, and only used in the extremely upper class. Most people wore corsets completely safely, lacing down very little, if at all. Women climbed mountains, biked, did sports, and everything, in corsets.

icee5728 , Stephanie Lawton Report

Final score:

303points

POST

Stephanie Did It 3 years ago

Sometimes I think a comfortable corset would feel much nicer than a contemporary bra!

150points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#12

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In That if you touch a baby bird, its mother will abandon it because of the smell. Birds actually have a very bad sense of smell.

grmidnight , Susanne Nilsson Report

Final score:

283points

POST

SentimentAndBadJokes 3 years ago

Ah, this ones good for children though. It stops them reaching out trying to 'play' with the bird, ultimately damaging them. Helps children show respect of animals. For adults though....

116points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#13

That woman can hold their period like we can hold our pee. I am still pissed at that teacher...

Alysa-kins Report

Final score:

282points

POST

Leigh C. 3 years ago

That's just a bigoted comment and your teacher should have been fired for that.

142points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#14

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In A lot of commonly believed stuff about the female reproductive system/anatomy, like vaginas getting loose if a woman has a lot of sex, or that having a lot of sex somehow drastically changes the look of a woman's labia.

iswearimalady Report

Final score:

275points

POST

N G 3 years ago

Like a lot of things this is a combination of lack of knowledge (deliberate or not) and the desire to keep women in their place.

121points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#15

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In People with OCD just repeatedly wash their hands and like things clean and organized. This is how it presents in some people. There is so much more to this mental illness that people aren’t aware of that lead to people not getting diagnosed or help.

Oss251817 , Catt Liu Report

Final score:

268points

POST

Monday 3 years ago (edited)

I don't have full blown OCD but do have some compulsive behaviors. For example if I see my nails and enough has grown for me to bite (I'm a yucky nail biter) it will "scream" at me until I bite it off. Then I can continue my day as per normal. For my aunt, skew or crooked things "scream" at her until she fixes them, so she doesn't go to restaurants with purposely crooked art anymore. Human brains are weird.

72points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#16

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Flushable wipes are flushable

RadRhys2 , Wikimedia Commons Report

Final score:

265points

POST

Neil Bidle 3 years ago

This should be banned as false advertising!!

162points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#17

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In You swallow 8 spiders a year in your sleep. The thing was created to see how easily fake news spread.

JustAnAverageBrit , Jim, the Photographer Report

Final score:

254points

POST

Aahzmandus Pervect 3 years ago

Too easy, obviously

71points

View more comments

#18

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Astrology: that your horoscope tells something about your personality

Metamorphosed_ , MiraCosic Report

Final score:

248points

POST

Metaniel 3 years ago

"hihi sorry for crashing your car, but I'm an asparagus and it's in my blood" 🙄🙄🙄

210points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#19

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In The five second rule.

Appropriate-Wrap-664 , The Creative Exchange Report

Final score:

240points

POST

JennyLaRue 3 years ago

We all know it's not 5 seconds till it's too dirty to eat, it's really just 5 seconds before other people judge you for eating off the floor.

205points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#20

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In You have to wait 24 hours before filing a missing person's report.

popthetab , Skybluesrich Report

Final score:

236points

POST

Indra Servo 3 years ago (edited)

It's the opposite. If someone been missing over 48h then most of clues or evidences already dried out

65points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#21

I have a black cat with white spots on her belly and people have made comments about never having a black cat because they are bad luck or evil. Dude, it’s a cat. Also, hear often comments regarding not breaking mirrors or sweeping over someone’s feet. Its 2021 we really still believe this?!

raj_100 Report

Final score:

235points

POST

Caroline Nagel 3 years ago

Black cats are rarely adopted from shelters because of this stupid superstition.

135points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#22

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In That dairy cows just "make" milk.

Cows aren't any different than the rest of the mammals. They make milk when they have a baby. Humans just take the baby away after it's born.

the_V0lum3 , Matt Report

Final score:

227points

POST

Neil Bidle 3 years ago

This is fairly obvious, but their young still get looked after, and *spoiler alert* the cows end up as burgers and leather after they've finished their usefulness as dairy cows.

80points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#23

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In That carrots improve eyesight. It was actually British propaganda from World war II, I think to explain how they kept on shooting down German planes at night, in order to conceal their invention of a new type of radar I believe. More funny than annoying, I just want to say it.

SirGideonthe3rd , Open Grid Scheduler Report

Final score:

222points

POST

Troux 3 years ago

"Cat's Eyes" Cunningham was the man behind the myth. His plane was equipped with airborne radar and they told the kids he was just eating his carrots and could see at night.

57points

View more comments

#24

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space. First of all, it's not, and second, other ones are.

Plug_5 , Wikimedia.Commons Report

Final score:

221points

POST

Steve Barnett 3 years ago

Light pollution.

25points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#25

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Organic means no pesticides used. As I understand it, it means that no synthetic pesticides were used.

Lulubean16 , Wikimedia Commons Report

Final score:

210points

POST

Osnax 3 years ago

Exactly! I used to work with governmental regulation of pesticides, and can confirm that we do have pesticides approved for organic agriculture

80points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#26

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Not a myth per se, but the number of people who grossly misunderstand how evolution and natural selection works is crazy high.

supremedalek925 , Wikimedia Commons Report

Final score:

210points

POST

I I 3 years ago

most people can not comprehend billions of years of evolution because we only live for 80ish years , billions of years is mind boggling to think of

41points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#27

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Ostriches bury their head in the sand when confronted. The fact that Ostrich legs and claws are powerful enough to kill any predator makes a mockery of the myth. In actual fact, they don't make nests but bury their eggs in warm soft soil. They then frequently turn the eggs over in the ground to stop them overheating giving the appearance that they are sticking their heads in the ground from a distance.

Bloverfish , Brian Snelson Report

Final score:

196points

POST

Monday 3 years ago

Those buggers can and WILL kick the crap out of you if you give them the chance. They may look derpy but they are dangerous.

94points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#28

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In MSG - a lot of people still believe it's basically poison. It's no more harmful than regular salt.

ToothbrushGames , Ragesoss Report

Final score:

192points

POST

Brian Bennett 3 years ago

Almost anything used in moderation ain't gonna hurt you booby!

42points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#29

That margarine is "one molecule away" from being plastic.

Firstly, "one molecule away" makes no sense. It is a meaningless phrase.

Secondly, being "one atom away" is also meaningless, because a change in atomical structure means the substances are different.

A molecule of H2O has two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. H2O is water.

H2O2 has two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms. H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide.

But we don't caution against drinking water by saying that it's "one atom away" from being hydrogen peroxide, because that one atom completely changes the makeup of that substance. Water isn't "almost" peroxide or vice versa.

This is an oversimplification, obviously, but suffice it to say that you shouldn't take advice from someone who claims that margarine is "one molecule away" from being plastic. It's a complete misnomer.

I don't even like or eat margarine but this drives me up the freaking wall.

throwaway10231991 Report

Final score:

192points

POST

Indra Servo 3 years ago

Anyone who ever drink dihydrogen monoxide will be dead sooner or later

95points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#30

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Schizophrenia is the same thing as Multiple Personality Disorder

cipherable , Guilherme Rossi Report

Final score:

191points

POST

Metaniel 3 years ago

Or that every schizophrenia is same and we all hear voices, see s**t and wants to murder everyone. Ugh

91points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#31

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Scholars in the middle ages didn't believe the Earth was flat. The ancient Greeks knew that [stuff] was false. The myth of the flat earth was a post-Romanticism fancy in pop culture, not a serious scholarly movement.

That line from Men In Black has pissed me off ever since I learned the truth.

BlueOysterCultist , Wikimedia Commons Report

Final score:

183points

POST

Vorknkx 3 years ago (edited)

2021 - now it's once more "trendy" to believe in the flat Eart. Makes you look "rebellious" and "wild". What, you're gonna listen to those evil mainstream media?

56points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#32

“We care about your privacy” AbsoluteBollocks™️

221bFox Report

Final score:

175points

POST

Maria Schneider 3 years ago

Reality: "We care about your data"

74points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#33

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In That cutting your hair off makes it grow in thicker.

KingKombo , cottonbro Report

Final score:

166points

POST

Stephanie Did It 3 years ago

It just takes off the thin or split ends so the hair looks fuller and thicker.

71points

View more comments

#34

We only use 10% of our brains. If you don't know what 100% is, then how do you determine what 10% is.

mwmstern Report

Final score:

165points

POST

Brian Bennett 3 years ago

After reading most of these beliefs people have I' positive they are using only 10% of thir brain power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

38points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#35

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Cracking your knuckles makes them bigger/gives you arthritis.

This is an ongoing battle between myself and my older coworkers.

Deezus1229 , Colin Davis Report

Final score:

164points

POST

Monday 3 years ago

Dr Donald Unger disproved this one by cracking the knuckles on one hand every day while never cracking the knuckles on the other for 50 years. He did not get arthritis.

68points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#36

Shark fins / shark products are great for health

palomsoms Report

Final score:

164points

POST

Kay blue 3 years ago

Shark fins don't add any flavour to the soup either, it's purely to show off wealth.

47points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#37

That historical armor was basically useless, only increasing the chance of maybe deflecting a blow if you were lucky. You still see it in movies, shows and games where a knife or sword or arrow will go through armor like it's cardboard.

In reality armor was very useful. Very good armor, like a knight's suit of plate, made the wearer virtually invincible. The best plate could stop even early firearms. A knight in full plate and wielding a shield was pretty much the tank of the medieval battlefield. Doubly so if on horseback. Specialized weapons and a concerted effort was needed to defeat one, although typically no one would try to kill a knight since you can't ransom a corpse.

But even simple gambesons, which were made from layers of fabric, could resist a sword cut. High quality gambesons could resist all but the strongest cuts from specialized cutting swords.

Also: that swords were super heavy. A typical one-handed arming sword from the middle ages weighed around 3lbs, 4 max. A two-handed long sword could get up to 5lbs. Rapiers weighed around the same as other swords, which is contrary to popular belief.

Yes, swinging around a 3-4lb object would tire someone out, but the people doing so were generally more fit than the people reading this thread.

The_Fresno_Farter Report

Final score:

160points

POST

Alexandru Bucur 3 years ago

Piggybacking on this, the myth that the sword was the most important weapon on the medieval battlefield. Nope, your primary weapon was a sort of polearm - spear, lance if on horseback, halberd, pike, bardiche, naginata, you name it. The sword was actually the sidearm, the weapon you used after your spear broke or became ineffective (tight in melee, for example) or the one you took with you everywhere, even in context where you were unarmored. Sure, there are examples of fully armored knights fighting with two-handed swords, but that's sort of an edge case, because that usually requires a full plate harness and some specific circumstances to pull off and it's debatable wherever it doesn't straddle the border between sword and pole arm anyway, especially later examples, like the Zweihänder of the German Landsknechte, which was popular in the 16th century - those guys even had smaller swords (usually some type of messer) as sidearms to their swords...

60points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#38

Bulls get angry when they see the color red. It's not true..

Bulls are actually red-green colorblind. What actually triggers the bull's anger is the movement in front of them.

Annu28 Report

Final score:

159points

POST

Neil Bidle 3 years ago

Did you see mythbusters test the "bull in a china shop"? Calm, sensible, and didn't break a thing

75points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#39

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In If you lift your hands above your head while pregnant you will strangle the baby. I am sure it was started by smart women who didn’t want to do all the housework while pregnant and tired. I still hear it every now and again.

Letmetellyowhat Report

Final score:

157points

POST

troufaki13 3 years ago

Never heard of that before!

123points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#40

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In People think bats are blind. They aren’t.

Bloodragedragon , Danny Ayers Report

Final score:

146points

POST

Stephanie Did It 3 years ago

But they ARE magnificent and beautiful creatures!

118points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#41

The highest tax rate means your entire income is taxed at that rate

Unleashtheducks Report

Final score:

145points

POST

N G 3 years ago

I HATE this one! It's used deliberately to reinforce the idea that the rich shouldnt be taxed somehow - yet it's usually perpetuated by people who are middle class at most (since a lot of the ultra rich either fully understand the tax system, or can employ people who do on their behalf). It's a mindset that leads to "you cant have a 75% tax rate because *when I'm earning more* you'll be taking more off me". Like the whole thing where people who were several tens of thousands of dollars off being affected were protesting because of some hyperthetical future pay rise they were going to someday maybe get.

66points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#42

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In That Napoleon was short. He was average height

AspectOfSociety , Wikimedia Commons Report

Final score:

143points

POST

Stephanie Did It 3 years ago

He was about 5'7" in English measurement, 5'2" by French. Also he was affectionately dubbed The Little Colonel by his troops, likely because his bodyguards and some officers were taller. Another source says that when he was victorious in Italy, he was a young, inexperienced and relatively unknown officer so it was a derogatory moniker. Either way, the nickname stuck.

38points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#43

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In that myth about how nasa invented ballpoint pens for space while the USSR just used pencils... basically completely untrue

NepetaLast , Andrew Magill Report

Final score:

140points

POST

Troux 3 years ago

Pencils would be terrible. They create dust when writing, more dust and shavings when sharpened, and then whole pieces of graphite can break off - all of which spells doom for the precision machinery.

81points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#44

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In That Vikings wore horns on their helmets.

AndyTheThiccer , Wikimedia Commons Report

Final score:

137points

POST

Sarcastic Cow 3 years ago

or Celts/Gauls! for those who know Obelix)

41points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#45

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Undercover cops have to tell you they're cops.

Lawgang94 , Elvert Barnes Report

Final score:

136points

POST

Leigh C. 3 years ago

I got in trouble for charging an undercover cop coffee when I was working at Tim Hortons. I was told "You'll know them when you see them." No I won't and if I do they are not undercover or crappy at their job.

90points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#46

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Einstein was bad at school math.

el_juanjo , Wikimedia Commons Report

Final score:

135points

POST

Laura Mende (Human) 3 years ago

That one is interesting. Einstein went to school in Switzerland, where grades are opposite of other countries (in Germany i.e. 1 ist best, 6 is worst / Swiss 5 is best, 1 is worst). Einstein had a 4-5 in math, meaning the best to second best grade in swiss. It's just a Transmission error.

87points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#47

That you can spot-reduce fat. Far too many quacks on the internet talking about “toning” and “melting belly fat” with a hundred sit-ups a day.

stonersouls_ Report

Final score:

131points

POST

Caroline Nagel 3 years ago

sit-ups are bad for your back. No good physiotherapist would tell people to do sit-ups.

44points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#48

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Black belts have to register their fists as weapons... I can't believe I was dumb enough to fall for that.

d_tiBBAR , RODNAE Report

Final score:

127points

POST

Stephanie Did It 3 years ago

What if I have a killer figure?

88points

View More Replies...

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

Thrill-Seeking Diver Jumps Down Extreme Waterslide, Ignoring The Strict Ban For Women

#49

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Lightning never strikes the same place twice.

thebelsnickle1991 , public domain Report

Final score:

127points

POST

Kira Okah 3 years ago

Why does a lightning rod work if it didn't?

52points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#50

History is filled with this stuff, but I'm gonna go with general misconceptions due to an inability to read history in context.

Often if you read a funny and strange story where you go 'haha those dumb superstitious people in the past' in reality there isn't superstition behind it, there's politics and power. For example, if you hear of someone being excommunicated and declared a witch / heretic for some odd reason the truth is the given reason is just a made up excuse, and the real reason is political intrigue.

Wvreb Report

Final score:

122points

POST

Stephanie Did It 3 years ago

Make bad witch go away = power.

29points

View More Replies...

View more comments

Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium

Unlimited content

Ad-free browsing

Dark mode

#51

That the government still has our best interests in mind.

blizzardhawk17 Report

Final score:

56points

POST

First Name Last Name 3 years ago

This should be way higher on the list.

21points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#52

That all GMOs have to be bad. There's a reason scientists still want to work on GMOs; it could greatly reduce the costs of food production and end world hunger.

Golden Rice, for example, is rice that is modified to maximize beta-carotene (basically vitamin A) to support areas whose diets cause vitamin A deficiencies. Anti-GMO groups oppose the effort (obviously) citing the normalization of GMOs and the corporate control of necessary dietary requirements in impoverished regions as their reasons against Golden Rice, but they fail to prove the rice itself is harmful (one study was believed to for some time, but it got exposed for breaking regulations that could have affected results). I think it's safe to say that children would rather save themselves from starvation than save themselves from glorifying GMOs or corporate dependency

UopuV7 Report

Final score:

51points

POST

Helena Houzarová 3 years ago

Genetic modifications are a shortcut to what was previously done by careful breeding. The end result needs to be checked for any unexpected pitfalls, but the means don't have a direct effect in themselves.

31points

View More Replies...

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

“Ma’am I Live Here”: Woman Refuses To Back Out Of Driveway, Learns A Lesson The Hard Way

#53

The ONE thing everyone thinks they know about lemmings is bulls**t. They're not "suicidal," and will not succumb to herd-mentality and follow each other over a cliff in a big group if they're scared.

This "fact" originated in a Disney-produced nature documentary (documentary in a very loose sense). They literally made stuff up whole cloth because it looked cool on camera. They chased the lemmings over the edge of a small rise, and used camera tricks to make it look like they were falling to their deaths.

Then the lemmings became a pop-culture metaphor for harmful conformity, and cartoonists all over still reference it.

Taman_Should Report

Final score:

46points

POST

troufaki13 3 years ago

Anyone else remember the PC game "Lemmings"? I freakin' loved it!!

48points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#54

That tropical fish can be kept in a vase or bowl.

petrovmendicant Report

Final score:

46points

POST

Michelle M 3 years ago

Animal cruelty!

23points

View more comments

#55

The North Star is the brightest star in the sky.

No it's not. It's Sirius.

Supertech46 Report

Final score:

46points

POST

Vic 3 years ago

Siriusly? You are north kidding??

42points

View More Replies...

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

50 Of The Most Incredible Shots That Were Submitted To The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

French Diver’s “Jewels” In Tight Swimming Trunks Become Talk Of The Town At Olympics

#56

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In If you go outside with your hair wet you will get sick.

laiwo , DesultoryMe Report

Final score:

45points

POST

Stephanie Did It 3 years ago

Or if the wind blows into your ears you'll get pneumonia.

12points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#57

You can make sure to have a girl baby by doing ...

You can tell the sex of the baby while the woman is pregnant by ...

...STFU I’m so sick of hearing these

Boobsboobsboobs2 Report

Final score:

45points

POST

Phil DeBlanc 3 years ago

But "You can tell the sex of the baby while the woman is pregnant by..." getting an ultrasound after14 (but doctors recommend 19-20) weeks.

36points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#58

that tryptophan in turkey makes you sleepy during thanksgiving. no. chicken has more tryptophan than turkey, and we only get sleepy on thanksgiving because we eat so much.

lemonlimespine_ Report

Final score:

44points

POST

Donkey boi 3 years ago

I never get tired on Thanksgiving! But then, I'm not American, live in the UK and don't celebrate it.

25points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#59

That natural is always better and chemicals are always bad. Also that you need to “detox your body” and let your skin “breathe”.

Seeginnah Report

Final score:

41points

POST

Osnax 3 years ago

Nature has created some very nasty and poisonous chemicals, so natural does not always equal good or healthy

14points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#60

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In In my country people believe that if you're pregnant and cut your hair, the baby will be born blind lmao.

Arthurlmnz , jackmac34 Report

Final score:

39points

POST

JennyLaRue 3 years ago

I don't even know why someone would ever think they could possibly be connected!

16points

View More Replies...

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

Mom Leaves $250k Inheritance To Son, Throws A Fit When Daughter Stops Looking After Her

#61

Oh god I work with kids and old people who work with the same kids:

That going outside in the rain/cold weather will make you sick. It will not.

msvikkiallison Report

Final score:

39points

POST

Otter 3 years ago

I have a friend who still thinks that if her feet get wet, she will get a cold. And she has an advanced degree from an Ivy League college!

10points

View more comments

#62

its not really annoying per se but

The tongue map thing

the entire tongue tastes all flavors

xXBlitzz Report

Final score:

37points

POST

Zaza 3 years ago (edited)

I got biology points deducted in highschool because I said I could taste all the flavors on all parts of my tongue, after we did an experiment with it. Pissed me off so much

18points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#63

Alpha dogs aren't a thing, researcher who "discovered" this made a mistake and tried to correct it but the damage was done.

There is no such thing as an alpha dog

Paniaguapo Report

Final score:

37points

POST

Michelle M 3 years ago

Tell that to the 'Alpha males'

32points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#64

At some point, a viral video allegedly proved that the “beg buttons” at crosswalks are just placebos.

Some of them are, but most of them really do add a cycle for pedestrians to get a walk signal. You should use them regardless.

champs Report

Final score:

36points

POST

kasa alex 3 years ago

In Australia the green person won't flash unless you press the button, except in busy city places where there is regular enough foot traffic

18points

View More Replies...

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

“This Breaks My Heart”: People Stunned—And Angry—After Woman Buys Lost Luggage From Airport

#65

Right side brain logic left side brain creative.

taytaylyn Report

Final score:

36points

POST

Steve Barnett 3 years ago (edited)

Upper middle, do the washing up you lazy git.

10points

View more comments

#66

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In Sugar makes you hyper.

Chiperoni , Andrei! Report

Final score:

36points

POST

Steve Barnett 3 years ago

Sugar makes you fat.

23points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#67

That you get warts from frogs. Warts come from the human papilloma virus 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 Report

Final score:

35points

POST

InvincibleRodent 3 years ago

This was likely made up by an exasperated mother to get her kid to stop bothering the frogs. Y'know, like the myth that your palms will turn hairy is you masturbate.

19points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#68

Apple products are the most “secure”

Fart_stew Report

Final score:

35points

POST

Stephanie Did It 3 years ago

I did IT support for 9 years and got so tired of hearing "it can't have a virus, it's a Mac!"

26points

View more comments

#69

50 Annoying Myths People Have To Finally Stop Believing In That companies "can't" say that you were fired, or why you were fired, "by law."

Fondren_Richmond , Charles Deluvio Report

Final score:

32points

POST

Roxy Eastland 3 years ago

I only found out recently (in the UK) that it's a myth that companies can't give a bad reference. They can, but they have to evidence it, so it can't be opinion or vindictive. As soon as I read that I thought 'of course' and was annoyed with myself for believing nonsense for years.

9points

View more comments

#70

Mixing vinegar and baking soda in water makes an amazing foamy cleaning mixture! Actually they neutralize and form either a weak acid or weak base….either of which can actually be used as a cleaning agent and you don’t have to waste chemicals mixing the two….just use a small amount of either in water depending on what you’re trying to dissolve.

BiologyJ Report

Final score:

29points

POST

M O'Connell 3 years ago

One situation where mixing them does yield superior results is when tryin to unclog drains, the foaming action delivers the solution to parts of the pipes it may not have been able to reach otherwise.

16points

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

"I Didn't Start The Dryer": Karen Gets Taught A Lesson After Throwing Out Neighbor's Wet Clothes

Guy Divorced 3 Years Ago Drops Off 3 Y.O. With His Ex-Wife Completely Out Of The Blue

#71

Gym instructors saying they have zero percent of body fat

MaeSolug Report

Final score:

28points

POST

Samantha Lomb 3 years ago

They would be dead

43points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#72

People saying that blood is blue and it turns red when it hits oxygen. The only reason it appears blue (like in your hand) is merely a trick of lighting and reflection. And why/how would our blood have such a quick and large reaction to oxygen?

U_N_K_N_O_W_N909 Report

Final score:

28points

POST

YoyoSthlm 3 years ago

Does anyone still believe this??? Also, that was why the upper classes were called "blue blooded", their veins were easier to see because they were rarely exposed to sunlight.

15points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#73

Not myth I guess but there is an astounding amount of people who have said to me "wait bugs aren't animals" or "bugs/fish are animals?"

I think they're confusing animal with mammal maybe but they usually include birds in there with animals so I dunno.

Maybe they just think animal means "fuzzy thing which which I am familiar".

SubtleMockery Report

Final score:

27points

POST

N G 3 years ago

I think the thinking is "animal = not human" and doesn't extend into any further taxonomy

9points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#74

So many people still think acid itself is deadly, but we find acid everywhere. Citric acid is in orange juice. Acetic acid is in vinegar. Carbonic acid is in any carbonated drink. Sulfuric, muriatic, and hydrofluoric acids are among the dangerous ones.

MyCatIsAChonk Report

Final score:

27points

POST

Neil Bidle 3 years ago

Don't forget that strong alkalis are just as dangerous, if not more dangerous! Calcium hydroxide (quicklime) is super dangerous

31points

View More Replies...

View more comments

See Also on Bored Panda

“All Three Shot Out Pink”: Triplets' Baby Shower Turns Sour, Pregnant Wife Wants A Divorce

College Student Does Exactly As Told After Roommates Demand They Keep Their Stuff In Their Room

#75

That if you shave your hair, it’ll grow back thicker and darker. The hair looks thicker because it has a blunt edge after shaving. The hair will taper back out when it grows again.

seacowwarlord Report

Final score:

26points

POST

Helena Houzarová 3 years ago

I think the new hair looks a little darker because it hasn't been exposed to elements yet. Doesn't sun in particular "drew out" colour of things?

8points

View more comments

#76

That July and August were added to the calendar, throwing off the "Sept-Oct-Nov-Dec" numbering. This is not what happened. July and August were actually renamed versions of the original months "Quintilis" and "Sextilis". They did not throw off the order. The calendar used to begin in March. January and Feburary were the months that were added - they didn't use to keep official track of the months during Winter. King Numa Pompilius was the guy who added these months in around 713 BC. The shifting of the calendar to have January first is also attributed to him. It was NOT the fault of Julius Caesar.

theexteriorposterior Report

Final score:

25points

POST

Kimberly Young 3 years ago

So if someone asks me what month I was born in, I'll just be like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

10points

View more comments

#77

Here in Taiwan people believe you can grow taller by exercising a lot, even if you're a full grown adult.

Glitter-Pompeii Report

Final score:

21points

POST

Clare McDuff 3 years ago

I’ve heard Pilates can help your core enough that you stand at your full height. I suppose older people who have started to hunch would appear taller after a few months of classes.

17points

View more comments

#78

"Card counting is illegal" lol

erguitar Report

Final score:

21points

POST

Monday 3 years ago

It will certainly get you banned from the casino though.

26points

View more comments

#79

Touching baby animals in the wild will make their mother abandon them.

Legitimate_Roll7514 Report

Final score:

21points

POST

cybermerlin2000 3 years ago

I heard that touching baby animals in the wild will get you arrested and put on some kind of register

12points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#80

"Volatile" does not mean "explosive" or "flammable".

JeromesDream Report

Final score:

20points

POST

Neil Bidle 3 years ago

Inflammable doesn't mean the opposite of flammable

14points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#81

Daddy long legs are venomous/ poisonous but too small to bite you. They’re not.

darkwatch0 Report

Final score:

19points

POST

Aahzmandus Pervect 3 years ago

They're not what? Not venomous or not too small to bite? Perhaps both, or neither?

18points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#82

All of these mom's groups thinking some Chinese calendar is going to predict the gender of their baby. Or a pineapple pizza is going to induce labor.

SACGAC Report

Final score:

19points

POST

Stephanie Did It 3 years ago

No, but castor oil sure will!

8points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#83

You lose money by working overtime because of taxes.

Nati0nalxCrisis Report

Final score:

17points

POST

John Baker 3 years ago

This can be true. If your normal income is just short of being in a higher tax bracket, too much overtime can put you over the line.

5points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#84

White wine gets red wine out of the carpet

Rinsetheplates_first Report

Final score:

17points

POST

Aahzmandus Pervect 3 years ago

Well, it does. I doubted this until I tried, and it worked like a charm. Red wine stain simply disappeared, but the carpet was smelly AF. Perhaps it has something to do with the material the carpet's made of, but it sure as hell worked.

14points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#85

Driving with interior lights on at night will get you arrested.

OMW2FYBLDS Report

Final score:

16points

POST

Neil Bidle 3 years ago

It seriously limits your night vision because of the ambient light.

26points

View more comments

#86

Frosted Lucky Charms are, in fact, not magic.

stoutowl Report

Final score:

16points

POST

tuzdayschild 3 years ago

Oh yes they are you heretic!

18points

View more comments

#87

It's illegal to kill praying mantis.

Not annoying. I just think it's kinda weird and funny that it's such a common myth.

Bekens86 Report

Final score:

8points

POST

Roxy Eastland 3 years ago

We don't have this myth in the UK, but I don't see why it would be annoying that people believed it if it stopped them killing praying mantises?

10points

View More Replies...

View more comments

#88

That if your hand is bigger than your face you’re gay…

Dat510Boy Report

Final score:

-1point

POST

Linus Nilsson 3 years ago

That's not a myth, it's a prank. Then you hold your hand up to your face, and I will hit it, causing you to hit yourself.

35points

View More Replies...

View more comments

What do you think ?

Arthur Waite 3 years ago

This was a good article - it was fun to read, and it not only reinforced a lot of things I'd already understood, it added to some things I hadn't heard of. The calendar item, for example. Well Done!

Paweł Duda 3 years ago

Another one: that is your ever have sex with HIV positive person you will instantly get the virus. Well no. The most risky situation which is a**l sex as being passive side has only 1/265 chance of infection. Other types of sexual activity even less, and are very dependent on the situation,

7points

Very true, but it remains a pretty bad idea to knowingly have unprotected sex with an HIV positive person. Your chances do depend on the "viral load" of the infected person too. Higher load = higher chance of tranmission.