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As kids, people tend to believe all kinds of stories, no matter how far from reality they might be. Be it their parents creating white lies seeking to safeguard them—telling them that the car won’t start unless everyone has their seatbelt on, for instance—or other people making stuff up for one reason or another, it might be a while before they learn that in fact, it was a bunch of… nonsense.

Many examples of information that individuals believed as children, but later realized to be false were shared after the redditor ‘Murky-Razzmatazz-393’ started a discussion on the topic. They asked members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community what were the things they used to consider to be true, and many took a trip down memory lane. Scroll down to find their answers on the list below and see if you used to believe any of the same tales.

Below you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with Associate Professor at Columbia Business School, author of The Secret Life of Secrets, Michael Slepian, who was kind enough to comment on how white lies can affect people and relationships.

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#1

Well, as a kid I loved radishes, my grandpa plantet fruit trees of our favorite fruits for each grandchild, like a Cherry tree and an Apple tree for my siblings...


And a radish tree for me...It was a good tree, when in season, I got to pick a lot of radishes...

Was way to old when I found out... Looking back my grandpa was just the sweetest person one could imagine, placing radishes on my tree (actually it was a Linden tree) when I came to visit.

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    #2

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) If you work hard, study in school, and get good grades, you'll get a decent paying job and be able to have a somewhat stable lifestyle.

    SlackPriestess , Louis Bauer / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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    #3

    That you should always stay connected with family no matter what happens. SO UNTRUE.

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    “In general, when people tell white lies, they often do so to benefit the other person in some way,” Michael Slepian pointed out, making sense out of why some parents choose to tell white lies to their children.

    “Whether it’s getting them to put on their seatbelt, telling them how good their drawing is, or allowing them to hold on to their youth, we often intend to protect children and protect their feelings with these kinds of white lies.”

    Surveys suggest that quite a few parents have told white lies to their little ones, with some of the most popular ones—in Britain, at least—being the fact that eating carrots will help them see in the dark, that Santa knows if they’ve been bad or good, and that too much screen time can make one’s eyes square.
    #4

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) Ignore bullies, and they will leave you alone.

    ttampico , Keira Burton / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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    #5

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) My dad told me it was illegal to turn the interior/overhead lights on in the car while you or somebody else is driving LOL.

    PetiteBustyMyra , A n v e s h / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    “For adults, the motivation behind the lie really matters,” Slepian continued. “If a person is lying for their own gain—lying for a selfish reason—people tend to evaluate this negatively. But if a person is telling a white lie to benefit someone else—lying for a prosocial reason—then such deception is seen as less wrong, and at times can even be evaluated positively and as showing social grace.”
    #6

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) That quicksand is a legitimate danger to my life.

    Taters0290 , Pierce Martin / flickr (not the actual photo) Report

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    #7

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) There's a special dye in the pool that will turn the water purple if you pee in it.

    so_illogical , Tirachard Kumtanom / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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    #8

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) That adults knew what they were doing.

    We're all just trying to make ends meet, navigating this strange world to the best of our abilities.

    DreamyMeats , Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    Whether it’s white lies or something heavier, learning about a lie can feel like a betrayal, Slepian pointed out. For example, learning that Santa Claus isn’t real can really sting for some time. But, according to him, it’s an unavoidable cost of letting children believe in the magic.

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    “When parents have good relationships with their children, learning about these prosocial lies should not have any long-lasting harm. But when parents have less healthy relationships with their children, then these deceptions may be evaluated differently. If a lie is seen as selfish or patronizing, learning of the lie will hurt more,” the expert explained.
    #9

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) If you eat a watermelon seed then a watermelon will grow inside of you.

    ONEofWON , Floh Keitgen / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #10

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) I didn't realize I was being neglected. I didn't know anything else. I've never had friends.

    porkymandiamondversi , Ksenia Makagonova / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #11

    Religion. Especially after I was expelled from Sunday School for asking too many questions.

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    The extent to which a lie might affect the person on the receiving end really depends on the motivation behind telling said lie, Slepian told Bored Panda. “If someone lies to a close friend for selfish reasons, learning about this kind of lie will cause a harm of some kind, one in proportion with the size of the deception. But if the lie serves to protect that other person, that other person should be more understanding.”

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    #12

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) My mom used to tell me “its says in the bible i can hit you. i am not doing anything wrong”

    i dont think its humanely possible for me to believe in religions after that.

    Evo009 , Rod Long / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #13

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) That being nice to someone meant they would be nice to *me*.

    Far_Meal8674 , Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #14

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) Don't get me started on Sea Monkeys.

    cuntofmontecrisco , ML5 / Wikipedia (not the actual photo) Report

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    #15

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) Cars don't start if your seatbelt isn't buckled.

    I then told this same lie to my children, it works a treat lol.

    Royal_Confidence24 , Luke Miller / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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    #16

    The purpose of law-making and policing is to make society more just.

    I now know it's actually there to unfairly enrich people who already have too much and protect them from the consequences of their greed.

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    #17

    You’ll grow big and strong if you eat all your dinner…. No I’m 5ft1 and fat.

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    #18

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) I thought the vast majority of people were smart and honest enough to reject the big lie and BS conspiracy theories.

    LiveFreeDieRepeat , Orlando Ferguson Report

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    #19

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) That I could dig to China.

    ZapRowsdowerlegend , Hanson Lu / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #20

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) The city of Atlantis isn’t under my elementary school playground .

    Combination_Chill , Athanasius Kircher / Wikipedia (not the actual photo) Report

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    #21

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) The police are always the good guys!!!!.

    ChokeOnMyBigToe , Colin Lloyd / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #22

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) That whenever I swallowed bubblegum, it would stick to my stomach and eventually kill me.

    bacon_reese , João Lucas Lagos / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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    #23

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) I believed that the government is there to help you.

    Oxfxax , Marco Oriolesi / unsolash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #24

    All grownups act in a mature, healthy way, and have children's best interests to heart.

    The amount of times my mom told me "Grownups don't scream and throw fits." "Grownups use their big words, not our hands." "Grownups take accountability for their actions. "

    No, mom, Grownups TF do NOT!
    I suffered for over 10 years both socially and professionally before I finally realized we're all stuck in high school 😤🤬.

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    #25

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) You can be whatever you want to be.

    nsmith0723 , Mohamed Nohassi / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #26

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) Know a lot of parents who was fooling their kids into believing that the bell ringing from the icecream truck ment that it was sold out.

    Pale_Nobody428 , Fiaz Mohammed / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #27

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) That being abused is normal.

    flatstacy , Odonata Wellnesscenter / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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    #28

    If you work hard you’ll get everything you need and then some.

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    #29

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) That carrots help you see in the dark.

    Jonathan Pielmayer / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #30

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) Women get pregnant after hugging a man.

    Ferociouspenguin718 , Igor Érico / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #31

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) Up until the time I was like 13 I genuinely thought that adults didn’t have feelings. I thinks it’s just cause anytime I was happy or sad about anything, people always told me it was just hormones and I would grow out of it. I was always so upset about getting older because I didn’t want to lose my emotions no matter how good or bad they were.

    IcyJournalist41 , Roksolana Zasiadko / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #32

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) The moon is following me everywhere.

    Tiny_Landscape_8350 , Luke Stackpoole / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #33

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) It’s wrong to like yourself.

    greenyemie , Pixabay / pexels (not the actual photo) Report

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    #34

    Hard work pays off.

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    #35

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) That my parents knew what they were doing.

    Dizzy-Daisy , Kenny Eliason / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #36

    That most people were consistent in their beliefs and their behavior.  That people who said they believed that being kind, generous, and understanding would behave that way -- and fight against things that caused injustice, like they do in the movies.




    Watching too much TV and movies made me think that standing up for principles was normal.  I now understand that it is largely seen as annoying, naive, and actually even badmouthed as 'white knighting' or 'being uppity'.




    Don't get me started on what real doctors and police are like versus narratives still heavily portrayed on mainstream TV.

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    #37

    That it’s good to watch the news, that s**t bums me out so much.

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    #38

    The pee is stored in the balls.

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    #39

    That y could only have ur elbows on the table if u were married (i remember when my parents got divorced I would always tell them to get their elbows off the table lol).

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    #40

    That canned asparagus was acceptable.

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    #41

    People Discuss Things They Believed As Kids But Later Realized To Be A Pile Of Lies (30 Answers) Santa.

    princesskk98 , __ drz __ / unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #42

    That when a chicken lays an egg it's soft when it comes out then hardens when it makes contact with air.

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    #43

    Not as a kid, but my wife’s friends in college had her believe that every guy that peed in a urinal would pull their pants down to their ankles. Had her believing this for years.

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