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We all know that parents lie sometimes. From small white lies to much bigger things, probably all of our parents have 'warped the truth' at least a little at some point or another. However, some experiences are much more serious than others, and the falsities that our parents tell us end up hurting a lot or changing our understanding of the world around us.

This online user decided to get some stories from people by asking them about the lies their parents told them, and it led to all kinds of interesting tales. Some are funny, some are pretty horrible, and some might make you question why some people are even parents. If you have anything similar to share, please feel free to do so in the comment section below!

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#1

That I can be whoever I want to be.

Turns out, identity theft is a crime.

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We got an interview with Dr. Rosina McAlpine, and she answered some questions about why parents lie to their kids in the first place: "There are many reasons why parents choose to lie to their kids at times. It can be as loving and innocent as wanting to share the magic and joy of believing in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy at one end, right through to wanting to protect their children by not sharing financial issues or health issues with them so as not to stress or frighten them. Then there are the lies parents make up to scare children into 'compliance,' like 'If you don't behave, we will call the police to take you to jail' or 'If you're not good, Santa won't bring you presents' or 'If you cross your eyes in the wind, they will stay like that!'"
#2

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) 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 , YuriArcursPeopleimages Report

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#3

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) Hardwork will get you what you want or where you want always.

Jacinto2702 , ijeab Report

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Dr. McAlpine also shared whether she thinks lying to kids is good or bad: "As a mum, I have NO REGRETS lying to our son about Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. This brought our son and our whole family so many wonderful years of magic and joy. Sure, it wasn't easy when we had to tell him it was all 'kind of a lie.' Only 'kind of,' as in a way it wasn't a lie. It was a way of sharing the wonder of setting goals and making wishes, and that our wishes can come true (even if it is Mum or Dad putting presents under the Christmas tree at first). But later on in life, it provides the groundwork for setting goals, dreaming big, and allowing for miracles to happen!"
#4

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) That adults know what they are doing.

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

Brontolope11 , FabrikaPhoto Report

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hedgielover98 avatar
Hedgielover98
Hedgielover98
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

48 and still am winging it

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JE Cummings
JE Cummings
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Almost 71 and I still haven't gotten life figured out, for the most part.

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Emily M
Emily M
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I tell the middle schoolers I work with that you don't suddenly know how to adult when you turn 18 and it is actually like any other birthday and they are consistently shocked by this

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Sheila Stamey
Sheila Stamey
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

55 and the only sign I see is to tell me this is as fast as I can go and not get a ticket.

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Rosecrucian Roeth
Rosecrucian Roeth
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hey, wait until you're in your 70's and are still trying to figure what you want to be when you grow up:)

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StrangeOne
StrangeOne
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mom still thinks she knows everything. You can't convince her otherwise. I could tell her the sky is blue and all about photosynthesis and she'd disagree with me along with a hairbrained explanation she drummed up in her head.

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Kiryn Silverwing
Kiryn Silverwing
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Adults have learned how to *act* like they know what they're doing. You might feel like that, but a 10-year-old isn't going to be able to tell.

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The Captain
The Captain
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reality: Everyone in life is just guessing. Some people just have more information that make their guesses more accurate.

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Steven Bennett
Steven Bennett
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Being a successful adult isn't about knowing what you're doing at all times, it's about acting as if you do and being able to react accordingly when you screw up. A little bit of Star Trek wisdom: "A leader can be wrong, but a leader can never be uncertain." Making mistakes is part of life, how you learn from them and move forward is what makes you an adult.

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CatMama28
CatMama28
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

just turned 32 & my saying is "i only LOOK like an adult, I have no idea what the heck I'm doing" lol

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DeeDee M
DeeDee M
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just because you're old doesn't mean you know your a*s from a hole in the ground.

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Will Cable
Will Cable
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You've only got to look at politics to realise this and yet they still believe whole heartedly they are 100% correct 100% of the time

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Mark Waters
Mark Waters
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Old adage, No fool like and old fool, and age does not bring wisdom. As evidenced by millions scammed from the elderly each year.

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Icecream Sarang
Icecream Sarang
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

46 and just had a total meltdown over how complicated my life is right now. I’m FORTY-SIX! Things should be easier, not harder.

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Max M
Max M
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my 40, i still have no idea what makes me do what i do. Dodee dodee dodee

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Saj
Saj
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same. Four year old trapped in the body of a 49 year old here. Adulting is hard!

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LittleWombat
LittleWombat
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You BPs are all my people! Trying to figure out how I'm the adult now at 52 and I just am completely lost!! At least I'm in good company 🤗

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BatPhace
BatPhace
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

38 and I'm kinda starting to kinda maybe sorta get the hang of it when the universe lets me lol

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Michael Largey
Michael Largey
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1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As I grew older, I realized that "adults know what they are doing." was more an accusation than a statement of confidence.

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Rostit .
Rostit .
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yeah we all fake it until we get caught or get away with it.

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HelluvaHedgehogAlien
HelluvaHedgehogAlien
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do not mention the dreaded word ‘head’ in the same sentence as ‘cut off’. Headless Roach might disapprove :D

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#5

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) Pretty much everything religious.

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Dr. Rosina McAlpine continues: "However, apart from Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy, I do not believe in lying to our child about anything. I may withhold information if he is too young to understand - if it isn't age-appropriate - BUT I will not lie. I do my best to answer his questions as fully as I can and as truthfully as I can using age-appropriate language - even the difficult conversations of 'Will you die?' or 'Where did I come from?'"
#6

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) Always trust the adults.

Yeeaaah, no.

Cleverbird , ashishk75 Report

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#7

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) The government is good and there to help you

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We also asked Dr. McAlpine what problems a person could grow up with if they are lied to too much: "Children learn their values from their parents and family. Lying to children tells them lying is OK - my parents did it, so I can do it. Hiding the truth from their children tells children it is fine to hide the truth from their parents.

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Open communication from parents supports open communication from children." When asked at what age parents should start being completely truthful to their kids, the expert said: "Always... Trust builds over time... It is hard to regain trust once it is lost."
#8

"You can be anything you want when you grow up."

That's not true. Some people just don't have what it takes to be a fighter pilot, doctor or cop.

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#9

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) 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 , witsaruts Report

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#10

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) You’ll want kids when you’re older.

One day you’ll understand that we only spank you because we love you.

Sex before marriage will ruin you.

Homosexuality is wrong.

If you really want something the best way to get it is pray really hard.

seller_collab , yanadjana Report

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#11

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) HS teachers: "That stuff won't fly in college"
College: ✈️✈️✈️✈️

Comfortable_Wish_930 , seventyfourimages Report

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#12

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) 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 b******e ima be a b******e

Ok_Win7358 , choreograph Report

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#13

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) "Work hard and you'll get ahead." We do not live in the world our parents thought we would. It's about working smarter, not harder.

anon , prathanchorruangsak Report

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#14

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) You won't always have a calculator

Sad-Raise-754 , thichas Report

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#15

"If you don't react when people bully you, then they don't have power over you anymore."

Because that's absolute b******t. It also encouraged my bullies to keep upping the ante and doing worse s**t until I exploded with rage/frustration, which always got ME into more trouble than it did them for bullying me in the first place. Apparently, a 'lady' is always able to hold in her feelings when she's being mistreated and fighting back against bullies isn't considered ladylike.

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#16

"you have the worst teeth ive ever seen!"


Said to 9 year-old me by a tenured dentist who had surely seen worse teeth. She probably did it to scare me into improving my brushing habits. What it ACTUALLY did was make me fear the dentist and stopped me from going for 8 years.


F**k you Doctor Newton

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#17

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) I should listen to my mother. She was wrong most of the time.

Expensive-Track4002 , varyapigu Report

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#18

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) You'd be so pretty if you just lost weight.

The_AmyrlinSeat , Rawpixel Report

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#19

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) Cracking your fingers make you get arthritis

Haik11 , Colin Davis Report

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#20

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) Cheaters never prosper

Alive_Patient8442 , seventyfourimages Report

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#21

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) "It's a sin not to go to church *every* Sunday. Remember, God is watching you."

Back2Bach , KYNASTUDIO Report

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#22

If you are honest, work hard, are virtuous, and treat people well you will get ahead in life. Its bull s**t... the people who get ahead in life are almost the exact opposite

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#23

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) Just be yourself and people will like you

Tsjernobull , Rido81 Report

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#24

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) My mom always said "who wants to be beautiful has to suffer" while she untangled my hair with a comb. It's a Dutch saying, but it's so weird thinking about it now. It was also never said to my brothers

yuffieisathief , svitlanah Report

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#25

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) Go to College and you will get your dream job.....

Content_Pool_1391 , seventyfourimages Report

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#26

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) “No harm in asking”, boy did that get me in trouble…

khamelean , mstandret Report

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#27

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) Women can’t cut straight lines (especially in cheese and bread) because of their elbows.

You can’t use tampons unless you’re not a virgin.

Children always have the exact same blood type as the father and If it’s different, the mother cheated.

‘Hons’ after a persons qualifications means it’s honorary and they didn’t actually earn a degree.

You can’t have measles if you’ve had chicken pox and vice versa.

VivatRegina , bilanol Report

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#28

I think it's more that I wasn't told anything, not how to respect people, present myself or even look for jobs. Asking my parents it was always "school was ment to teach that"

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#29

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) If you open the fridge for too long and the beeping noise starts beeping , the fridge is gonna explode

tacoburry , krisprahl Report

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#30

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) 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 , westend61 Report

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#31

My great grandmother was from Liverpool, and her maiden name was Harrison. My Aunt told us that George Harrison was our cousin. Turns out there were lots of people in Liverpool named Harrison, not all of them were related.

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#32

If the ice cream truck is playing music it is out of ice cream. I use it on my kids now as well.

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#33

My parents and teachers pretty much taught me that all teasing was the same as bullying.

Some of those kids were mean a******s, they were bullies, but most of them were just kids kidding around -- you know, acting like...*kids.* They teased their friends, they teased their siblings, everyone. It's how kids relate to each other.

Making me feel like normal interactions with my peers was bullying made me so thin-skinned that I felt anything but an overt compliment was a personal attack.

I was sweet as sugar but probably came across as a humorless prig and a total killjoy to most kids. Who wants to be friends with a spineless people-pleaser?

However, it is worth noting that my parents and teachers thought I was a model of good behavior. So they got what they needed - someone who never made any trouble or tested any boundaries.

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#34

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) Just about 95-99% of everything I was told is wrong or ill-informed.

Something I think children are missing these days: you’re *meant* to be smarter than your parents.

PetiteCanardRouge , svitlanah Report

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#35

That it was illegal to drive with the lights on the inside of the car turned on

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#36

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) If I keep making that face it will get stuck like that turns out I’m just ugly

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#37

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) If you don’t study you will become nothing. I broke my a*s studying and still I’m nothing…

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#38

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) "When you are an adult, you will regret your childhood. It is the best part of life."

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#39

"if you say stop, the person will stop"

more of an implication but basically they said that

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#40

You will find someone eventually.

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#41

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) 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 , seventyfourimages Report

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#42

Eat all your food to grow up big and strong. Just makes you get eating disorders

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#43

"What's Something You Were Told As A Child By Adults That You Now Realize Is A Complete Lie?" (30 Answers) My father told me to ask my future husband if I should get my ears pierced. Lol

Accomplished_Type547 , atercorv Report

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#44

That I'm special lmao

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#45

The bible is the word of God

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#46

"You're going to have your own family at some point"

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#47

That good friends don’t lie for each other. Honestly it’s just a lie spread by schools to make it easier to catch people breaking the rules

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#48

My dad told me we made the year of Jesus' birth year 0 because before that there was nothing worth remembering and no one bothered keeping track of time. For some reason that stuck with me and to this day I don't know if he was joking (I hope he was).

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#49

My mom told me that when I hiccup, I will grow taller.

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#50

Having to hold my breath when we drove past a cemetery.

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