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We go through life and learn each day, but sometimes we can be factually wrong in what we believe. Research shows that we tend to embrace information that supports our beliefs, even when it's wrong, and scientists call this "confirmation bias." Sifting through what's true and not can be especially hard online; luckily, there are communities that help debunk common misconceptions and myths.
The "Learned Wrong" is a subreddit dedicated exactly to that, with a mission of "Clearing up misconceptions and outdated information you might have been taught across history, science, [intimacy], health, and more."
From serious science stuff like myths about the ozone layer, to more light-hearted ones like our teachers telling us we won't always have a calculator in our pockets or how periods really work, here are the most interesting things people have unlearned thanks to this online community.
More info: Reddit
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#1
Most Women Probably Won't Care Either
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#2
Some Of Y'all Learned Wrong That Society Totally Forgot About The Hole In The Ozone Layer
#3
I Learned Wrong That Everyone's Forgotten After 3 Generations
#4
How To Never Work A Day In Your Life
David 13 hours ago
Sadly too many people choose degrees that have few or no jobs. Do a practical degree with a second major in what you like. We graduate 2x more english majors than jobs that require it, 8x more gender studies than jobs for it, while a shortage of engineers, math, PA, NP, etc. Unless you plan to go to law school or med school (doing the pre-reqs), do a degree that will lead to a job. Or go into the wonderful world of the Trades where we need and can earn well as a welder, Plummer, electrician, etc. We have a 1.1 million deficit in the US for the skilled trades. Most can be done in 14-24 months, with much lower costs and debt than college.
#5
I Learned Wrong That "News" Stands For "Notable Events, Weather, And Sports"
#6
I Learned Wrong That Puerto Rico Isn't Technically Part Of The US
LakotaWolf (she/her) 12 hours ago
Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States. "Under the Jones-Shafroth Act of 1917, all individuals born in Puerto Rico are granted natural U.S. citizenship, entitling them to American passports and the same rights as those born in the 50 states." As an American growing up in the 80s/90s, I remember that Puerto Rico was sometimes jokingly and affectionately called "the 51st state". It's saddening to me that some of my fellow Americans refuse to acknowledge that people born in Puerto Rico are American citizens just like they are.
#7
I Learned Wrong That Botox Makes You Look Younger
LakotaWolf (she/her) 12 hours ago
My mom is 82 and has been getting Botox for years. She looks exactly like an 82-year-old who has gotten Botox and many many other plastic surgeries XD
#8
This Isn’t How You Should Be Washing Your Face???
#9
People Didn't Only Live Until They Were 30 In The Past
David 14 hours ago
If you lived past 10, average age in ancient Rome or Medieval period was 58-63. Average age in the poorest parts of the developing world today is 63. And yes, old people were around, even people hitting 100 happened, but it was rare. Basically most people lived to late 50s to mid 60s back then.
#10
This Guy Learned Wrong That Menstrual Pain Is A Myth
#11
I Learned Wrong Back In Elementary School That Christopher Columbus Was A Hero Who Did Nothing Wrong
#12
Dinosaurs Weren't All Scaly Reptiles. Some Actually Had Feathers Or Feather-Like Coverings
#13
Today I Learned White Claws Aren’t Energy Drinks
#14
Nobel Prize Winning Economist Paul Krugman
David 14 hours ago
to be fair, his Nobel Prize work was all stuff published between 1989 and 1995, and he hasnt published in a tier 1 or 2 journal since 2002, and is considered a joke in his profession as the guy who was a has been in his 40s. His work was also derivative of Jagdish Bhagwati, whom members of the Nobel committee admitted he should have had to share it with, but for political reasons gave it solo to Krugman, and then Krugman in his acceptance speech didn't even recognize or thank Bhagwati.
#15
"You Won't Always Have A Calculator In Your Pocket"
David Paterson 11 hours ago
Going back one generation before mine. "Children must be taught to write on slates because there won't always be paper around to write on".
#16
Being Cold Won't Directly Give You A Cold. Colds Are Caused By Viruses, Not By Temperature
Remi (He/Him) 12 hours ago
A recent study showed that cold nose means weaker immune system in the area, so you might be more right saying, people catch colds easier when the air is cold. Also cold weather means people spend more time indoors coughing at each other
#17
People Do Not Swallow 8 Spiders A Year While Sleeping
#18
Shaving Doesn't Make Hair Grow Back Thicker. This Was Disproven Almost A Hundred Years Ago. This Myth Might Exist Because Newly Grown Hair Can Look Thicker
LakotaWolf (she/her) 12 hours ago
I remember hearing this all the time as a girl/teen. Expected to shave my legs as a female because leg hair on girls is gross, but also don't shave it because it'll grow back in thicker! XD
#19
Til The Great Wall Of China Is Not Actually Visible From Space, It's Just A Myth
Bob Brooce 8 hours ago
Kind of ironic that this one uses what's presumably a (zoomed in) satellite image showing the great wall.
#20
I Learned Wrong That Bats Are Blind. Bats Do Use Echolocation To Locate Prey, But It's Supplementary To Their Vision (Which Works Quite Well) Rather Than A Replacement
#21
Vikings Didn't Actually Wear Horned Helmets. That Image Was Based Off 19th Century Art Rather Than Actual Archaeological Findings
David Paterson 11 hours ago
According to QI, most Viking raiders didn't wear helmets at all. They wore beanies.
#22
Breakfast Isn't The Most Important Meal Of The Day For Everyone. It Only Might Be For People Who Need Extra Energy In The Mornings. Research Shows That Overall Nutrition Is More Important Than When You Eat
Remi (He/Him) 12 hours ago
A kid skipping breakfast might do so because the parent(s) aren't providing one. If that's true, the kid is also less likely to have parental help with studying which leads to poorer test scores.
#23
Wydm People Irl Don’t Go From Dorky To Hot Just From Taking Off Their Glasses??
Little Bit 17 minutes ago
When I take my glasses off, I don't look hot. I look stupid because I can't see what the hell I'm doing.
#24
I Learned Wrong That The Moon Has No Gravity
#25
Turkey May Not Have Actually Been Eaten At "The First Thanksgiving" In 1621
#26
I Learned Wrong That Marie Antoinette Said "Let Them Eat Cake" About The French Working Class. The Actual Line Was "Let Them Eat Brioche" And Written By Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau In His Autobiography Who Attributed It To An Unnamed Princess
#27
Just One Space Is Fine
#28
I Learned Wrong From Nintendo That Mario And Peach Are Just Friends
#29
I Learned Wrong That Forgetting Your Password Is Weakness
Gail Lott 10 hours ago
I keep telling my mom that she’s lived a long time and experienced a lot of stuff. That’s data. The more data you have the more likely it is it will take longer to find that specific piece of data. Plus she’s always been a little lala and forgetful. Her absentmindedness is not new. lol
#30
Sugar Doesn't Directly Make Kids Hyper. Eating Sugary Foods Is Associated With Activities Where Kids Are Typically Hyper, Such As Birthday Parties
Geoffrey Scott 6 hours ago
I know from experience though, that 'fruit' punch (red), does wind them up a bit.
#31
Eating Carrots Won't Help Improve Your Vision. Carrots Help Maintain Overall Eye Health, But Won't Make You See Better In The Dark
Gavin Johnson 14 hours ago
Propaganda to cover up our development of radar. The RAF put it about that night fighter pilots had a carrot rich diet to help them see German night bombers. In reality they had radio contact with WAAF members who directed them onto the incoming bomber stream. Later the radar systems were smaller and fitted to the aircraft. Carrots are very nice though, especially dipped in hummus.
#32
I Learned Wrong That Hip Dips Are Caused By Weight Or Are A Deformity. Turns Out They're Pretty Normal, Common, And Can't Be "Fixed" By Workouts
cerinamroth 6 hours ago
I can't understand why anyone would be bothered about such a thing. Your body tells a story, and everyone's story is different. Don't judge your own body, or anyone else's. Thank it every day for getting you through life, and treat it with kindness.
#33
I Learned Wrong That Bulls Charge At Matadors Because The Flag They Wave Is Red. The Color Doesn't Matter, Only The Motion
TIL that Bulls don’t actually hate the colour red. In Bull fights, they don’t charge at the cape because of its colour, but because of the motion it makes when the matador waves it. The cape is just red to mask the bloodstains from the fight.
#34
The Pilgrims Didn't Actually Wear Black Clothing With Buckles On The Regular. They Usually Wore Colorful Clothing. The Black Clothing Mainly Came From How They Were Depicted By The Victorians
#35
The English Spelling Rule "I Before E Except After C" Doesn't Hold Up As Much As You Were Taught It Does. There's A Ton Of Exceptions: Science, Height, Their, Protein, Caffeine, Vein, Beige, Neighbor, Weird, Seize, And Many Others Break This
#36
The First Thanksgiving In 1621 Wasn't Just A Celebration Of Gratitude And Friendship Between The Indigenous Folks (Wampanoag) And The Pilgrims. The Wampanoag Were Mainly Motivated By Securing An Alliance For Self-Defense
#37
Still Eating Your Halloween Candy? The Chances Of It Being Poisoned Are Way Lower Than What You’ve Probably Been Taught, But Not Zero
#38
Jesus Might Not Have Actually Been Born On December 25. No Official Record Of His Birth Has Been Found. There Are Multiple Theories As To Why December 25 Was Chosen
#39
The Pilgrims May Not Have Initially Landed At Plymouth Rock In 1620. The Actual Landing Place Hasn't Been Found Yet
#40
The Indigenous Mexica People Did Not Believe That Spanish Explorer Hernán Cortés Was A God
Geoffrey Scott 6 hours ago
Ahhhh...THAT'S where the MAGAtics got it from. Though being that is from what they deem 'inferior races', I doubt it.
#41
You’ve Been Buying IKEA Furniture Wrong
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What do you think ?
David Paterson 11 hours ago
What annoys me is how a well known and correct fact is immediately rejected as wrong just because some ignoramus on TV or in an advertisement says it is.
Geobugi🇰🇷🇰🇭 9 hours ago
Or it gets repeated here again and again. Like no anesthesia was used for babies are the inevitable gamma ray burst wich is about the k**l us surely within the next half year
Load More Replies... Laszlo Larthlanc 2 hours ago
Here's another one that didn't age well: "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home," Ken Olsen, the founder of Digital Equipment Corporation. Quote is from 1977.
David Paterson 11 hours ago
What annoys me is how a well known and correct fact is immediately rejected as wrong just because some ignoramus on TV or in an advertisement says it is.
Geobugi🇰🇷🇰🇭 9 hours ago
Or it gets repeated here again and again. Like no anesthesia was used for babies are the inevitable gamma ray burst wich is about the k**l us surely within the next half year
Load More Replies... Laszlo Larthlanc 2 hours ago
Here's another one that didn't age well: "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home," Ken Olsen, the founder of Digital Equipment Corporation. Quote is from 1977.
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