There are many things we learn as we grow up that just aren’t true. They aren’t necessarily taught in schools or laid out as blatant lies but little bits of misleading information we pick up on—misconceptions we all share. We’re here today to debunk common beliefs that are misconceptions. What you do with this information is up to you, but it might be a good idea to pass this knowledge on to others!
#1: Alpha Hierarchy Isn’t Real
Alpha culture is a prevalent misconception, so much so that there are thousands of books written and hundreds of movies made based on the concept. The truth is that wolves don’t battle for dominance of the pack. Instead, they throw down over slights and plans. I read a lot of shifter romance, and this breaks my heart just a little bit.
Still, it’s really neat that they run their packs like giant families. They’re a true community! Side note: Wolves are incredibly intelligent even though they don’t perform well on the intelligence tests humans have given them. This is because they don’t care to impress us, so they don’t jump through proverbial hoops.
#2: The Memory of a Goldfish
We’re not here to tell you goldfish have an amazing memory. They don’t. Still, it’s much better than the two seconds we’ve all been told. They can remember things for months at a time. This is how they know to start swimming towards the top if you feed them simultaneously every day!
So, how do we know this fact isn’t true? Science, of course! Many studies have been done on goldfish memory and even whether or not they can be trained. Some studies concluded goldfish had memory retention for one month, while others say they can remember things for five months or more!
#3: Missing Persons Should Be Reported
You’ve probably seen many television shows propagating the myth that you can’t report a missing person unless they’re gone for 24 hours or longer. While this is true in some cases, if there is evidence of foul play, they’ll file the report and help you look. This is one bit of info everyone should know!
The sooner you file, the fresher any evidence will be. Indeed, some people walk away for a day to get their heads on straight, but if the absence is way out of character, head on up to the station and explain the situation. Remember that if you argued with that person and they disappeared, you might be asked to wait.
#4: People Have More Than Five Senses
Our entire lives, we are told we have five senses: smell, touch, taste, sight, and hearing. As mentioned below, these were the senses recorded by Aristotle. He wasn’t wrong; he just wasn’t looking at the larger picture. Think about it for a moment. Riding a roller coaster gives you more sensations than just what you can see, hear, and touch.
The main issue is that touch doesn’t encompass most of our body’s feelings. Pain isn’t a touch sensation unless you have a cut or bruise. Time does not fall into any of the original categories. True, it’s less reliable than most of our other senses, but take the next few days to consider what time it is and check yourself against the clock. You might be surprised!
#5: Napoleon Wasn’t That Short
We’ve all heard of Napoleon syndrome, where short men use their anger and bravado to compensate for their height. It turns out that we should probably rename it because Napoleon wasn’t short at all. True, he didn’t tower over others, but he was 5’7” by today’s equivalent!
If this is the first time you’ve heard French feet differ from English, you aren’t alone! I had no idea there wasn’t a standard in the 1700s. Looking back, it makes sense, but I’ve always thought he was 5’2” and an angry little man. We’ll all have to readjust our thought process on this one!
#6: Greek Sculptures Weren’t Originally White
When you think of Ancient Greek sculptures, you can imagine solid white works of marbled beauty with luscious curves and impressive muscles. They look like this now, but that’s only because the paint didn’t last as long as the marble. While it’s impossible to know exactly what they looked like, it’s been proven they were colorful.
This does beg the question of whether or not sculptors make good painters. Can you imagine putting all that work in with a hammer and chisel and then being awful at color application? Maybe it’s a good thing the pigments faded away over time…I’d hate to see some of my favorite statues looking less than elegant.
#7: Albert Einstein Wasn’t a Dunce
Albert Einstein is often used as an example for kids struggling with math. I cannot count the times I’ve heard a teacher or parent say that Einstein failed math as a kid so that a student who was having issues didn’t give up. It’s the myth that does some good! Even in his younger years, he was a mathematical genius, but he struggled with other subjects.
It makes you wonder precisely what portions of his entrance exam he failed. I have a hard time believing it was any of the other subjects. If he can pass the two hardest ones, you’d think he’d pass the others! Maybe he was bad at memorizing facts, or the exam administrators weren’t smart enough to understand his logic.
#8: Greasy Foods Aren’t the Main Acne Culprit
We’re all told to stop drinking soda, eating chocolate, and eating greasy pizza if we want clear skin. If it were that easy, very few teens would struggle with acne. It’s a genetic issue, and it’s pretty much unavoidable. This is why so few acne products actually work. They can only do so much! Your skin is either prone to acne or it’s not.
That said, your diet does exacerbate the issue if you are already prone to acne. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have a few extra pimples than give up the yummy foods that are a staple for teenagehood. If I’m going to have acne, either way, I will enjoy life to the fullest!
#9: Apples Got a Bad Rep for No Reason
When you think of the forbidden fruit, you undoubtedly think of an apple. This is a case of things being lost in translation. I’m not sure why the Latin word “Mali” means both apple and evil, but it does explain why everyone thinks the tree in question was an apple tree. Homonyms are difficult!
It’s interesting to think that it might have been wheat or an etrog. Wheat doesn’t grow on trees, and etrogs are similar to lemons. To be honest, neither of those conjures up images of forbidden tasty fruits. It would be somewhat funny if it turned out to be wheat. That had to taste awful straight from the plant. I prefer mine cooked!
#10: I’d Like to Think the Number is Zero
If you’ve ever heard the myth that humans swallow, on average, eight spiders each year while sleeping, you know what we are talking about. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The actual number is much closer to zero. You may consume a spider or two in your food, but you would never know!
Spiders and other insects are intelligent enough to recognize that the warm cavern expelling breath leads to their demise, so they won’t go near it. Spiders have been around for hundreds of millions of years. They wouldn’t have survived this long if they didn’t recognize danger
