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These 30 Lies Have Been Thoroughly Debunked But Some People Still Stubbornly Believe In Them
Some people will believe anything, especially if they stand to gain something by it. This is what gives conmen, hucksters, snake oil salesmen, and Nigerian “princes” an endless supply of hapless victims.
Someone asked the internet, “What’s a lie people still believe no matter how often it’s debunked?” and a community of netizens were only too happy to weigh in with patently false facts some folks still stubbornly cling to. Here’s a collection of the most ridiculous.
More info: Reddit
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#1
People believe all day long that abortion bans, reducing birth control and s*x education will lower abortion rates, rather than looking at the policies of countries who ACTUALLY HAVE low abortion rates and doing what they do. (Which is not banning abortion, making birth control EASIER to access and by giving comprehensive s*x education young).
WindySwede 5 months ago
Not being theist and allowing sexual education and birth control and overall an non-shamimg of s*x makes a better life and less shameful life and etc etc.
RELATED:
#3
If people are presented with irrefutable proof they change their minds.
Every study shows it just makes people double down and dive further into nonsense.
Changing a person's mind is a long, slow, gradual process.
We live in the age of search engines, fact-checkers, and science at our fingertips. So, why do some people still believe that lightning never strikes the same place twice or that vaccines cause autism? The answer: human brains are weird. And messy. And deeply committed to clinging to whatever feels easiest, even if it’s wrong.
Repeat something often enough, and it starts to feel true. That’s not magic, it’s psychology. The “illusory truth effect” means the more we hear a lie, the more our brains go, “Well, that sounds right.” It’s why urban legends live forever and your uncle still insists shaving makes hair grow back thicker.
#4
"People before the modern era thought the world was flat".
People knew the world was round even in antiquity.
Michael Largey 5 months ago
Many people in the past never considered the question because they had - and needed - no concept of a planet.
#5
Exporting countries pay the tariff.
WindySwede 5 months ago
Se "If people are presented with irrefutable proof they change their minds."
#6
That you have to wait 24 hours before reporting somebody missing. Crime show nonsense. Those are the most critical hours for somebody who's potentially been abducted.
arthbach 5 months ago
Not just abducted. If a person is vulnerable they should be reported far sooner than 24 hours. There is no standard length of time to wait until calling for help. So much depends on the person, their health, their situation, the weather, etc. There's a vast difference between a 3 year old who has managed to open the front door and has wandered off, and a 21 year old student who was last seen two weeks ago. If you are concerned, phone the non-emergency police number and ask for advice.
We’re all guilty of loving information that agrees with us. Confirmation bias means we seek out stuff that matches what we already believe and ignore what doesn’t. So even if the truth is doing jumping jacks in front of someone, they’ll still believe that gluten is evil because their favorite podcast said so.
When someone’s beliefs get challenged, it actually causes discomfort in the brain. That pain? It’s called cognitive dissonance. And instead of facing it, many people double down on the lie. It’s easier to scream “FAKE NEWS” than admit your favorite childhood fact about goldfish memory was always total nonsense.
#7
Polygraphs. Been scientifically proven to be little better than random guessing, but people still believe they work.
#8
That the "McDonald's Coffee" lawsuit is an example of a frivolous lawsuit and why we needed tort reform.
#9
That 35 was “old” for a person in the Middle Ages.
arthbach 5 months ago
This idea comes from the 'average life expectancy'. That's true, but this is because so many babies and little ones died in the first five years old life. Many women died in pregnancy/childbirth, and young men died from war, hazardous work, and doing stupid things. If you survived these things, you'd live a decent amount of time.
Here’s the secret sauce: lies often come wrapped in juicy emotions. Fear, outrage, nostalgia, take your pick. These feelings make the lie memorable and hard to forget. Cold facts are great, but they rarely spark joy. A juicy conspiracy theory, on the other hand? It comes with drama, excitement, and a built-in villain.
Let’s face it, if five of your Facebook friends post the same misinformation, it starts feeling legit. Social validation is a powerful thing. If everyone in your circle believes the moon landing was staged, it suddenly feels way less silly to question NASA. Welcome to the algorithm-approved truth distortion machine.
#10
The wolf captivity study. Gave rise to concepts such as alpha wolves. .
Doctor Strange 5 months ago
This study was done on random wolves thrown in captivity. It was the equivalent of studying prison behavior and thinking you know how humans behave. In the wild, packs are family units. Mom and Dad are the 'alphas' and the rest are their kids. So the guy you see at the amusement park, with the waist pack full of snacks making sure all his kids are having fun and are fed and hydrated? That is the trueest alpha male you will ever meet.
#11
Low fat products are healthier than the regular version.
Excited Panda 5 months ago
True! Take Twinkies: a fat free Twinkie is healthier, because you can only stand one bite of it! 🤣
#12
That cold weather gives you a cold.
Auntriarch 5 months ago
And going outside with wet hair gives you double pneumonia. No nanna, it doesn't.
Admitting you’re wrong feels like stepping barefoot on a Lego block. So people protect their self-image by defending old beliefs, even when they’ve been proven false. It’s not about being stubborn (well, not just that), it’s about pride. Saying “I was wrong” is tough, especially when the lie became part of your identity.
Some falsehoods are more entertaining than the truth. Aliens built the pyramids? Intriguing! Birds aren’t real? Hilarious! Reality is often boring, and our brains are wired for storytelling. So even after a myth is debunked, people keep repeating it because it makes life a little spicier.
#13
That our brains are only done developing when they're 25. That is not what the study said, and the study *ended at 25*. Unfortunately, this lie is affecting actual law and autonomy in some cases. Awful.
#14
That daddy long legs are the most venomous spider in the world but their fangs are too short to pierce the skin, it’s never been true, but Mythbusters had Adam Savage get bit by multiple daddy long legs to prove it, and he’s yet to die.
#15
Kids in schools going to the bathroom in litter boxes because they identify as cats.
Austzn 5 months ago (edited)
Why do they believe stuff like this that was literal propaganda from some right wing talk/news show but not actual facts? Did they want to believe the kids identified as cats before? No, I think it was because they want to believe the schools will accommodate this and thus are a threat....to the children....yeah....
In the end, lies don’t win because they’re convincing; they win because they’re easy, emotional, and ego-friendly. Truth requires effort. Lies let us stay cozy in our comfort zones. So next time someone swears chewing gum stays in your stomach for seven years, remember: it’s not ignorance, it’s just psychology doing its messy thing.
What do you think of the lies in this list? Were there any that surprised you or that you thought were true? Upvote the most outrageous and don’t forget to leave a comment if you’ve got something to say!
#16
That hitting your kids is beneficial. 50 years of bulletproof peer reviewed medical, and psychological research and people still won't believe it.
#17
The whole “blood is blue until it comes into contact with oxygen” thing. I’ve had more than one intelligent person argue this, even years after it has become common knowledge that it’s false.
#18
That if the highest marginal income tax rate is (say) 75%, that means high earners get taxed 75% of their *entire* earnings. Politicians use this oversimplification to scare people, because numbers terrify most people, and it's not cool.
Rick Murray 5 months ago
Tax 'em 75% they'll still make *considerably* more than the lowest paid at their company.
#19
That there was a single, universal library in Alexandria. Only one burned, but there were multiple libraries. The loss of information was not AS significant as most people think.
#20
In the US, you can't effectively make less money by getting a raise and paying more taxes. That's not how it works.
I've heard so many people say that they have made less money after getting a raise. Those people are either lying to try to prove a (dumb) point or they don't understand how numbers work.
EDIT: Yes, there is the Medicare Part D donut hole, but that's not what these people are talking about. This is straight up, "my boss tried to give me a 5% raise but I turned it down because it would put me in a higher tax bracket.".
#21
That when women spend enough time together, their cycles sync up. It’s simply not true. Everyone’s cycles are different, so if you spend enough time with someone, eventually they’ll align for a bit. It’s like when you’ve got your indicator/blinker on and you’re comparing it to another blinker (just me?) - they’re out of sync until a couple of blinks, when they momentarily align (which is satisfying as f**k, or maybe I just need to get a life).
#22
Name something we were taught about Christopher Columbus in elementary school. Almost all of that.
DennyS (denzoren) 5 months ago
We were taught that he discovered our island...we live in Trinidad and we were already inhabited.
#23
If you touch a baby animal then it’s mother won’t recognize/raise it anymore because it smells different.
Caitlin Youngquist 5 months ago
Animals need rescuing if: they are COLD and wet, they are COVERED in bugs, or if they are CRYING and approaching you. In the US, you can look for rescuers/rehabilitators at Animal Help Now (ahnow.org).
#25
Urine is sterile.
#26
Hard work pays off.
Uncle Panda 5 months ago
It depends. Retiring after almost 50 years, I had to concede that there was never a reward for going the extra mile at work. It only resulted in more work and it annoyed my coworkers. But right now, I'm covering the ugly walls in my old log cabin with red cedar planks, and the hard work pays off with every plank that goes up.
#27
You have to register your hands as a weapon when youre a trained professional fighter and theyll be charged if they fight someone. You dont even have to register firearms what makes you think youd have to register hands?
#28
That doctors purposely let you die if you opt in to being an organ donor. They don’t check for that when treating you. If they do find out you are an organ donor, you are likely well dead or have been brain dead for awhile.
Jill Rhodry 5 months ago
Organ donation should be an opt out system not opt in - and if you choose to opt out you're not eligible to receive a donation
What do you think ?
Kenny Kulbiski 5 months ago
I'm pretty sure these are correct. On the other hand BP is asking us to take the word of a group of unknown people. Not exactly a reliable source.
Arthur Waite 5 months ago
Here's one: Taking hunting rifles and target pistols away from registered, tested, licenced shooters will reduce break-ins, drive-bys and school shootings. Speaking from Canada, but how did it go for you, Australia?
nicholas nolan 5 months ago
I don't know about all of those issues, but the last mass shooting in Australia with over 10 dead was Port Arthur in 1996. And there hasn't been a year with more than two mass shootings in the whole country since 1999.
Load More Replies...
Roxy222uk 5 months ago
I don’t think I know anyone that believes any of these (except maybe the spider one). Who are these people?
J. Maxx 5 months ago
Maga morons and a good healthy chunk or the religious.
Load More Replies... Kenny Kulbiski 5 months ago
I'm pretty sure these are correct. On the other hand BP is asking us to take the word of a group of unknown people. Not exactly a reliable source.
Arthur Waite 5 months ago
Here's one: Taking hunting rifles and target pistols away from registered, tested, licenced shooters will reduce break-ins, drive-bys and school shootings. Speaking from Canada, but how did it go for you, Australia?
nicholas nolan 5 months ago
I don't know about all of those issues, but the last mass shooting in Australia with over 10 dead was Port Arthur in 1996. And there hasn't been a year with more than two mass shootings in the whole country since 1999.
Load More Replies... Roxy222uk 5 months ago
I don’t think I know anyone that believes any of these (except maybe the spider one). Who are these people?
J. Maxx 5 months ago
Maga morons and a good healthy chunk or the religious.
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