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Comedian Ron White once famously called his show You Can't Fix Stupid. The statement is debatable, because in theory, education is supposed to do that, but it's a completely different story when it boils down to practice. And so there is always work to be done when pushing away the tide of ignorance.

But until then, Redditors embrace the reality by asking questions and sharing experiences. Specifically, this time around, someone on Reddit asked people to share the dumbest myths people today still believe, and the r/AskReddit community was quick to deliver.

Scroll down, enjoy the list, and why not upvote and comment some of your stories in the comment section below!

More Info: Reddit

#1

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread Vaccines cause autism…..

loxisi5751 , Gustavo Fring Report

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and_a_touch_of_the_’tism
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish I could upvote this more than once! AUTISM IS A NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION DETERMINED BEFORE BIRTH, TYPICALLY CAUSED BY GENETIC FACTORS

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#2

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread Trickle down economics.

A-Chntrd , Series: Reagan White House Photographs Report

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Oliver Seitz
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Trickle down is just a lie to justify big tax cuts for the rich to "pay back" big coproration donors. GOP loves that excuse and their brain dead voters believe each c**p they get told.

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#3

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread That there are dozens of hot singles in my area just dying to meet me.

ComesInAnOldBox , Grigory_bruev Report

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Craftsman 64
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are dozens of hot singles (true) in my area (not as true) just dying (possibly) to meet me (flat out lie)

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#4

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread When I had cancer a few years back and was doing chemotherapy I had people who constantly questioned that I actually "had cancer" due to the fact that my hair didn't fall out until I was actually in remission (Had been off chemo for about 2-3 weeks when my hair started gradually thinning and falling out).

It's a complete myth that every single person's hair will have the same reaction to chemo. Some people lose hair right away, some don't. Everybody is different.

DorothyGMilne , Rido81 Report

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Sonja
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was a letter on ask a manager of a woman who threw their padding at a colleague after a mastectomy when those nasty potstirrers claimed she couldn't have cancer because she didn't look sick enough. It's ridiculous how cruel some people can be if you don't fit in their expectations.

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#5

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread I still believe that if any of my limbs hang off the bed while sleeping that a monster will grab them. I also believe that the moment I remember this and pull them back on the bed is just in the nick of time before a monster grabs them.

You can't prove there isn't a monster under my bed.

bitew41489 , kryzhov Report

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Zophra
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This... is the only one that isn't a myth. C'mon, we all know deep down it's true.

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#6

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread Fish only have a 5 second memory. My fish are fed automatically on a timer and they know dinner time better than my goddamn cat

merofo8329 , wiriyathitiporn Report

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

My cat disagrees. She also said to write that she would eat the fish. (I told her that has nothing to do with the post, but she's very bossy and demanded I write it anyway.)

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#7

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread Religion imo

Sockerkatt , John-Mark Smith Report

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Cynical, Burnt And Jaded
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Amen. Lots of hate, wars and discrimination because you aren't with the right group. Such BS. Treat everyone with kindness. If they can't reciprocate, move on.

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#8

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread Tear here to open.

TheDarkSide2187 , u/captain_ohagen Report

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#9

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread The whole “Alpha/Beta male” thing

Oppie8645 , Julian Jagtenberg Report

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Craftsman 64
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When that first started, some guy tried it on my wife at a pub and she told him I was an Omega male. He stood there having no idea what Omega meant so she said "He'll be the f*****g end of you". (Nobody clapped or bought us free drinks all night but he did walk away looking like a wet, beaten dog)

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#10

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread
“Lightning never strikes the same place twice.”

Yes it does, that’s the entire reason for lightning rods on buildings.

poxayif250 , ivankmit Report

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Michelle C
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The late Roy Sullivan, a Canadian farmer, held and still holds the world record for the most lightning strikes experienced during one’s lifetime: he got hit by lightning seven times over the course of his life.

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#11

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread That humans only use 10% of their brain. This is false, regardless of how those who proclaim this myth seemingly demonstrate that it is in fact true.

MatthewWakeman , seventyfourimages Report

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Sonja
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's all based on very inaccurate readings from the very first brain scan machines. Even today the readings we get are far from perfect and while we know much more about the brain, there's still a ton more to discover and lots we cannot explain at all

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#12

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread That you eat spiders in your sleep.

Spider will not knowingly walk into a preditors mouth.

They can sense both the heartbeat, heat and noise from humans. All things that would alert them not to go into our mouth.

messeboy , zakipurnomo21 Report

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Craftsman 64
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The sound of my snoring ensures there are no spiders within 25 yards of our house.

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#13

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread
Life is fair, and bad things only happen to people who deserve it.

bitew41489 , biletskiy Report

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Queen fhk
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bad things mostly happens to good people, and basically Life is unfair. Sometimes we have to prepare for the storm!!!

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#14

“Do what you love and never work a day in your life.”

No one is paying me to play video games and eat pizza.

cinefilestu Report

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Genericist
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to be a games tester. Sounds a lot better than it was - my job was to check new updates still let old games work, so I just tested each game for an hour, week in week out. When you consider some of the nonsense that gets released (Barbie and Bratz are two games that stick with me), it stops looking quite as fun. Wasn't a bad job by any means, but it wasn't non-stop decent gaming. Christmas parties were awesome, though; cheers Sony!

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#15

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread That there are magic pills that make you lose weight and gain muscle without ever going to a gym. Or that there are snake oils that will take years off of your face and make you look young. There's a sucker born every minute.

Linux4ever_Leo , gpointstudio Report

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V 2000
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

B-But the penis enlargement pills thing is real right?... ...right?

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#16

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread There are dumber ones out there, but the one I, as an estate lawyer, deal with constantly is the idea that there needs to be a "reading" of the will, where the family all gather and the lawyer reads it aloud to them for the first time. We don't do that, we just mail everyone their own copy if they want it.

It's a really stubbornly persistent one because people continue to see scenes of it in movies and TV shows, where it's used for some big dramatic reveal. I've even had irate beneficiaries insist that the administration of the estate can't be "official" until there's a reading.

Way, *way* back, like 150 years ago or so, I believe we used to do something like that at times because you couldn't exactly presume literacy on the part of the beneficiaries, but now we feel it's a pretty safe bet that you can either read it or find someone who can.

PigHaggerty , Rawpixel Report

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StrangeOne
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd rather my inheritances be given out discreetly. I know too many people on my mom's side who are vindictive, scheming, entitled and will try to rob my beneficiaries of their rightfully given estates.

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#17

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread Corporations care or even exist for any reason other than to make money.

Jacket-Okay , PhotoMIX Company Report

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David H
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

making money is literally their job, like any business. Their purpose is to make money by selling you products and services. CocaCola is in the money making for their shareholder business, selling beverages is how they do that. This is pretty common knowledge

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#18

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread "Lie detectors" as a literal thing.

There's a reason they aren't admissible as evidence in court in most places.

bitew41489 , Tony Biondo Report

#19

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread Still blows my mind that people think the Earth is flat.

EerieArizona , 1.0 Generic/Trekky0623 Report

#20

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread
That Einstein failed his grade school math class. It was the subject of a Ripley’s Believe It or Not column in 1935 and Einstein himself refuted the article. In primary school he had been at the top of class and by 15 he had mastered differential and integral calculus.

rolis20544 , United Press photographer Arthur Sasse Report

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David H
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Germany at the time they used a 5-1 GPA system where 5 was the lowest and 1.0 was the highest, Einstein had a 1.05, putting him in the top 1/1000th percentile in Germany at the time. Journalists used to the British 0-4 or 0-5 where 4 or 5 is the highest (like what we use in the US, Canada, etc) saw a 1.05 and not realizing it was a different system, just assumed he failed, when he was near perfection

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#21

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread You have to wait 48 hours to report someone missing

loxisi5751 , RODOLFO BARRETO Report

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and_a_touch_of_the_’tism
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This one is DANGEROUS- the odds of someone who’s been kidnapped surviving decrease exponentially after the first 16-24 hours, I believe

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#23

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread Anything about MSG. I battle with my health conscious wife about this often.

EDIT: Too much of anything is bad for you. I still don’t understand the demonization of MSG.

Mister_Pibbs , FASTILY Report

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MrsFettesVette
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

MSG= Make S**t Good (let's not forget there are naturally occurring glutamates in SO MANY FOODS)

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#24

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread At some point, a viral video allegedly proved that the “beg buttons” at crosswalks are just placebos.

Some of them are, but most of them really do add a cycle for pedestrians to get a walk signal. You should use them regardless

holesix705 , Erica Fischer Report

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Carlos
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you don't press them, the lights never turn red..its always green, its chaos, cars run into cars, people get hurt, the rapture begins...press....the...button

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#25

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread That magnetic jewelry / healing will cure just about anything. A dude named Mesmer the 1780 came up with the idea, and it have been debunked many times - yet it’s still a billion dollar industry. Fun fact - the word “mesmerized” is related to him.

rolis20544 , dbgg1979 Report

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

Great for checking out the bodywork of the second-hand car you’re about to buy, though.

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#26

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread Halloween candy is commonly laced with [illegal substances] or razor blades.

Tempe-Jeff , seventyfourimages Report

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and_a_touch_of_the_’tism
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s one of those things where it’s very rare, but HAS happened, so it’s worth checking to be sure. Although, I did get a rice krispy treat with “choose god” on it once.

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#27

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread Had a cab driver insisting that the reactor meltdown at Fukushima was a failed Chinese attack on the US. The plan was to superheat the rods so they'd burn into the ground, through the center of the Earth, and come out in America and irradiate it.

Amazing.

DavidSLadd , Digital Globe Report

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

I could think of a million reasons why it would not work, but it sounds like the plot of a movie I would watch.

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#28

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread It is believed in Indian culture that keeping your unibrow means “good luck” I kept my unibrow for 20 years thinking it is my “good luck” until I got stage 5th of kidney failure and I did my eyebrows after that because who gives a f**k about luck anymore. Now my eyebrows look cute af.

Full_Sector_1606 , Marcus Quigmire Report

#29

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread I remember the myth that gum takes 7 YEARS to fully pass through your digestive system

QuandiliusDinglebop , AtlasComposer Report

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sparkly radish
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Okay this is partially true. If the gum stayed in your system, it would take 7 years for it to be digested into the body. However, it just stays in it's gummy form and follows the rest of the waste out the back door.

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#30

That you can target fat loss in specific areas of the body by doing certain exercises (like doing sit-ups to lose belly fat)

That_guy2826 Report

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

It’d be nice, though. Or, if you gained weight, to choose where that weight goes.

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#31

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread "Oh, I dont want a raise/make more money, because then I'll lose more money to taxes and take home less!"

You only get taxed on the money thats made above your current bracket. Its literally impossible to make more money and take home less.

JustHach , Karolina Grabowska Report

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

Unless you are on some form of benefits and the raise makes you cross the threshold of income. Making £100 per week, plus top up of £20 from government, pay £5 tax. Income £115. Then a raise of £10. Earn £110 but now wages too high for top up, pay £6 tax. Income £104 But that's just bad government.

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#32

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread That the underdogs are:

always good;

always right.

rolis20544 , Rene Asmussen Report

#33

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread My dad had this guy helping him out (think Big Box store DIY curb ready helper) who told him "If you sleep with your hair wet, you will bleed out of your mouth"... and he was 110% sure that was fact.

We were both just confused and bewildered at this statement.

What the hell had this guy witnessed?!

bitew41489 , Unai82 Report

#34

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread Had to explain to a grown a*s adult that blood isn’t blue inside the body and red once it hits oxygen because… blood already carries oxygen.

ETA: I didn’t expect this to take off, I first commented when the post was brand new and only had 30 comments. I understand that I came off as a snarky a*****e about it, but the dude and I were cool after 10 minutes of convincing him that what he was taught was a myth. No hurt feelings, buds.

whatdoesntkillyou , Ant Rozetsky Report

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BlueEyesWhiteDragon
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, some of us DO have blue blood...if we are octopuses. (https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/octopuses-keep-surprising-us-here-are-eight-examples-how.html)

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#35

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread
So many people think Narwhals are mythical.

A more serious one, that people who have been hurt or oppressed are morally better. My Mom thought that because she had been hurt by her Dad, whatever she did to the family was somehow justified. The Hutus were legitimately oppressed by the Tutsis (but to be fair, that comes back to Leopold, the patron satan of Africa). All people are fundamentally similar.

loxisi5751 , Jessica Simpson Report

#36

Astrology. It's just a fun nerdy thing but now it's almost religious beliefs

OtoKamen Report

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Sonja
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's not entirely true. Astrology was taken very seriously in the past and seers and astrologists where very influential. It als was indeed part of many religions and religious ceremonies in some cultures were based on astrology

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#37

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread That you can write a comment 36 minutes after the post has been made and believe that it will gain any sort of traction

kingo15 , cottonbro studio Report

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#38

Being cold is what makes you sick

Active_Variation7183 Report

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Sonja
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This again is a half truth. Being cold does not directly make you sick but it heightens the risk of getting sick. That's why cold countries have flu and cold mini-pandemics every year. Cold air makes our nasal tissue more vulnerable to diseases and the natural defenses against viruses and bacteria go down.

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#39

40 Myths People Think Are True, Yet They Are in Reality Very, Very False, As Shared In This Online Thread There are still people who believe that having [making love] in certain positions or eating certain foods can influence the sex of your unborn child or impact whether you have twins/multiples.

NoSleepNoCoffee1 , Prostock-studio Report

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Thomas Bentley
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It does, if you don't have sex you can guarantee that you will not have a boy, girl, twin or triplets. i can speak from experience.

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#40


People think bats are blind. They aren’t

holesix705 Report

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

I find it amazing that 20% of all mammal species are bats. 1 in 5 of all mammal species can fly....mad.

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