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Millennials Can’t Believe The 35 Things They Were Taught As Kids That They Now Know Are All Wrong
As kids, there were all sorts of things adults told us with utmost confidence that many of us never questioned. After all, adults seemed to know everything, so it seemed logical to take what we were told at face value. But as an adult, it’s pretty easy to see just how wrong some folks were.
Someone asked millennials to share what they thought was the biggest lie ever told to their generation and netizens didn’t hold back. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote the ones you agree with most and be sure to add your own thoughts and experiences to the comments below.
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#1
That the United States was built on a system of checks and balances and that the President was not a king.
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#2
Let’s just say I haven’t gone blind yet.
#3
“You’ll become more conservative when you’re older.”
That’s b******t.
#4
Hard work will be rewarded.
Technology will make the future better.
Turns out they were just breeding a generation of labor batteries.
#5
The food pyramid and that different areas of the tongue taste different flavors.
Riley Quinn 5 months ago
I don't mind changes being made due to acquired scientific knowledge, so yeah, the food pyramid and our tongue regions have changed with new information. What scares me is the number of people clinging onto old information that's been proven false (like the US Secretary of Health insists on).
#6
That America is the land of the free.
#7
Quicksand is a common thing and knowing how to escape it will likely save your life one day.
Lee Gilliland 5 months ago
In survival school they taught us how to swim across quicksand, it was really nifty.
#8
That millennials created participation trophies. You son of a b***h, I was 7 in 1988 when my summer baseball team placed second to last in league play and every player was literally awarded a trophy. I PROMISE you, at the age of seven I did not have the resources to order trophies for myself and all my teammates.
iseefractals 5 months ago
No one said the millenials created participation trophies...it's that millennials are the first generation to be raised on participation trophies.....which is the point you're proving.
#9
>”You won’t always have a calculator in your pocket.”
What about the entire internet?
General Anaesthesia 5 months ago
This is science and innovation outrunning the imagination. Is that a lie?
#10
Take out student loans to pay for your degree, and you'll definitely get a job making enough to pay off the loans.
#12
If your a good driver and don’t have any claims your insurance rates will decrease over time.
#13
That wealth will trickle down. Still waiting.
#14
You can be anything you want to be.
StrangeOne 5 months ago
I've never been told this. More like "Hey, mom. I want to be an animator. It will be so much fun." "Work is not meant to be fun. Pick a real job."
#15
"This will be on your permanent record.".
StrangeOne 5 months ago (edited)
I've learned there's no such thing. Got a pile of not too good forms about you in your file at work? A new job will erase all that.
#16
"You need to have a 4 year degree so you don't end up a trash collector." So now the job market is saturated with bachelor's degrees for things that used to need a high school diploma, and trash collectors make $30 an hour.
Lee Gilliland 5 months ago
The United States, especially, has been over educated since the mid-60s. Most other countries take a realistic look at the number of plumbers needs vs the number of middle management.
#17
Bread being the most important food, according to the food pyramid.
#18
If you work hard and do everything right, you will have the freedom to live the way you please, without fearing for your safety and necessities.
John Dilligaf 5 months ago
you can work hard and do everything right and still fail. As CPT Picard from Star Trek TNG said -- "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life."
#19
With liberty and justice for all!
#20
Don’t talk to strangers on the internet. Don’t get in a strangers car.
Today- use the internet to hail an uber so I can get into a stranger’s car.
ETA- but really though stranger danger was really overblown when we were kids and has made society more insular and crappy. .
StrangeOne 5 months ago
I've met a few friends online. That's also where I met my current bf of 7 years. But I do believe you still have to be careful online, just like offline.
#21
You will write all your papers in college in cursive.
lol, I say. Lmao.
Lady Chelsea (LadyChelseaoftheVoid) 5 months ago
I can still write in cursive and prefer to, unless someone's gonna read my writing. It's more of a comfort thing than a "oh, I'm so classy and sophisticated" thing lol
#22
Hard work will pay off.
If you're a good person, a good thing will happen.
If you're loyal to a company, they'll be loyal to you.
Money can't solve all your problems. ( This is one the biggest, I've yet to have a problem I wouldn't solve with just a little bit more money)
A good education will get you a good job.
If you don't react to bullys, they'll go away.
No harm in asking.....(Yeah, coming from that guy here, nobody likes that guy)
Adult's know what they're doing (turns out no one does)
High school is the best days of my life.
Honorable mentions, quick sand, amnesia, Bermuda triangle.
StrangeOne 5 months ago
A few times I got bullied for not reacting to bullying. Acid rain and the hole in the Ozone layer were hot topics in school.
#24
Have kids, they said.... it'll be fun they said.
Wild Cream 5 months ago
No thanks lmao. (All respect to parents out there, thanks for doing it so our species can continue because I just can’t 😂)
#25
A few off the top of my head as a 40-year-old (U.S.):
America is the greatest country in the world.
Iraq had something to do with 9/11.
That we all would be living a better life than our parents because of technology and how great our country is.
Our freedom is better than the freedoms of other countries.
Y2K.
That the 2nd AMENDMENT should never be AMENDED.
Marilyn Manson had ribs removed to suck his own d**k.
#26
It’s not so much we were given bad advice, the world just changed at such a dramatic rate that the advice was outdated. What worked for our parents was no longer relevant.
Personal computers did not even exist when my parents went to college. By the time I was in college, everyone had a super computer in their pocket.
I would argue Millennials are the most equipped generation for change. A.I. is just another thing that is going to change life and we will just adapt with it.
Lee Gilliland 5 months ago (edited)
It's like Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind getting mad at her mom for not teaching her how to survive a war. Her mom couldn't imagine being in one and sometimes life blindsides you.
#27
If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life.
Rachel Reynolds 5 months ago
If you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. Because no one is hiring. At all. In any field.
#28
Leaving the lights inside the car on will get you a ticket.
#29
Recycling products. Felt like I was taught that it was a proven system as a kid .
CartoonCasey 5 months ago
Didn't the executives of Exxon come out right before the pandemic and admit that they fabricated the concept of recycling in order to sell more plastic? Whatever happened to that story that nobody paid any attention to? They confessed. Everything was revealed. They knew about the danger since the 70s. In all that time since they knew, they put no effort into making better plastic that could be recycled or some alternative to plastic. They just kept lying that the cheap plastic they were making could be recycled and making more of it. Nothing happened. They weren't even shamed about it.
#30
Cannabis won't ever be legal.
It's the only real job I've had in my adult life lol.
Robert Beveridge 5 months ago
Just watched a hilarious 1970 PSA called Keep Off the Grass last night that used this argument. Even funnier now than it was 50 years ago.
#31
That you couldn’t eat a vegetable or fruit seed because a plant will grow inside of you (curious to read if this was something too in other countries).
#32
“Just work hard and you’ll have everything you want”
I work my a*s off on a daily basis and I am poor and chronically depressed.
Rick Murray 5 months ago
We could have everything we wanted if we were paid what we're worth, but for the past handful of decades wages were suppressed so the guys at the top - who already have plenty of money - could accrue even more. These days they aren't even subtle about it, or the corruption.
#34
Walk in with a good attitude and a presentable outfit and you'll be hired on the spot.
Lady Chelsea (LadyChelseaoftheVoid) 5 months ago
hired by who? lol...the hiring manager is likely not even in the building
#35
You must drink milk all day everyday or your bones will snap in half.
Auntriarch 5 months ago
Can't stand it. But I eat plenty of cheese so probably am not missing anything
#36
“You can be whatever you want.”
“You are special.”
“If you go to college you’ll have a good life.”.
#37
Contribute to your Pension and 401K. You’ll be rich when you retire.
#38
My wife works in a female-dominant field, and she can count on multiple fingers the amount of women with kids who have graduated college who regret making their kids go to college and get a degree. Now in debt, living at home, can't find a "good job" that's related....
Gina G 5 months ago
Same, and it sucks, we told these kids to study hard, get into a good college and it would pay off. Now they are stuck in a situation where they can't afford to live on their own, can't find jobs without a Masters or Doctorate that pay enough to keep up with inflation its awful and I feel for them. The world we promised them, and we lived in no longer exists.
#39
College degree is everything.
BAN CAPITAL LETTERS 5 months ago
It seems nowadays that a college degree is worth both everything and nothing. If you don't have a degree, then you don't get considered for the job. If you do have a degree, you have the opportunity to be considered before being rejected.
#40
College. Absolutely. Never went to college, and I make $35 an hour as a water treatment plant operator in Alabama.
#41
You'll miss childhood as an adult.
Turning 34 in a few months. I don't miss childhood one bit.
#42
That our future was going to be so much better than our parents. We were all going to be high paid white collar workers and the economy was going to keep growing fast enough to make that a possibility for everyone. Lol, instead our life expancity is going down while retirement age keeps going up and isn't even keeping up with inflation.
I used to worry more about it but I'm starting to think it's the boomers that need to panic as they lose control of the vote and the younger generations finally want their pieces of the pie.
#43
"Video games will rot your brain!"
Still don't know if that one was true or not. I wasn't allowed to play video games and occasionally encounter people my age who function like dementia patients.
Rick Murray 5 months ago (edited)
Video games are absolutely nothing compared to the mindless scrolling of stupid memes and cr*p. Video games were interactive, and fairly often required various skills (from mashing buttons at silly speeds to lateral thought) to complete. Now people just load up Facebook, Reddit, Twitter (*), BP and scroll, scroll, scroll...you could put a bullet through their brains and nothing would change, they're basically warm-blooded zombies. * - no, I'm not calling it an alphabet letter.
#44
Pensions, probably. And that I’d make a lot of money with a college degree. Even with a PhD I’m not making a ton. Granted, I could, but I would hate my job.
Robert Beveridge 5 months ago
Switching to 401(k)s from pensions was one of those tricks from the 80s we haven't seen the bottom of yet. It's one I truly hope I'm dead before we do.
#45
Be loyal to your job and they will stand behind you 100%….. cue the Great Recession early in my career… luckily, it showed me early on that loyalty to a company is BS. I’m loyal while there but if I get an uneasy feeling at some point, I’m looking out for myself.
Luke Branwen 5 months ago
Remember that woman who's saved the Toy Story (or whatever) movie by having backups on her computer? She was fired recently.
#46
Hard work will bring success. Total b******t. This is literally what you tell exploited workers. They told our parents and our parents told us believing them.
From personal experience, its all about how liked you are and your ability to convince people to say yes when asking for more. I am executive level and manage people with certifications and better marks in school than I have. This wasn't because I was smarter or anything. Its because when I started here 5 years ago, I decided I was going to play the social angle and its surprisingly effective. I dressed like them, talked like them, walked like them. It wasn't long where they considered me one of them and treated me as such.
#48
Working 9 to 5. Don’t know a single person that works 9 to 5. That’s only 8 hours a day.
Robert Beveridge 5 months ago
My first job was 1990,the very tail end of 8 hour workdays with paid lunch. Man, we had no idea how good we had it.
#49
Get a good job with a company with a pension and stay there your entire career and it will pay off in the end.
#50
Oh, my god. Where should I start?
"Work ethic."
"Work culture."
"Work-life balance."
"Hard work."
"Smart work."
"Work loyalty."
"Meritocracy."
"Low-skill work."
All of that is pure, absolute B******T.
#51
The food pyramid and the whole anti-fat movement that arose from it.
Rick Murray 5 months ago
Oh. Um... [looks down] I eat lots of pasta which is on the good part of the chart and......oops.
#52
Weapons of mass destruction.
#53
Everything was a lie.
Robert Beveridge 5 months ago
Nah. If you lived in a college town with a punk DJ who was playing the right music, at least SOMEONE was telling you the truth, even if his name was Joey S******d...
#54
"Kindness is contagious"
Then the boomers go elect someone who makes fun of the physically disabled, calls soldiers losers, etc etc. Turns out kindness isn't that important to them.
#55
That was all of us, don't let the boomers and Gen X forget that their the reason why all of us have college debt.
Robert Beveridge 5 months ago
Trust me, my man, Gen X got hit too. We were the first generation credit card companies actively marketed to college students, as well, which compounded the issue significantly.
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What do you think ?
AuspiciousTree283 5 months ago
I volunteered at a thrift shop for 2 and a half years up until its closure. Every week, I sorted VHSes, DVDs, books, music discs, organized clothes, swept the floors, anything that looked mundane. It got boring at times, but I liked every minute of it. The community was welcoming, and everyone looked out for each other. Everyone liked their job, and they made me feel welcome there. Some of these "lies" are just pessimism. Yes, you are special, as in a one of a kind. Yes, you can love work. Yes, your hard work pays off. Not every workplace culture is toxic, and you can most certainly change your perspective.
At Least I'm Not You 5 months ago
These people are just sad, miserable, whiney pieces of Leftist trash. I came from nothing and at 43 have gotten 3 degrees, married, a good paying job, a home, and a retirement plan. If you're in a bad place, leave: how could it be worse?
D Gibson 5 months ago
As if anyone would believe a guy bsing online. "Your nose is growing & your pants are on fire ."
Load More Replies...
At Least I'm Not You 5 months ago
You do know it's Democrats advocating for the elimination of Jews, right? Or are you referring to NYC's future mayor's plan of ethnic cleansing? You know, the one he proud shares online to rid NYC of all white and Jewish people? 'Cause that's the most N**i thing going on in the U.S. these days. https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bnaibrith.org/mamdani-anti-israel-nyc-mayor-race/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwj-8u6nzZ2OAxUwFFkFHeF9LXM4ChAWegQIBhAC&usg=AOvVaw2IQMhtm-oAfBCiCM8c4YYf. https://news4sanantonio.com/news/nation-world/mamdani-vowed-to-arrest-netanyahu-if-he-ever-visited-nyc-as-mayoral-race-heats-up-democratic-mayoral-primary-new-york-city-international-criminal-court-israel?photo=1 https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.yahoo.com/news/york-post-editorial-slams-zohran-220841376.html&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwi6-8-Uzp2OAxWBFVkFHQ0LNw44ChAWegQIAxAC&usg=AOvVaw34RhHVx2sdoKMlgKbf050t https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.newsweek.com/zohran-mamdani-proposes-taxing-whiter-neighborhoods-nyc-2
Load More Replies... AuspiciousTree283 5 months ago
I volunteered at a thrift shop for 2 and a half years up until its closure. Every week, I sorted VHSes, DVDs, books, music discs, organized clothes, swept the floors, anything that looked mundane. It got boring at times, but I liked every minute of it. The community was welcoming, and everyone looked out for each other. Everyone liked their job, and they made me feel welcome there. Some of these "lies" are just pessimism. Yes, you are special, as in a one of a kind. Yes, you can love work. Yes, your hard work pays off. Not every workplace culture is toxic, and you can most certainly change your perspective.
At Least I'm Not You 5 months ago
These people are just sad, miserable, whiney pieces of Leftist trash. I came from nothing and at 43 have gotten 3 degrees, married, a good paying job, a home, and a retirement plan. If you're in a bad place, leave: how could it be worse?
D Gibson 5 months ago
As if anyone would believe a guy bsing online. "Your nose is growing & your pants are on fire ."
Load More Replies... At Least I'm Not You 5 months ago
You do know it's Democrats advocating for the elimination of Jews, right? Or are you referring to NYC's future mayor's plan of ethnic cleansing? You know, the one he proud shares online to rid NYC of all white and Jewish people? 'Cause that's the most N**i thing going on in the U.S. these days. https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bnaibrith.org/mamdani-anti-israel-nyc-mayor-race/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwj-8u6nzZ2OAxUwFFkFHeF9LXM4ChAWegQIBhAC&usg=AOvVaw2IQMhtm-oAfBCiCM8c4YYf. https://news4sanantonio.com/news/nation-world/mamdani-vowed-to-arrest-netanyahu-if-he-ever-visited-nyc-as-mayoral-race-heats-up-democratic-mayoral-primary-new-york-city-international-criminal-court-israel?photo=1 https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.yahoo.com/news/york-post-editorial-slams-zohran-220841376.html&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwi6-8-Uzp2OAxWBFVkFHQ0LNw44ChAWegQIAxAC&usg=AOvVaw34RhHVx2sdoKMlgKbf050t https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.newsweek.com/zohran-mamdani-proposes-taxing-whiter-neighborhoods-nyc-2
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