50 Facts People Are Tired Of Explaining Because Some Still Refuse To Believe Them
You probably learned the difference between an opinion and a fact in the second grade. No matter how strongly you believe that tiramisu is the world's best dessert, you won’t be able to get that printed in a scientific journal as a fact. Someone is always going to argue that gelato is superior!
But apparently, even if you are only stating facts, there will still be people out there who aren’t fully convinced of your case. Redditors have been discussing the facts that they’re tired of having to explain to other people, so we’ve gathered some of their replies below. From dietary information to knowledge about climate change that we should all be on the same page about, enjoy scrolling through this list. And be sure to upvote the things you can't believe some people are in denial about!
This post may include affiliate links.
That just because an opinion is popular doesn't mean it is correct.
Or, just because you're filming it on social media doesn't make it right either. And just because someone is shouting doesn't mean they're a Karen.
I'm not a "househusband" because I'm lazy and don't want to work. I chose to stay home and support my wife while she brings in the bread. I've accepted this and you should look past societal stereotypes and stop with the condescension.
You do what is right for your family and it's really none of anyone else's business.
My SO and I are not having kids because we don't want them.
That's it. I'm sick of explaining why to people. Now we just repeat "We don't want them".
> But everyone has them!
We don't want them.
> But who will take care of you when your old
We don't want them.
> But lifes purpose is to reproduce
We don't want them.
> But you'd make such good parents
We don't want them.
It's completely inappropriate to ask anyone why they don't have children. You have no idea what they are going through, infertility affects a lot of people so wait until they bring the subject up.
That snow in the winter doesn't mean global warming is a lie. Weather and climate are not the same thing!
When you've lived in a winter climate all your life and paying attention to how different winter has been over the decades, and the summers, you then notice something is changing. Winter in the prairies has been coming a bit later and not as hard as it once did when I was young. I remember big snowfalls around Halloween, walking through inches and inches of snow, wearing a snowsuit with an over sized costume to fit over it. The duration of trick r treating was how long you could last before you felt too cold. Winters were cold, yes, but the -35C and lower days were not as frequent, and usually resulted in indoor recess and if you had to walk to school you had the choice to stay home. Now, these frost-biting temps have been inevitable part of winter and stick around that it's no longer an acceptable excuse to stay home, unless the temps are -45C or lower with the windchill, and that's only if the kid has to walk to school longer than 15 minutes, which isn't common anymore.
That old people aren't technologically illiterate. We invented the stuff.
Today's kids are much less proficient with technology than those of us who actually learned it in practice during the 90s. They are also functionally illiterate, being unable to read, write or spell. Think you're so smart, kid? Read the greeting card that Grandma wrote in cursive.
That we can actually lose our democracy.
Downvote me all you want but I have to say this: unfortunately, we ordinary citizens also bear a part of responsibility in this. In my present day country (France) there are free elections and some politicians who have proved to be useless/dangerous/abusing the system (having several mandates at the same time for instance)...still find people to vote for them. How come?
Explaining that there is no meaningful distinction between "natural" and "artificial" when it comes to chemical compounds.
We've known this since 1828, when Wöhler synthesised urea out of some minerals, that was identical to urea extracted from urine. Aspirin can be made from the bark of the willow tree, but these days it's actually made from petroleum. It's still the same molecule.
And speaking of chemicals, explaining that "it's full of chemicals" (about a food or such) is a completely meaningless statement. And that a "chemical" is not somehow inherently harmful.
Or explaining that "it was made with battery acid" is not a bad thing. Sulphuric acid is a very useful compound that was likely used in making quite a few things you consume. Your Drano drain cleaner (the pure sodium hydroxide stuff), that will eat through your skin, can be drank as an antacid instead of your Pepto-Bismol if dissolved with enough water. Or mix it with hydrochloric acid, and you'll just get a bit of salt and water. Just because a chemical is nasty in some form of concentration, doesn't mean it's evil.
And finally, that "detox" is not a thing. Your liver and kidneys will get rid of anything your body deems harmful without your help. Anyone who tells you about the "toxins" in your food or body is speaking out of their a*s.
I would argue that my liver and kidneys DO need my help, but just in the form of a healthy diet and plenty of water 🤷♀️
You DO NOT have to "alpha" your dog. They're not wolves. Wolves don't even do that. Stop it.
No but you have to put boundaries like you would do with a toddler, socialize them and let them feel safe, or they would become overly protective and aggressive.
Dogs need to be part of a pack, or family. They automatically understand who the 'parents' are.
Load More Replies...Oh I definitely alpha my dog. In fact, I've had her learn the whole Greek alphabet. It's important that at least one person in the family learn it.
Dogs are pack animals. If you socialize your dog to see your family as its pack, your dog will lay down its life for you. It's when people leave their dog alone, tied up or don't feed it enough that it might one day attack. Make your dog a member of your family.
Absolutely. We have had GSDs for almost 30 years. They take lots of work but are the best.
Load More Replies...A dog needs a clear place in his social environment. And he needs to be trained to get along in a modern society with lots of other dogs and people. That's all
Don't "Alfalfa" your dog either. They look ridiculous with that cowlick.
Explaining to people at the dog park, that they need to control their dog! Your dog is not "just playing". He's challenging the other male dogs for dominance. I get it, I know he's a dog being a dog, but my Beagle just wants to ignore him, and do his sniffing and baying!
If you have more than 2 dogs you do need to get a chain of command .. call it dog mum dog dad alpha or top .. dogs inherently need a "alpha" to.look up to not all the time but at certain times and take t hat away and it would make them very anxious and create one within their own pack .. no matter how far they have come from wolves they are still a percentage "wild" even the fluffy fur ball who would not think twice about using their built in senses to survive .. this absolutely must be established if u have a pack of large pray driven dogs or your asking for trouble in a family setting ..
my dog was the cutest, friendliest dog to everyone and every animal. 100% beta
They tend to come by it naturally, mainly in captivity, if they are alpha dogs, anyway.
That gluten isn't actually the devil for people without celiac disease or an allergy.
Also, what gluten is.
Gluten needs a PR team. Call it wheat protein and al the gym bros and fit girls will promote it
Vacines work, there is countless information on it and its well studied. People always find these obscure aspects of vaccination to attack and it takes a bit to debunk but they are always wrong. I find this week in virology (podcast) episode 496 is useful to explain most answers but they just keep looking for s**t that isn't there.
Edit: get your flu shot, 80,000 people died last year from the flu, in america alone. The flu shot isn't perfect but it does decrease the chance you get the flu. Even if you still get the flu the flu shot help shorten the duration of the illness, and makes it a lot less contagious. The shorter and less contagious it is mean the less people will die from the illness. You Getting the flu shot protects the elderly and the young by preventing you spreading it to them directly or indirectly. Save a life get the flu shot.
Astrology and Astronomy are not the same thing. Astrology is an archaic form of divination, Astronomy is a science.
Climate Change / Global Warming is not about 'Saving Planet' its actually about saving Humanity. Our planet will be fine.
anonymous: That and explaining the difference between climate and weather. Every time we have subzero temps I hear people say things like "how can anyone actually think the earth is getting warmer". I don't even bother to explain anymore. Trying to educate the willfully ignorant is silly.
Planet as a physical bosy, yes. Whole ecosystems, no. That's generally what is meant by saving the planet. Coral bleaching, increased environmental stress, soil denudification.... This is happening now.
That air thermals cause airplane condensation trails. Not chemicals being spilled into atmosphere by "them".
Maybe I'm too stupid, but aren't the airtrails water condensating around exhaust fumes? So technically, there are chemicals spilled in the atmosphere by airplanes?
Evolution. It exists, it works, and yes, we're related to apes (as well as cats, dolphins, spiders and amoebas - if you dig deep enought).
And it's not limited to nature or animals. Society evolves. Language evolves. Everything evolves and changes.
Obesity is not a character flaw. It is a far more complex health issue than many people realize.
It’s not just about “willpower”. That may work for you but doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. If you interviewed overweight people, almost all of them would say they would choose to be skinny if they could. Same with addǐction. If saying “no” worked, no one would be an addǐct.
Just because it's your belief doesn't make it any less homophobic.
That the correct phrase is "couldn't care less" and *not* "could care less".
“Literally” true. Look up the definition of “literally” in a modern dictionary.
"Alternative medicine" doesn't exist. If it works, we just call it "medicine." If it doesn't work, it's at best stupid and expensive and at worst dangerous or deadly. Homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic, autism "cures," reiki, on and on and on...they confer the placebo effect. But the placebo effect won't treat your f*****g cancer. Don't be dumb.
I have PTSD and you won't believe how many times I have to say that people with PTSD don't always have flashbacks. It's not a Vietnam war movie.
You don't have to have gone to war to have PTSD, and just because one person with PTSD doesn't get flashbacks, doesn't mean another with PTSD doesn't either, and it's not always about war.
Everything is a chemical. Food is made of chemicals. You are made of chemicals.
panoramicjazz: And just because we use the word radiation, doesn't mean you will get cancer.
Kreos642: But tomatoes have carbon in it and carbon is in household cleaners so if I eat this I might die because household cleaners can k**l you!!
Every time I hear someone say something like that I'm proud to know I am not as stupid as they are, but saddened that they are that stupid this day and age.
haddock420: What really p***es me is the whole "If it's difficult to pronounce, it's not good for you" thing that was popular a while ago. What an arbitrary way to choose your diet.
Climate change is not a hoax, it's been proven over and over again, it is a real, impending danger that needs to be taken seriously.
But you must have at least some degree of intelligence to understand this.
U.S. Specific:
1. You are not getting money from the government when you get a tax refund. You are getting your own money that you just lent to the government at 0% interest.
2. Freedom of speech does not mean that you can say whatever you want and not face consequences. People who call you out on your b******t are not violating your first amendment rights.
Edit: People are absolutely correct in pointing out that in some cases low income families have refundable tax credits that exceed the amount they paid in payroll tax throughout the year. The people I'm tired of explaining this to, though, are the people in my office with six-figure household incomes, bragging about getting a $5,000 tax refund.
You have the freedom of speech, I have a right to judge you on what you said.
Freedom of speech only protects you from the government, not other people.
Freedom of speech does not mean free of consequences of words and actions. In Canada, we have the right to peacefully protest. That doesn't mean Canadians have the right to protest anyway we like. This is what the "Freedom Fighters" failed to understand with their disruptive antics and breaking noise bylaws. (For those wanting accurate, clear explanations of what happened to the accounts of those involved in the Freedom Convoy, CATO Institute as made a good report about it here: https://www.cato.org/blog/emergencies-act-after-two-years )
Hair does not grow longer and thicker because you have shaved it. It grows longer and thicker because you are no longer 11 years old.
When you shave, the hair is now blunt and not tapered. If you want the tapered hair back you'll have to wax it or tweeze it from the root.
That we’re actually more or less safer nowadays than ever before. Crime rates have dropped quite a bit in the last few decades. We only think that there’s been an increase in crime because of the 24 hour news cycle reporting this stuff all the time, thus keeping it fresh in our memories.
Bipolar disorder is deeper than being mad 5 minutes ago and now being perfectly fine. Sure, some people do rapid cycle but it just isn't that simple. And the weather can not have bipolar disorder. And bipolar disorder is not the same thing as PMS, though symptoms can get worse while menstruating, they are completely unrelated. Also OCD can be obsessive intrusive thoughts, not everyone with OCD is ~so totes obsessed~ with cleaning. You can have OCD and be a slob, it is about obsessive behaviour that interferes with your life. Mental disorders are not cute and quirky, they are literally the worst.
I think people just talk about the weather being bipolar in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. Not literally.
That per unit of energy produced, nuclear power is one of the safest forms of energy production.
Short-term, yes. We still have no way of dealing with the relatively small amount of waste that stays dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years. Relatively small means quite a lot when the use of nuclear power is ramped up, and we're saddling future generations with surprise radiation from barrels in the oceans and underground.
That you don't catch a cold simply from being cold.
I've had to explain this more times than I care to count to one of my friends.
Wasps are important pollinators aren't aren't just stinging jerks. Some plant species are pollinated exclusively by single wasp species.
They’re also important predators, keeping other insects in check.
For the last time people, there *is* gravity in space! It's amazing how many people don't understand this.
To be able to suck it up and forget about it is physically impossible with PTSD.
PTSD causes physical changes in the brain detectable in brain scans, proven by a study done by the VA medical center system, the sort of research which has been ended by tyrannical plutocracy.
Just because you were spanked as a child and "turned out ok" does not mean you should spank your child. There is a ton of hippocracy in telling children not to hit and then spanking them when they make a mistake. Explaining something to kids is much more effective in the long run than spanking is.
I want to add, corporal punishment (spanking) is not discipline. Discipline is not punishment. Punishment is not necessarily a*****e and is an integral part of learning lessons to grow up and maturing. Some people think punishment and discipline are the same thing, and that it all means spanking.
That antibiotics treat bacterial infections, not viral ones. No, antibiotics won't help your cold.
Beluga_Snuggles: This drives me crazy! Every time I get a cold someone tells me to go to a doctor and get a prescription for antibiotics as if it is some magical panacea.
meowseehereboobs: Some people are even dumber. I had a coworker (an adult male with a degree) tell me I shouldn't take ibuprofen at all ever, and that my migraines would stop if I went to the doctor for antibiotics. Dude's like 50.
Using antibiotics incorrectly and taking them unnecessarily is contributing to antibiotic resistance "super bugs".
You shouldn't fully drain batteries to make them last longer. That was old info that only applied to nicad and not modern lithium batteres or nimh.
Memory and hard disk space are not the same thing.
Hands up, if you're using one of the dinosaurs shown in the picture. Two hands up if you're actually building one right now!
Schizophrenics do not have multiple personalities. That would be Multiples Personality Disorder or as it is known now in the DSM, Dissociative Identity Disorder. TV shows and movies seem to have trouble with this one a lot.
I think Dr. Phil has been the worst in deepening the stigmas and depictions of mental disorders.
Freedom of speech means you can't be arrested for what you're saying (within reason - you can't yell "fire" in a crowded theater.) Freedom of speech doesn't mean you can say what you want without other repercussions.
Aspartame is one of the best studied food additives in the world. It's not dangerous, it doesn't cause cancer. And it's not some mysterious "chemical" (whatever it is that layman health nuts think that word means), it's a peptide: An itty bitty protein. Our body is perfectly able to digest it, our tongue just thinks it's insanely sweet so we don't need much of it.
All that said, it's still not good for you either. It encourages your appetite so you eat more and as a result still gain weight while consuming it.
That when you earn more money that puts you "into a higher tax bracket" only the amount above that bracket gets taxed at the higher rate, not your entire income.
[edit] in the U.S.
pasaroanth: I dealt with this when I was a paramedic. We worked 24 hour shifts and were constantly offered overtime, but people would refuse to take two in a pay period because they said their check would be less than if they had just taken one because "it put them in a different tax bracket".
Yes, the second shift may not bump the check to the same degree as the first...but you're not f****ng making less money. Regardless, it all comes out in the wash when you file. It was even more infuriating because these were people who filed 0 (no dependents, no personal exemption) so they could get a bigger refund.
Yeah it's totally cool to give the government an interest free loan by filing no exemptions but god forbid you have to wait a couple more months to get that extra $15 you got knocked off for a few bucks seeping into a higher tax bracket temporarily.
Cows are female, male cattle are bulls or steers (if castrated). I am an agriculture teacher and this is the hardest thing to get students and some adults to understand. Not every bovine in a field is a cow. Wow, I feel better now that I got that off my chest....
Edited: I am teaching the proper names to my students, as part of our curriculum.
Chrome and IE are just browsers, like cars that are used to drive on the internet. Neither of them is "the internet.".
That you can't specifically lose belly fat by doing sit-ups. Yes, the sit-ups will strengthen and tone your abs, but the definition won't show through the fat. And you'll still have a belly.
Sometimes it's just the way we are built. Even at my lowest (44 kg / 97 pounds) I still had a belly.
Flamingos don’t have “backwards knees”, those bits are their ankles.
Isn't that the same for cats and dogs? They literally walk on their toes.
GMOs and MSG are not bad for your health.
But it was not a question about your health but about changing nature. Since pollen of the GMOs are spreading the change to other fields. And there is in fact a flow of genetic information that cross species. Especially if the pressure is high like having lots of herbicides around.
The Electoral College was not created because they didn't have the technology to have an informed populace or to run an election. They could have had national elections where the President was elected by popular vote back then, if that's what they wanted to do.
It was created so that the smaller states would have a say in the presidency.
That losing weight really is just calories in vs calories out.
No fad diets or gimmicks are going to work in the long run.
Wrestling fans are well aware that it is not real.
Metabolism rate doesn't vary by more than 15% between people. you're fat because you eat too much for your activity level..
[source - study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15534426)
[source - article](https://examine.com/nutrition/does-metabolism-vary-between-two-people/)
From the article
_"for resting metabolic rate (how many calories are burnt by living), 1 standard deviation of the population (68%) was within 6-8% of the average metabolic rate. Extending this, 2 standard deviations of the population (96%) was within 10-16% of the population average."_
_"Extending this into practical terms [if the average expenditure were] 2000kcal a day, then 68% of the population falls into the range of 1840-2160kcal daily while 96% of the population is in the range of 1680-2320kcal daily"_
_"Metabolic rate does vary, and technically there could be large variance. However, statistically speaking it is unlikely the variance would apply to you. The majority of the population exists in a range of 200-300kcal from each other and do not possess hugely different metabolic rates."_
The article summarises that the far from there being some inevitable debilitating curse of "low metabolism"... just "moderately active living" (deliberate activity but without breaking a sweat) is sufficient to overide the inherent difference in metabolic rate in the vast majority of people. (the outliers being those with hypothyroidism - a diagnosable condition)
"Eat less, move more" in within everyone's grasp. And everyone's responsibility.
edit: changed quote from article to one more representative of my point.
I'm skinny, underweight actually and have been all my life after infancy. While yes, there is an "in and out" portion to it, but each person does burn differently. Someone who moves/excercises a lot may be overweight whereas I can laze around and eat a bunch of calories and still remain underweight. The person who wrote this may or may not be skinny, but they ARE an a**hole.
I'm tired of a certain US President lying all the time and not getting called out each time. He gets away with it so often that too many people just don't seem to care anymore and let it slide without accountability or consequences.
He is called out each time, though. Unfortunately the masses don't listen or care because they're the idiots who voted him in. Not that Harris or Biden were that much better as alternatives.
Load More Replies...I'm tired of explaining that being quiet is not the same as being shy. I'm an introvert. I speak when I have something to say not because i just have to say something. I'm more of a listener and an observer. I don’t need to be loud or to be the centre of attention. It annoys me when I'm with an extrovert who is dominating the conversation and they suddenly say, "you're so quiet." I reply, "yeah it's because I can't get a word in edgeways." When I'm with people I don't know I'm usually the first to introduce myself and start a conversation. I'm not afraid to speak my mind and I love trying new things. These are not the actions of someone who is shy.
Excellent explanation of a " quiet " listener. I'm the same. Remember the old adage : " empty vessels make the most noise ".
Load More Replies...Specific to the USA, I'm tired of trying to explain that most homeless people and people on Medicaid/Benefits are employed and pay their taxes.
Same, people on Medicaid are often working more than anyone else! For example, folks who work at a place like Walmart- they may work many hours a week but it's below a threshold that allows for benefits via Walmart, so instead they qualify for Medicaid. We are subsidizing Walmart, then, via our taxes going to pay workers they should be paying. Corporate welfare at its finest
Load More Replies...One fact that many people don't know is that there is no such thing as a "weed", meaning a plant type that is botanically distinct from all other flora. A weed exists only in the eye and mind of the beholder. Any plant that people consider undesirable simply gets labeled as being a weed. Sure, any plant species can be "invasive", but that just means any plant that is growing where we humans don't want it to be growing.
Reduce your body fat like it's poison. Your body needs fat to work, you'd be dead without it, the only question is where you're getting it from.
That Theist, Agnostic, and Atheist are three ways to believe. Theist means belief in God(s), atheist is not believing in any gods, while agnostic means not Knowing. Every single person on this planet is, by definition of the word, agnostic.
There are plenty of people in this world who firmly believe God exists, and plenty more who firmly believe God doesn’t. “Agnostic” is used to describe people who firmly believe that finding out if God truly exists is impossible. So no, every single person is not agnostic.
Load More Replies...I always get cheese off when people say being polygamous is always going to end badly and is morally wrong No hiding an affair is morally wrong as is poor communication
CORRELATION DOES NOT IMPLY CAUSATION. Repeat after me! And correlation coefficients are almost never perfect. People are not identical. So a number of people have the positive results, but the rest have neutral or negative results. See any d**g study.
To answer the question: NO type of fact denial surprises me anymore. Source: I live in the U.S. in the year 2025, and I’m old enough to remember when people were smarter.
Only, I’m just fed up with correcting people who drivel out ‘I’m tired of explaining . . .’ when a lot of the time they’re no more informed than the people they are ‘correcting’. Just repeating something you’ve read on these sort of lists over and over again doesn’t make you right.
I'm tired of a certain US President lying all the time and not getting called out each time. He gets away with it so often that too many people just don't seem to care anymore and let it slide without accountability or consequences.
He is called out each time, though. Unfortunately the masses don't listen or care because they're the idiots who voted him in. Not that Harris or Biden were that much better as alternatives.
Load More Replies...I'm tired of explaining that being quiet is not the same as being shy. I'm an introvert. I speak when I have something to say not because i just have to say something. I'm more of a listener and an observer. I don’t need to be loud or to be the centre of attention. It annoys me when I'm with an extrovert who is dominating the conversation and they suddenly say, "you're so quiet." I reply, "yeah it's because I can't get a word in edgeways." When I'm with people I don't know I'm usually the first to introduce myself and start a conversation. I'm not afraid to speak my mind and I love trying new things. These are not the actions of someone who is shy.
Excellent explanation of a " quiet " listener. I'm the same. Remember the old adage : " empty vessels make the most noise ".
Load More Replies...Specific to the USA, I'm tired of trying to explain that most homeless people and people on Medicaid/Benefits are employed and pay their taxes.
Same, people on Medicaid are often working more than anyone else! For example, folks who work at a place like Walmart- they may work many hours a week but it's below a threshold that allows for benefits via Walmart, so instead they qualify for Medicaid. We are subsidizing Walmart, then, via our taxes going to pay workers they should be paying. Corporate welfare at its finest
Load More Replies...One fact that many people don't know is that there is no such thing as a "weed", meaning a plant type that is botanically distinct from all other flora. A weed exists only in the eye and mind of the beholder. Any plant that people consider undesirable simply gets labeled as being a weed. Sure, any plant species can be "invasive", but that just means any plant that is growing where we humans don't want it to be growing.
Reduce your body fat like it's poison. Your body needs fat to work, you'd be dead without it, the only question is where you're getting it from.
That Theist, Agnostic, and Atheist are three ways to believe. Theist means belief in God(s), atheist is not believing in any gods, while agnostic means not Knowing. Every single person on this planet is, by definition of the word, agnostic.
There are plenty of people in this world who firmly believe God exists, and plenty more who firmly believe God doesn’t. “Agnostic” is used to describe people who firmly believe that finding out if God truly exists is impossible. So no, every single person is not agnostic.
Load More Replies...I always get cheese off when people say being polygamous is always going to end badly and is morally wrong No hiding an affair is morally wrong as is poor communication
CORRELATION DOES NOT IMPLY CAUSATION. Repeat after me! And correlation coefficients are almost never perfect. People are not identical. So a number of people have the positive results, but the rest have neutral or negative results. See any d**g study.
To answer the question: NO type of fact denial surprises me anymore. Source: I live in the U.S. in the year 2025, and I’m old enough to remember when people were smarter.
Only, I’m just fed up with correcting people who drivel out ‘I’m tired of explaining . . .’ when a lot of the time they’re no more informed than the people they are ‘correcting’. Just repeating something you’ve read on these sort of lists over and over again doesn’t make you right.
