Outrageous Lies You Were Told During Your Childhood

The innocence of childhood is what makes children so lovable. They can also be very gullible, and fall victim to their parents’ outrageous lies. As innocent as they are, they put their whole trust to their parents more than anyone else in the world. That is to say, they will believe every single word from their parents’ mouths. And when children deeply believe in something, it remains within them even as they grow up. Only to realize that what they were told as kids were big fat outrageous lies. But we really can’t blame our parents. They probably made up such lies for our sake and they likely believe that we’ll realize the truth eventually. But a lie is still a lie and it’s a shame to think now that we have once fallen into believing these deceptions.

You certainly will be able to relate to these outrageous lies you were told during your childhood.

 

Lie: People swallow 8 spiders a year while they sleep.

Truth: Spiders are too frightened to approach a sleeping human. Spiders have exceptional sensory perceptions. Even if you’re not moving, they can hear your breathing from a distance.

Lie: Tetanus is mainly caused by getting cut by rusty metals.

Truth: Rust is not the root cause of tetanus. It is caused by an anaerobic bacteria which is commonly found in soil, dust and animal feces. Other objects other than rusty metals that are exposed to contaminated soil can be potential tetanus carriers. Even dog bites can transmit tetanus.

Lie: It is extremely dangerous to wake up a sleepwalker. Doing so may cause disorientation that can lead to a violent or fatal reaction.

Truth: Waking up a sleepwalker is totally harmless. Furthermore, it prevents them from hurting themselves while sleepwalking such as falling down the stairs or bumping into hard objects.

Lie: Sitting too close to the TV may damage your eyes that can lead to blindness.

Truth: Too close or otherwise, watching TV won’t cause any physical damage to the eyes. However, too much watching TV can cause eyestrain and headache particularly if you’re watching in the dark.

Lie: Eating sugary treats can put kids into a hyperactive frenzy.

Truth: There is no known link between sugar and hyperactivity. But kids tend to be more excited at events where sweet goodies are usually served.

Lie: Shaving makes the hair grow thicker and coarser.

Truth: The tip of the hair is finer than its base. When the tip  is cut, the bluntness of the regrowth makes hair look thicker and feel coarser.

Lie:  The tongue taste map distinguishes the sections of taste buds for sweet, bitter, sour, and salty.

Truth: The receptors that pick up tastes are distributed all over the tongue.

Lie: Wait for at least an hour to swim after eating to avoid getting cramps.

Truth: There is no medical evidence to support this notion. However, it is advisable to allow your foods to digest before doing any strenuous activity, not just swimming.

Lie: A cozy hat to wrap our head is a must on a cold winter because most of our body heat is lost through our heads.

Truth: Body heat is lost through any part of our body that is uncovered.

Lies we all fell for when we were young

 

Lie: Eating turkey makes you sleepy due to its tryptophan content that can trigger the feeling of being tired.

Truth: Tryptophan is also found in beef, chicken, banana, eggs, dairy products, peanuts, and more. And it isn’t the main culprit why most people feel sleepy after eating a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner. But rather, it’s the alcohol intake and overeating that causes it.

Lie: Water conducts electricity.

Truth: Impurities in the water create ions that actually conduct electricity. For example, saltwater is a good conductor due to its salt content. However, distilled or pure water contains no impurities and therefore cannot conduct electricity.

Lie: Regular intake of vitamin C can prevent colds.

Truth: Taking vitamin C does not reduce the risk of getting a cold. However, it can shorten the duration of its symptoms.

Lie: The cracking of joints, especially the knuckles, can lead to arthritis.

Truth: The popping sound you hear when you crack your knuckles is the release of gas due to the sudden change of joint position. We do some stretching on some joints of our body for this reason, the knuckles included.

Lie: Touching frogs or toads can give you warts.

Truth: There are no amphibians that can give you warts. The bumps on their skin are not warts and do not secrete anything that causes warts.

Did your parents tell you these outrageous lies?