OCD, ADHD, And 18 More Common Misconceptions That Never Seem To Go Away Completely
Listen, there's plenty of things people never understand. But sometimes, a misconception is so persistent that you may find yourself perplexed — angry, even — asking aloud, "Really?!?"
U/rockytheboxer recently asked the people of Reddit, "What common misconception infuriates you?" Now, try not to get too angry while reading these — everyone learns at their own pace:
1."The Dunning-Kruger Effect. It's not as simple as 'Dumb people over-estimate their intelligence while smart people underestimate it.' Once you feel 100% certain in your knowledge, all new information looks like misinformation and you're far less receptive to facts that contradict your position. Self-doubt is what keeps your mind open, and the nagging sense that what you 'know' might not be true is what motivates intelligent people to keep pursuing knowledge. Studies show the DK Effect actually horseshoes. People at the very bottom and the top tend to over emphasize their own intelligence."
—u/Rowan-Trees
2."That you can zoom in on a digital picture and it gets more clear."
—u/skotgil
3."Life expectancy. People think that, hundreds of years ago, you died at 40. Completely false. Infant mortality was extremely high, so the average is skewed. If you made it out of infancy, you had a pretty good chance of becoming old."
—u/boludo1
4."'If they give me a raise at work, I'll bump up a tax bracket, and I'll actually make less!'"
—u/Mymoggievan
5."O.C.D. is not some cute obsession with cleanliness and order. It can ruin lives and comes in many forms."
—u/Leeser
6."The quote 'well-behaved women seldom make history' is frequently misquoted. Professor Laurel Ulrich stated this in a 1976 essay which details how women in early America have been lost to history as their stories weren’t considered important by those who wrote history. Her quote is not meant to minimize the lives of women who perform stereotypical 'women’s work' such as mothers and wives, but to stress the issue of women’s voices being lost in history. I think it’s important to support women who do not live within these archetypes, but not at the expense of women who enjoy being within these roles. Ultimately, having the voices of diverse women and gender diverse people being documented in history is incredibly important — which should include both 'well-behaved' and rebellious women."
—u/littlepinch7
7."Introversion and social anxiety are NOT the same things. Not every introvert has social anxiety or is a poor communicator. Stop lumping people together and just calling it introversion. I’m introverted. I know how to communicate well. I just don’t want to with you."
—u/bumpty
8."People assuming correlation equals causation."
—u/PacMan7650
9."As a colorblind person, I don't see in black and white. I have no problem driving. And I will never play the 'What color is this?' game. Not ever."
—u/Midnight-Ran
10."That going out in the cold without a coat causes the flu."
11."Believing that one or two anecdotal experiences to the contrary completely disproves something that is generally true."
12."Any time someone on social media says, 'Science says…,' you can be sure that they’re about to say some un-peer-reviewed bullshit from one single 'study' and still misrepresent what that study concluded."
13."That you shock a flatline to bring someone back to life."
—u/Ageyhv
14."That the symbol of the upside down cross is satanic, evil, witchcraft, etc. I see so many Catholics and Christians going off on people who have upside down crosses on clothes and stuff because it’s 'evil.' No, it is not. The upside down cross comes from Peter, who decided to be crucified upside down because he felt he was not worthy of dying in the same fashion that Christ did. It is a symbol of honor, love, and respect for Jesus."
—u/Heavy-Ad9668
15."Vasectomies are 100% reversible."
16."Y2K is the joke it is today because a whole lot of people worked their asses off to prevent it. Nothing happened for the general public because so many engineers, programmers, and others put in the long hours it needed to correct the issue."
17."A big one around where I live: Brown recluses are an incredibly dangerous monster that will attack you on sight, and if you're not taken to the hospital immediately, the wound will turn necrotic and rot your body away. Yes, they're venomous, but a brown recluse bite only has a very slightly higher risk of turning necrotic than literally any other spider bite. A typical brown recluse bite will hurt and swell for a few days and then return to normal, much like virtually any other spider bite. They're also inclined to stay in out of the way places and are noticeably docile compared to other spiders. Bites generally only occur when someone is intentionally screwing with one or accidentally grabs or touches one when unwittingly touching their habitat (like under fallen wood). No one ever talks about wolf spiders, but they're WAY more aggressive than any brown recluse you'll ever come across."
—u/Nihlys
18."Einstein failed math. No, he failed zoology, botany, and public speaking."
19."As an adult with ADHD, I am infuriated when other adults think ADHD is a child disease and isn’t a horrible affliction for adults that we may struggle with daily."
—u/elmatador12
20."People like to believe 'there's someone out there for everyone,' or that we only have 'one true love,' but honestly, this just isn't true."
Agree? Disagree? Have your own additions? See you in the comments!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
