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30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime

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People go to school to learn things, so it’s not that crazy to expect them to be correct, right? Well, unfortunately, sometimes they might not be. Some ideas, whether coming from peers, other acquaintances there, or even teachers, tend to be far from reality, and quite a few redditors seemingly learned it firsthand.
Members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community recently shared the facts they were taught to be true in school, but have been disproven in their lifetime. Their answers covered everything from the food pyramid, to calculators, and even George Washington’s teeth, so scroll down to find them on the list below and see what other topics the false information covered.

#1

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
If you don’t do well you’ll end up being a garbage man. F**k you! Garbage men are awesome and make more that teachers. Also, less likely to get shot on the job.
240points

#2

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
There’s never been a war fought on Australian soil. 1990’s 3rd grade teacher proclaimed it proudly. Indigenous Australians would beg to differ.
226points

#3

Not my lifetime, but my Mom's sister was initially forced to write with her right hand, despite being left-handed. Since they went to Catholic school, it was taught, as fact, that being left-handed was something something Devil.
When my Aunt started Grade 1, my Great-Grandfather died a couple weeks into the school year and bequeathed some money to the church and school. The family would not give it to them unless my Aunt was allowed to be left-handed.
Amazingly enough, the Priest, upon prayer and reflection, determined that being left-handed wasn't a problem anymore. Isn't that something? That's how my now 78 year old Aunt changed science at Blessed Sacrament when she was 5 years old.
216points

#4

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
My primary school teacher told me our bodies can't make new blood and we're born with all the blood we'll ever have. As someone who got nosebleeds I knew it was bollocks. When I questioned that adults are obviously bigger so have more blood she said it's watered down.
These people teach kids.
200points

#5

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
That I’d fail in life because I was not good at math.
I always had a hard time with math and physics and chemistry.
Turns out I am just not good with numbers, but succeeded with languages. I have a natural talent for languages. I am a translator and conference interpreter. I work with 5 languages.
My math teacher told my mom I’d never amount to anything if I didn’t master math. I was there and her words scarred me for life. I have been terrified of failure ever since.
181points

#6

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
That while being on your period you'll only loose one spoon of blood! That's such a bs
155points

#7

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
Pretty much everything about Christopher Columbus.
155points

#8

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
The United States government prevents abuse of power through a well-engineered system of checks and balances.
154points

#9

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
If you study well and have excellent grades, you will end up with a nice job and lots of money.
149points

#10

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
Your permanent record will follow you into adulthood
130points

#11

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
You won't always have a calculator on you.
118points

#12

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
Myers Briggs garbage.
I even fought with my professor about it.
Turns out in the end I was right.
111points

#13

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
In pharmacy school around the turn of the century we were taught that people in legitimate pain don't get addicted to opiates and opioids.
110points

#14

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
All fat was bad for you, thus fat free foods became a thing for a while.
107points

#15

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
That George Washington’s teeth were made of wood. No. It’s so much worse
105points

#16

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
Surgery can be performed on very small infants without anesthesia because pain reception isn't developed yet.
104points

#17

The system/time will take care of putting “bad guys” where they belong.
94points

#18

Carrots are good for night vision.
This was a lie the British used to explain how they could spot German bombers during WWII. The truth, that they had broken the German Enigma machine and were decoding secret messages, was kept a secret for decades. The full story was not told until the 1990s.
I consider the Enigma coverup to be the best kept secret in human history.
91points

#19

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
I once asked one of my elementary school teachers what a rainbow was, and she told me scientists hadn't figured it out. I walked around until my early 20s thinking that. Also, I think it was this same teacher who told me Columbus thought the Earth was flat. They were training teachers a different kind of way in the 70s and 80s. It's honestly one of the reasons I'm thankful for the internet, because depending on your teacher or an outdated encyclopedia for answers could be a real roll of the dice.
86points

#20

30 'Facts' People Learned In School That Have Been Disproven In Their Lifetime
You only use 10% of your brain each day.
85points
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