Let's Debunk Some "Facts": People Are Sharing The Lies They Were Taught In School, And Some Of These Are Actually Shocking
School is, like, the one place we go to and expect that the things we're learning are definitely true. But, come to find out, we may have been slightly misinformed on a few things.
So, I asked the people of the BuzzFeed Community, "What are some 'facts' you learned in school that you later realized were totally wrong?" And people definitely didn't hesitate to let me know:
1."Rosa Parks was just 'tired' after a hard day's work and didn't want to give up her seat on the bus."
2."We only use 10% of our brain."
3."Encyclopedias will always be the best starting point in research, and you won’t ever be able to find much online, especially not using Ask Jeeves and Google."
4."The Nile is the only river that flows north, and it was some magical thing."
5."That the Boston Tea Party happened in response to an increase in taxes."
6."The Food Pyramid."
7."All insects can fly. I remember a primary school teacher being very certain of that 'fact.' I even remember one kid challenging him by asking, 'What about ants?' And he paused and replied, 'Flying ants.'"
8."That everyone has a learning style."
9."Harold II was killed when an arrow pierced his eye during the Battle of Hastings in 1066."
10."That we only have five senses!"
11."That cannabis is a gateway drug."
12."When I was in fourth grade, I remember a teacher saying that they didn't get tornadoes in the mountains because the mountains kept the cold and warm air from mixing and forming tornadoes."
13."In 1984, my band teacher warned us not to play each others' instruments because someone in a previous year contracted AIDS that way."
14."I am from Pennsylvania, and I absolutely learned that the Civil War was not about slavery but about states' rights. I actually recently polled my friends, all from northern states, and they, without exception, learned the Civil War was solely about slavery."
15."The Earth has seasons as a result of how close it is to the sun."
16."In school, I learned the desert gets hot during the day and cold at night."
17."There’s no evidence that Betsy Ross ever made the first American flag."
18."Witches were burned in Salem during the trials. Nope. Nary a one."
19."I'm Canadian, and I have a very clear memory of being in seventh grade and learning about residential schools. We were taught that they were a good thing."
20."Abraham Lincoln singlehandedly ended slavery. Not true at all."
And finally, this person debunked the lie they were taught in school, and it's incredibly beautiful how they explained it:
21."AP Biology and general science taught that there are only XX and XY chromosomes."
Do you recall any of those falsehoods you were taught in school and want to share them? Make sure you let me know in the comments!
Note: Responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.