When I was younger, I was able to convince a classmate that I was actually a vampire. It didn't matter that I went to school every day––sunscreen was truly magical! It didn't matter that he never saw me drinking any blood––I'd discovered supplements! And it didn't matter that I actually ate garlic with my meals––I simply blamed that on an old wives' tale. No, the only thing that mattered was that he was gullible and superstitious. It was fun while it lasted. (We were both about seven at the time, so not long.)
You'd be surprised by what nonsense people believe so readily, as we were so kindly reminded once Redditor Pale_Extension15 asked the online community,
"What is the most outrageous lie you've ever actually believed?"
Is it just me, or is it a rite of passage for boys to be told this nonsense?
"When I was younger..."
"When I was younger I believed in the classic watermelon seeds will grow in your stomach if you swallow them."
Wait... what?
Well, if it's the Jack Frost from Jack Frost: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman, you might be on to something.
"She insisted..."
"When I was a kid, I had a friend who told me she was a twin. She insisted that her twin sister went to another school. She'd show me photos of her 'sister' who looked exactly like her. It was months before my other classmates pointed out to me that she was never in any photos with her 'twin'.
I was 9. Felt so embarrassed that I believed her for so long."
"My mom used to tell me..."
"My mom used to tell me when I was little that if you eat raw dough you'll end up with worms in your stomach. Outrageous."
"That during twilight..."
"That during twilight ghosts can pull you into the ground if you step on their shadows. I believed it until I was 11."
This actually sounds like a great story to tell children. I might save this one in my back pocket.
"Someone had told me..."
"Someone had told me that the new KFC restaurant near my place had actually been dropped off by a helicopter, and I believed them because of how fast the building had been built. Like, I never actually saw any construction being done so I figured yeah the helicopter must have picked up the already built building and dropped it off. I was 15 or so."
I have found it. This wins.
"My parents told me..."
"My parents told me my dad was the one pregnant with me. My mom had had my other siblings but my dad was the only one that had me in his belly. I told everyone in kindergarten and they told me I was wrong and I defended myself then went and told my parents that everyone was so jealous and dumb for not knowing men can get pregnant. My parents confessed and we cried a lot."
"That if a character..."
"That if a character named after me died in the Oregon Trail game, I would die in real life. I was five."
You have to admire the imagination here––but seriously, what's up with all the old wives' tales and why do people not grow out of any of them? Food for thought.
Have some stories of your own? Feel free to tell us about them in the comments below!
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@kellyrowland/Instagram
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
Jane Rosenberg
