Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Share The Most Outrageous Lie They've Ever Believed

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?"

"Don't play..."

"Don't play with your willy too much or it will fall off."

scp-407

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."

F33URWISDOM

"Jack Frost..."

"Jack Frost was going to get me if I didn't come home before dark!"

chasing-fairies

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."

otterkraf

"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."

JohnnyJace

"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."

featoutsider

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."

Lavender1993

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."

massivevirgen

"That you could get..."

"That you could get square eyes from watching too much TV."

Farinthoughts

"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."

KaRue3

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!

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshots of Justin Bieber being hounded by paparazzi
X17OnlineVideo

Fans Defend Justin Bieber After He Confronts Paparazzi For Constantly Hounding Him

Fans defended Justin Bieber after he berated the relentless paparazzi and accused them of only being concerned with turning a profit over valuing people's lives.

According to X17, the "Intentions" singer's retreat to Palm Springs, days before the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, was anything but relaxing as he clashed with the paparazzi for a third day in a row.

Keep ReadingShow less
RFK Jr.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

RFK Jr. Slammed After Claiming HHS Will Discover The Cause Of 'Autism Epidemic' By September

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared that scientists would determine the cause of the "autism epidemic" by September, even though scientists haven't discovered a breakthrough despite decades of research.

In a cabinet meeting with Republican President Donald Trump on Thursday, RFK Jr. stated:

Keep ReadingShow less
J.D. Vance and Usha Vance listen to Susan Meyers during his Greenland visit
Jim Watson/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Space Force Commander Fired Over Email Criticizing Vance's Greenland Comments

Vice President J.D. Vance and the wider Trump administration are facing criticism now that Colonel Susan Meyers was removed from her post as commander at Greenland's Pituffik Space Base after breaking with Vance in an email she wrote following his controversial visit to the island territory.

Greenland is an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, alongside the Faroe Islands, the only other autonomous territory within the Kingdom. Citizens of both Greenland and the Faroe Islands are full citizens of Denmark. As one of the Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union, Greenland’s citizens are also recognized as EU citizens.

Keep ReadingShow less
Karoline Leavitt and Scott Bessent
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Karoline Leavitt Dragged After Making Mind-Numbing Claim About Trump's Tariffs Reversal

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is getting called out after she attempted to justify President Donald Trump's sudden reversal on his proposed tariffs, telling reporters that his actions make sense because he has a master plan to make the world bend the knee.

Trump declared a full 90-day suspension of all the “reciprocal” tariffs that took effect at midnight April 10—except for those on China—in a dramatic about-face from a president who had long championed his historically high tariff rates as permanent.

Keep ReadingShow less
religion signs
Noah Holm on Unsplash

People Explain What Stopped Them From Going To Church Anymore

There's been a perception of a bit of an exodus from religion for the last several decades. But humanity has gone from no organized religions to oppressive religious regimes to rebellion and back again over the last several millennia.

But is the 21st century when religion finally fails to bounce back?

Keep ReadingShow less