The True Stories Behind 10 Popular Myths

Myths and legends often capture our imagination, but the true stories behind them are sometimes even more fascinating. Here are 10 common myths and the real stories that explain their origins or debunk them, giving us a clearer view of the truth.

1. Knuckle Cracking Will Cause Arthritis

"Cracking your knuckles will cause arthritis," says our first responder, who may be responding to a 1990 study that showed no feasible link between knuckle cracking and arthritis. Doctor Robert Unger cracked his left-hand knuckles for five decades to prove there is no correlation, winning the Nobel Peace Prize in Medicine.

However, while you may be safe from arthritis, cracking knuckles regularly can lead to a weakened grip and other injuries.

2. After 48 Hours, Someone Is Missing

"Many police departments will tell you this despite it not being the law," explains a legal hawk. "Seriously, it always comes up in true crime podcasts." Many thread users advise anyone missing a loved one to insist the police act immediately, especially if that person has demonstrated any mental health issues.

3. Don't Swallow That Gum

Any gum that can pass through our violently acidic stomach fluids without disintegrating should probably be part of a machine. But where did this old myth come from? We know that many warnings are there as a deterrent. "Probably someone who wanted to discourage kids from chewing gum," argues a wise individual.

4. Blood Is Blue Until Oxygenated

I must admit I never heard this myth, but some people have spent long periods of their life believing blood in our bodies is blue. "Oxygenated blood flowing through arteries is bright red; deoxygenated blood flowing through veins is dark red," reveals a blood expert. "Veins close to the surface look blue because of how the light scatters through your skin."

5. Brain Candy

We are all led to believe we only use ten percent of our brains throughout our lives. But this isn't strictly true, says a commenter. "The most likely origin of the myth is that only about ten percent of the brain is active at any given time," explains someone. "For example, the parts of your brain responsible for locomotion are typically not active while you're sitting on the couch."

6. MSG Is Poisonous

I am unsure why we have always been told to avoid monosodium glutamate (MSG), but "MSG-free" appears on many packages. If you ask any great Asian cook, they all swear by MSG, a flavor enhancer designed by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda who merely wanted to replicate the umami in his wife's dashi broth. The powder was also used as an appetite developer for fallen Japanese soldiers in World War Two.

7. Schizophrenia and Multiple Personalities

Another myth is that people living with schizophrenia have multiple personalities, says a psychology student. "It doesn't. It means delusions. Some people hear voices with it, others don't," says the poster. "The voices are not personalities — these people are thinking of dissociative identity disorder."

8. Tea-Tox

"That certain teas detox your body," argues someone. "Or that your body even needs to be detoxed — unless you're a heroin addict." Detoxes are unnecessary as long as we maintain a good P.H. balance in our system. Our bodies are already deft self-detox machines, according to one poster. "It does sound good in theory, but our body is already doing so constantly," argues a health hawk. "It's quite spectacular."

9. Medieval Life Expectancy

Some historians argue that 30 years was a typical lifespan in the Middle Ages. However, the infant mortality rate was so high that it pushed the average down. "If you survived past infancy, you could reasonably expect to live until your sixties or seventies," a contributor argues. "There are so many myths about the Middle Ages in general." Please tell me King Arthur wasn't a myth — I'm not ready for this one.

10. Adults Know Best

We clearly don't anymore. Back when children were best seen and not heard, adults had a monopoly on wisdom. However, modern youngsters have access to all the knowledge they need, meaning the need for wise sages is deteriorating. "My kids never bought into that myth," explains a father of two. "They are, however, completely convinced that teenagers know everything."

Source: Reddit.

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