Misconceptions/Ignorance

[DoPo]

I tried to explain to a friend that I'm potentially (the doctor's haven't decided for certain) bipolar, which he has confused for multiple personality disorder, and, because he's confused about that one as well, is convinced I'm a serial killer waiting to become. Which is annoying.

Right, bipolar is another "favourite" of mine - people assume that bipolar is about being hyperactive then feeling down. In the span of, say, half an hour. Also mood swings from happy and exalted to miserable, again in a very short time. And people keep switching between the two on a (half-)hourly basis or something.

 

[axlryder]

A lot of people seem to immediately equate one having religious or spiritual beliefs to being an ignorant, hypocritical Christian fundie or a war mongering Muslim.

A lot of people seem to think Atheists are all anti-theists and immoral, nihilistic hedonists. They also incorrectly throw the word "belief" around when referring to atheists.

A lot of people don't understand that agnosticism doesn't necessarily exist independently of other religious (or non-religious) views.

In terms of medical stuff: people seem to think that having quick "mood swings" suddenly qualifies you as bipolar. No.

Also, no one even seems to know what Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is.

They also don't understand the more severe medical effects of joint hyper-mobility. Not just regular laymen, doctors too. ORTHOPEDIC doctors. There's very little more frustrating than going to the doctor and them saying "oh, a bit of extra flexibility is no big deal", despite the god awful pain perpetually ravaging your joints.

 

[orangeban]

I tried to explain to a friend that I'm potentially (the doctor's haven't decided for certain) bipolar, which he has confused for multiple personality disorder, and, because he's confused about that one as well, is convinced I'm a serial killer waiting to become. Which is annoying.

Right, bipolar is another "favourite" of mine - people assume that bipolar is about being hyperactive then feeling down. In the span of, say, half an hour. Also mood swings from happy and exalted to miserable, again in a very short time. And people keep switching between the two on a (half-)hourly basis or something.

Recently my friends have started dismissing all my emotions since they suspect I might be bipolar. Let's say one of them is nasty to me and I get upset, they'll refuse to take responsibility for that and just blame it on me for being bipolar. As if my mood swing just happened to coincide with them being an asshole.

 

[axlryder]

I tried to explain to a friend that I'm potentially (the doctor's haven't decided for certain) bipolar, which he has confused for multiple personality disorder, and, because he's confused about that one as well, is convinced I'm a serial killer waiting to become. Which is annoying.

Right, bipolar is another "favourite" of mine - people assume that bipolar is about being hyperactive then feeling down. In the span of, say, half an hour. Also mood swings from happy and exalted to miserable, again in a very short time. And people keep switching between the two on a (half-)hourly basis or something.

Recently my friends have started dismissing all my emotions since they suspect I might be bipolar. Let's say one of them is nasty to me and I get upset, they'll refuse to take responsibility for that and just blame it on me for being bipolar. As if my mood swing just happened to coincide with them being an asshole.

You need better friends. Or at least friends who have a basic understanding of your condition.

 

[orangeban]

I tried to explain to a friend that I'm potentially (the doctor's haven't decided for certain) bipolar, which he has confused for multiple personality disorder, and, because he's confused about that one as well, is convinced I'm a serial killer waiting to become. Which is annoying.

Right, bipolar is another "favourite" of mine - people assume that bipolar is about being hyperactive then feeling down. In the span of, say, half an hour. Also mood swings from happy and exalted to miserable, again in a very short time. And people keep switching between the two on a (half-)hourly basis or something.

Recently my friends have started dismissing all my emotions since they suspect I might be bipolar. Let's say one of them is nasty to me and I get upset, they'll refuse to take responsibility for that and just blame it on me for being bipolar. As if my mood swing just happened to coincide with them being an asshole.

You need better friends. Or at least friends who have a basic understanding of your condition.

First I'll try and explain to them that it's not even certain I have the condition, then I'll try and explain how it works. I think the problem is they're all a little sheltered. I mainly wish they'd just stop getting all their information about mental illnesses off of TV and reading serial killers wikipedia pages.

 

[Brutal Peanut]

Since I am currently a domestic I've run into the 'facts'. I.E. - That I am lazy because I quite obviously have nothing better to do but sit on my ass all day, and of course watch soap operas while eating chocolate so I'll eventually get really fat. Not only that, but I don't have any dreams or aspirations that I plan to reach at any point in my lifetime. That my main goal in life should be having kids and it's weird that I haven't had any yet, especially since I couldn't find steady employment in my area and have nothing else to do;
BUT I'LL JUST LOVE IT WHEN I DO, IT'S THA BEST THING EVAH! HUUURRR!

It's like they know me better than I know myself. [/sarcasm]

 

[Space Spoons]

When I tell people I play Street Fighter competitively, they give me funny looks. To them, "it's just mashing buttons". They can't take it seriously.

Case in point: This match between FGC veterans Daigo Umehara and Alex Valle at SoCal Regionals 2010.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen someone look at this match and dismiss it. "Oh, they're just spamming fireballs. Why don't they do combos? I could beat these guys." Nothing could be further from the truth. I can't even begin to describe the layers of strategy going on here.

 

[Unsilenced]

I have another one to add to that...

"Your Diabetic...? Why, let me take this delicious cadburys dairy milk off of your hands and save you from spazzing out."

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-

Some Facebook users think the Rage Comic Faces are called 'Facebook Faces'.

Have you seen people call them "troll pictures". I have. And apparently before the troll pictures no one had ever used things like "fu". Stupid enough? Well that came out of an explanation somewhere else about "why was I muted unjustly only for saying 'fu' repeatedly".

I put up a picture of "Fuck That" guy on my door. My roommate asked if I went on 9gag.

They never found the body.

To add to Unsilenced: "Schizophrenic? So they talk to themselves?" and the worse one when they assume Schizophrenia means multiple personalities.

"Dementia? So you forget where your car keys are or something?"

That one just makes me want to punch things, not kittens in particular. I've no idea how people can assume that dementia is something like forgetfulness or in any ways amusing to the person who suffers from it. Heck, even Vampire the Masquerade used Dementation for general craziness. But as I said, I don't know why people make that mistake, then again, I lived with my grandfather who had dementia, I have a friend (who's also my neighbour) whose grandmother has dementia and my mother works in a retirement home for people with dementia. I may have somewhat more knowledge than the average person.

I can't imagine with schizophrenia. It's kind of a hollywood favorite for "reason guy starts cutting up stangers with a butcher knife."

 

[Rumpsteak]

I have Aspergers syndrome so, yeah. I get all sorts of things asked or said to me. The funniest so far was the person who thought it was an allergy to asparagus. I don't know either.

 

[Brutal Peanut]

I have Aspergers syndrome so, yeah. I get all sorts of things asked or said to me. The funniest so far was the person who thought it was an allergy to asparagus. I don't know either.

I have to admit. That's funny and kind of cute. lol

 

[3quency]

The fact that im british i immediatley like tea.

The fact that i do and i make a fine brew is neither here nor there

I used to not like tea. Turns out I couldn't fight my birthright however

 

[Phasmal]

I discovered that when you have a long term mystery illness (it turned out to be an allergy, seriously bad one though), people will line up to tell you how to fix it/how you are making it worse.

Also people assuming if you are female and sick - you must be pregnant.
My mum's terrible for this one. I once accidentally sprayed deodourant in my own face (I was talking to someone and not looking at what I was doing), it got in my mouth and I was sick. My mum literally ran up the stairs to declare me pregnant.

 

[Naeo]

One-on-one conversations with the opposite sex (or really one-on-one anything, like dinner/etc) is automatically "oh, so what's going on between you two?" Because it's absolutely impossible to have dinner with a friend or go for a walk or something with a friend who happens to be your prefered sex and NOT have there be something going on, right?

 

[spartandude]

bisexuals

no they arnt undecided, no they arnt just experimenting, no just because a guy is dating another guy doesnt mean hes no gay, or just because hes dating a girl means hes no straight, he just likes both!

depression isnt limited to stupid sad teenagers or to people who are in the middle of commiting suicide or that its cured just be smiling and thinking happy (well techinically it is but many people with depression actually cant think happy, they are almost physically incapable for the most part), it can present itself in many shapes and forms and can be really devastating (for example i couldnt go to college without wanting to taste a million and one pain killers at once)

 

[RustlessPotato]

That Belgium is a real place. I am from Belgium and I am not here !

 

[Dastardly]

Severe misconceptions:

- Exhibiting slight signs of a handful of the vague symptoms of various psychological/emotional/behavioral disorders means we can just diagnose themselves, without concrete medical tests done by a medical professional to established alleged chemical imbalances.

- Having these disorders (or just claiming to) absolves us of guilt for anything we do wrong, or that it entitles us to win any game of "who has it worst" that comes up.

- People with those disorders who choose not to take their medications can still expect lenience or pity from the rest of the world regarding their behavior while going unmedicated.

- Anyone who mentions that some people are self-diagnosed (and thus lying) must mean that all cases everywhere are that way, and is directly attacking the existence of the disorder itself.

 

[SoranMBane]

That Libertarians and Objectivists are all just greedy, old, rich dudes who hate poor people and love corporations. I can understand us perhaps being accused of being naive or over-optimistic about human nature, but that stereotype of us being callous and greedy just isn't true. It's not that we don't want poor people to get help, it's that we feel it's immoral for the government to force others to help them be taking their money, and that the majority of people would gladly give to charities on their own without any need for the government to step in. It's not that we want to give more power to corporations, it's actually the opposite; if the government can regulate businesses, those same businesses can rig the system in their favour, which hurts everyone else. And it's not about celebrating greed, it's about celebrating freedom.

So, go ahead, call us naive; I can accept that, and admit that it might even be slightly true. Just don't call us evil or uncaring. Also, I think these videos (featuring Penn Jillette) are somewhat relevant, since he pretty much bring up my points and argues them better than I ever could:

Spoiler

 

[DANEgerous]

That natural selection and evolution are the same thing. Also related the misuse of the concept of "survival of the fittest".

Natural selection is one of several mechanisms that can result in evolution. Survival of the fittest is an outdated term that doesn't accurately describe natural selection (to which it is meant to). Ironically it was originally used to try and prevent another misconception; that natural selection implies something is being explicitly selected.

On that note it is also directly tied to abiogenesis, Racism, is a religion, has not advanced since Darwin, i related to "Social Darwinism", and is "just a theory" meaning it is false.

 

[SmegInThePants]

My pet peeve is not ignorant people, its people who are ignorant but who *think* they know what they are talking about.

Like management where i work, who are not doctors but who are scared to have reported injuries, so they tell employees who are trying to report an injury that they are 'fine', its just a such and such, just go home and sleep it off, as if they have an M.D. Telling people hit in the head to just go home and sleep it off? Are they crazy? You don't need that insulin you left in your car right now, it can wait till after work, now get back to work!

Or people who claim that the law says this or that, having never read the law in question, nor any understanding of how the law works.

Or, as an atheist, when arguing (in a friendly manner) w/a christian, who brings up the bible to defend their position and they get their facts way wrong (I can't tell you how many christians there are in my neck of the woods who never read the bible. Fine, don't read it, believe completely based on faith, fine, just say so, but don't go pretending to be an expert on something you haven't read.)

I mean when i claim something i am unsure about, i say so. I say something like 'I could be wrong, but its my impression that such and such is the case'. I make it clear up front that this is what I believe and why, but that I'm not entirely certain that my info is right or that I have all the right info, and i accomplish all that w/that one simple addition to my statement. Then i get my info confirmed or i get enlightened as to where i'm wrong and come out knowing more than I came in with.

I think its about ego. People just can't admit, even to themselves, that their knowledge has limits (even though for all of us, our knowledge has limits, none of us are all-knowing). Its the old saying, 'a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing'. The people who know a little, who then go around thinking they are an expert, unintentionally misleading others into following their advice.

 

[DugMachine]

As a fellow who's damn near perpetually stoned, I'm often branded with the assumption that I must be either be completely braindead, or your typical no motivation, hippy-dippy stoner.

It's rather frustrating trying to justify casual marijuana usage to those who are all too eager to demonize the stuff without experiencing it for themselves.

Agreed, I can't let anyone know that I partake in the smoking of illegal cannibus every now and then without being judged or labeled a "stoner" or lazy when I have a very good job that has me working 8 hours a day just like everyone else.

Uh, I guess living in super mega south texas (bottom tip of texas) and people automatically think i'm getting shot by drug cartels on a daily basis and that it's "basically northern mexico" no stfu its not AT ALL.