What are the worst misconceptions you know of?

[timeadept]

Basically, anything that an anti-theist has to say about religion.

I would dispute this. Most anti-theists are ex-theists, myself included.

As am I.

 

[lacktheknack]

Basically, anything that an anti-theist has to say about religion.

I would dispute this. Most anti-theists are ex-theists, myself included.

I apologize on the behalf of the sane for whatever abuse you withstood at the hands of the crazy.

Basically, anything that an anti-theist has to say about religion.

I would dispute this. Most anti-theists are ex-theists, myself included.

As am I.

You as well.

 

[The Sandvich]

That all Pedophiles are Child Molesters.

Protip: A typical heterosexual male is more likely to molest than a Pedo.

[sub]No, seriously.[/sub]

Wow, I was actually going to mention that one since I figured no one would mention it

 

[Dark Knifer]

One I forgot to mention too. That nuclear power is way too dangerous for us to even consider using. Now, with modern engineering, it's pretty much impossible for a nuclear power plant to explode atomic bomb style on us. There are several fail safes in place and modern nuclear power plants have incredibly thick shells of concrete around them, capable of containing the blast.

It's not even possible for terrorists to steal the reactor and make it into a bomb since a nuclear bomb and nuclear reactor work in very different ways, assuming they were even capable of stealing one in the first place. Even the wastes it produced are in manageable amounts, compared to fossil fuels especially. We could fix the whole power problem easily if this misconception wasn't so widely regarded...

 

[Nazulu]

- That cartoons are only for children (Or labeling all animated movies 'kid movies'). When cartoons were first made they used to be only targeted at adults you know.

Definitely not the worst but personaly annoys me.

- Most athiests are underachievers.

- There are no atheists in foxholes.

- You'll grow out of games eventually. Pffft, only if work takes all my time.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

1) people with small feet/hands have small penis'

2) everyone in europe can understand each other (chinese people believe this)

3)the virgin mary was a virgin

Every saying or belief about penis size is completely false and stupid.

Actually, in general the length of your middle finger to your wrist is approximately the length of your penis when erect. It's just the way proportions work. Go on, measure. I'll wait.

EDIT: This is of course in the average sized human, which does make it harder to prove. But suspect that if the ratio changed with a man's size, it would change uniformly in both directions, due to the nature of proportions in the case of the human body. Such as the foot being as long as the forearm and so forth.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

That Republican's are evil. They are not.
Walt Disney was not a National Socialist(He was accused of it for speaking out against communism, Democrats of the generation used this to call him a National Socialist)
and that only "high school drop outs and bad graders" join the army. Honestly people EVERY GRADE RANGE joins the Army...

 

[Clarity112]

That anarchists are violent people. I hate that.

 

[DenSomKastade]

Irony and sarkasm. People never know what irony is. And they think that is ironic, it makes me sick...

 

[StereoMike]

all guys want sex

I hate this misconception! I sometimes want a sandwich or my ironing done aswell...

I guess I'll address some of the things. Japan is kind of a weird place.

Well, I'm a Canadian living in Japan so I have kind of a long list of misconceptions people have about "foreigners". I'm not Japan bashing here, but these a pretty much held as truth by anyone over 30 or who has never left the country.

1. Foreigners can't eat natto, umeboshi, or raw fish. (note: that's "can't eat" not "don't like")

As in you don't have the right to or can't eat because you will die if you do?

Like we can't process it right or something. I've never gotten a straight explanation. The best one I got was from a Japanese person whose English wasn't great, telling me that it's not part of our traditional cuisine so it's reasonable to think that we can't deal with eating it. That's the clearest explanation I've got though. The best way to respond to a person who acts surprised that you like sushi is to ask if they can eat pizza, and they'll look all shocked and confused as to why you would ask them that.

So may they think its disgusting but they eat it anyway because of tradition, we all know how big they are on that. A lot of my white friends aren't too keen on raw fish dishes. I'm also a white Australian but I live in a very "multicultural" area so I hang out with Asians a lot. Seriously, you should see some of the looks I get when I mention that I don't like rice. They look at me like I just turned bright blue and say something like "What do you eat!?!".

I love raw tuna with wasabi and soy sauce. The fresher the better.

EDIT: Your post portrays the Japanese as major Elitists. Is it a problem or are these just minor things that make Japan Japan?

Well there are a lot of Japanese who love tradition, but like Newton says, for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. This is true in this case. There are a lot of Japanese people who reject traditional Japan and focus on anything cutting edge or new. Definitely understandable for a country that is relatively recently starting to embrace it's place as a world citizen.

And I don't mean to imply that people are being elitist when I hear questions like "can you use chopsticks?" and things like that. It's actually more like over-sensitivity. They want to make you feel comfortable and unfortunately the way they do that is by using stereotypes like they're always true. The thought process is goes something like this: "Oh I have an American friend coming to visit! I'll take them to Burger King!" and they think that's a nice, culturally sensitive thing to do. For example, I ate dinner once a week with a traditional Japanese farming family because I was teaching their son English, and they never, ever gave me chopsticks. But the kicker was they made very traditional Japanese food, and it's all designed to be eaten with chopsticks! I had a hard time eating udon noodles like they were spaghetti.

The ironic thing is I'm kind of fueling misconceptions about Japan with these posts concerning misconceptions that some people have here. Not everyone in Japan believes these things I'm mentioning, it's just that I meet so many that do. But just to be clear: There are many many worldly Japanese people around. But also a few people who think that Americans have hamburgers for every meal.

P.S. The thing about the 4 seasons is still really weird, because of all these misconceptions, it is by far the most prevalent. Like, even among people who have traveled extensively. Most people whose bubbles I burst over this thing just act surprised, but there are some people who even argue with me! They literally are trying to tell what the weather is like in my own country, despite never setting foot there. That is definitely a very small minority though.

 

[KaosuHamoni]

That being gay is disgusting, wrong, and should be illegal.

A girl in my form actually said this in an RS class. *Headdesk*

 

[profit0004]

That we do not live in a simulation.

=p

 

[Scarecrow]

Anarchist want to kill everybody and destroy the world.

As a anarchist this really makes me angry when people asume that I'm a mad bomber.

 

[BanthaFodder]

I have a fair few...
1. all gamers are fat, cheeto-fueled, perma-virgins who only emerge from their cave to buy either A. piss or B. buy more cheetos and red bull
2. all people with glasses are neurotic anti social dweebs
3. all intelligent people are neurotic anti social dweebs
4. anyone who likes games like CoD:MW2 or BLOPS is a consumerist idiot
5. anyone who isnt an athiest is a narrow minded sheep
6. anyone who doesnt wish someone a painful death for simply being less intelligent is an idiotic pussy
7. all republicans are racist, homophobic, gun toting nutsacks
8. all americans are overwieght ignorant fucktards
9. all guys have the intelligence and sophistication of baboons
10. girls are better behaved than guys. as boys, we called eachother gay and threw mud and spiders. teenage girls build up a facade of friendship amongst eachother, waiting to catch their prey at their most vulnerable. boys are like the warriors of valhalla, we fight amongst ourselves but we all go home in the end. girls are fucking velociraptors.

 

[BanthaFodder]

I also can't stand fucking hipsters... that's not really a misconception, because just about every conception about them is TRUE. LIKE THE CONCEPTION THAT NO ONE LIKES THEM. I DONT KNOW WHY IM MENTIONING THIS, I JUST DISLIKE HIPSTERS. I ALSO DONT KNOW WHY IM TYPING IN ALL CAPS.

 

[john_alexander]

[...] and that only "high school drop outs and bad graders" join the army. Honestly people EVERY GRADE RANGE joins the Army...

I have a double-minor in tech theatre and philosophy. I spent four university years getting said degree. Having a post-secondary degree, I can be put on the fast-track for officer school.

Then I signed up as an enlisted man. Not even an officer, which would have been easy pickings for me. Becoming an officer is something I'm still considering for the future, but not right now. So yeah, SMRT PPL JOIN ARMY! Sometimes. And I have yet to meet a truly stupid ass who has not yet been kicked out.

My own favorite misconception to pick apart (though it doesn't bother me that people believe this): The misconception of self.

The concept of self is tacked on after the thought has already been formed and sent. You are nothing but a brain, with inputs and outputs. The idea of 'I did this' is built the same way any other thought is. Consciousness is in for a rough ride, if neuroscience continues along the path it seems to be heading. The picture isn't yet complete, but the basics are there, and they aren't pretty.

In the same vein; the idea of 'inherent meaning'.

Meaning is not a thing, it is an event. There is no such thing as inherent meaning, merely ideas being interpreted individually into individualist meanings. A theatre example (though film would also apply); there are many playwrights who enjoy creating performances that have no meaning, performances that provide no answers and let the audience come to their own conclusions (you've probably seen this before; that pretentious-as-fuck show that 'no one understands').

The problem is that that is literally all brains do; interpret their own meanings from things. Stripping away 'inherent meaning' to let an audience find their own meaning is impossible, because inherent meaning does not exist.

Sorry to get all bullshit-philosophical on you. But hey, I got my degree in philosophy, and where better to use it than a geek-and-nerd community forum?

I like the soapboxes 'round here. Very comfy.

 

[Ghostkai]

That people who play any MMO instantly have no life...

I know many people who play and who are married, play with their significant other, and met their significant other playing WoW and DDO.

Same, that's why it pisses me off so much, it's a baseless accusation.

 

[Khada]

That the monetary system is good.

 

[Steven True]

In the same vein; the idea of 'inherent meaning'.

Meaning is not a thing, it is an event. There is no such thing as inherent meaning, merely ideas being interpreted individually into individualist meanings.

I'm sorry, I have to disagree with this. If this was true then how can any two people, or a society for that matter, agree on the meaning of anything and communicate?

 

[TeeBs]

Gay people can fly and float through walls.

PFFT I wish I would be sooo gay right now.