How We Lie

I was thinking about this the other day: how often we shall bad information. It's not always lying. Mostly, it's because we can't be bothered learning the truth.

Like turning a theory or assumption into a truth: We really don't know what's at the Earth's core. We've made an educated guess that is probably correct (well, at least more likely that a secret island of dinosaurs), but we aren't 100% positive. Yet, we still teach it as a fact.

Or perpetuating fiction as truth: The stories about George Washington cutting down the cherry were invented after he became President, to help elevate him into a legend.

Or simplification: It does make it easier to learn if everything is just solid, liquid or gas, or if sounding out words really worked. But there are excepts to almost everything. That's why we pronounce 'ough' 18 different ways in English.

Laziness: Come on, who wants to stand for all four verses of Oh, Canada. One is enough. :)

Real confusion: We know how to use electricity, but we really don't understand it. Sometimes with disaserous results (as with those firemen helping with an ALS challenge)

Image and control: History goes to the victorious. Generally, the loser isn't written about kindly. We keep learning so much about the world that we didn't know because too many powerful people had giant erasers.

Misdirection: Sometimes when we want to change a behavior we twist facts. I can't that 'margarine is only molecule away from plastic, so don't eat it' junk science. Following that logic, don't breathe oxygen. It's only one molecule away from carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone.

Common knowledge: This is probably the worst of the lot. The funniest thing is that we even believe the stupidest things. Think ostrich. It sticks its head in the ground? Really? Even in sand, that's pretty hard to do on demand. Of course it runs away. It runs at 60 mph. But here's the extra stupid part: one scientist actually studied 20,000 birds to make sure. There's money well spent.