Everyday Lies People Need to Stop Believing as Truth

Lies surround us. Insidious deceptions, half-truths, and falsehoods envelop us at every turn. 

But we love the lies. We believe them, despite their absurdity, comforted in their false promises. Here are the top lies people spew that we need to stop believing, regardless of how comforting they are. 

I’m 15 Minutes Away

A small blue clock with white wings on a pink background to represent that time flies so fast.
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The calling card of the chronically late friend always says they’re just 15 minutes away. In reality, they will be fashionably late if they even bother to show up at all. 

Crypto Will Make Your Rich

Various cryptocurrency coins on a table, in the background a hand holds a mobile phone.
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People need to be far more weary of anything that promises wealth with little risk, but crypto takes it to a new level. Crypto is unregulated, and it’s far too easy to fall victim to crypto scams. Stop throwing your money away on lies. 

Scarcity Mindset

Profile of a calm looking woman with her eyes closed and head up. A bright spot glows on her head as if her brain is giving off a glow like sunshine to represent how to develop a growth mindset.
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People with scarcity mindsets believe there are limited resources, so if someone gets something, that means they’ll get less. 

There’s more than enough for everyone; we only need to find more equitable ways to distribute it. 

No One Wants To Work

Worker dressed in business attire shrugging.
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Boomers lament that no one wants to work while offering poverty wages and toxic work environments. People do want to work; they don’t want to suffer exploitation. There’s a massive difference. 

There’s Something Wrong With Me

Frontal view of a sad woman on a plain background.
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Sometimes, the most insidious lies are the ones we tell ourselves. We look around at what other people have and think there must be something wrong with us if we can’t achieve the same things. 

Everyone is different, with different talents, goals, and abilities. That doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. 

Marriage = Fulfillment

Black and white photo depicting a bride and groom at the altar but neither looks happy.
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From the day we’re born, we’re bombarded with messages claiming that marriage is the key to fulfillment in life. 

The idea that something is wrong with you if you can’t find a suitable partner forces people into toxic marriages and hinders their ability to escape. 

Marriage is great if you have the right partner, but it’s not essential to a happy life

Trickle Down Economics

Sad man in a suit showing an empty wallet.
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The public was sold a massive lie that their lot would improve if we made corporations wealthier because the money would “trickle down” through the system. 

The bald-faced lie led to historic corporate profits and massive inequality. 

Hard Work Always Leads To Success

A man works hard trying to push a giant boulder that's three times his size.
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Everyone’s parents told them they’d be successful if they worked hard. However, they neglected to include the secret ingredients to success: networking, money, and luck. 

Some of the hardest-working people in the world work menial minimum-wage jobs and have no hopes of improving their lot. 

He’s Mean Because He Likes You

Woman with a shocked and somewhat confused look on her face. She also looks a little nervous and upset. She's wearing a red striped shirt on a pink background.
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Telling little girls that the little boy on the playground is mean because he likes her reinforces toxic notions about romance and relationships

He’s mean because he’s a jerk, whether he likes you or not. 

The Just World

Statue of Lady Justice blindfolded and holding her scales.
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People adhering to the just world fallacy believe people receive rewards for “goodness” and get punished for “evil.” Therefore, the very rich must be good, and the poor must have done something to deserve it. 

The world doesn’t work that way. It doesn’t care who’s good and evil; it doesn’t dole out punishment or reward. It just is. 

Clickbait

Person reading an online newspaper on a tablet.
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Far too many headlines make promises they’ll never keep. The headline promises shocking answers at #16 but only has 12 items. The preview includes a story the main article completely ignores. 

If people collectively stop clicking on clickbait, the media will stop publishing misleading headlines. 

Our site will be fine because all our headlines deliver precisely what they promise. 

Meritocracy

smiling man wearing college graduation robes and holding a diploma
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We’re taught that the best and brightest will succeed in life, but that’s a blatant lie. How many brilliant minds never had the chance to go to college because systematic oppression kept them back? How many creative geniuses did we miss because we were too busy admiring a banana taped to a wall?

Meritocracy is a lie. You need wealth and connections to get ahead. 

Everyone Knows What They’re Doing

An oblivious woman shrugs her shoulders like she doesn't know and doesn't really care.
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Everyone around you exudes confidence, deceiving you into believing they know what they’re talking about. You’ll be a lot happier once you accept the truth that we’re all just flying through space on this rock with no clue as to what we’re doing. 

Girly Things and Manly Things

A man faceplaming
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We’re all just people and we’re allowed to enjy things. Men share the weirdest things they’ve been called “girly” for enjoying

You Have to Follow the Life Script To Be Happy

couple sitting at a table. Man looks happy, woman looks bored.
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Find out how the life script keeps us trapped and miserable.

Kids Create Happiness

Woman crossing her arms in a refusal gesture.
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Despite all the pressure to procreate, it’s perfectly valid not to want kids. Millennials and younger generations are opting out of parenthood at record rates. 

Here are their top reasons for not wanting kids
 

Is America Actually Dystopian?

Panaoramic of a city with the top mirroring the bottom in a fantastical manner.
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Although there are many fantastic things about living in the US, some of our systems and laws leave many scratching their heads, wondering if we’re already living in a dystopian nightmare. 

Here’s the evidence that makes us wonder if America is actually a dystopia.  

If America is the Best, Why Can’t We Have Nice Things?

Woman holding an American Flag over her head.
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Everyone claims America is the best country in the world, but other Western nations put us to shame. Here’s the cool perks other countries provide their citizens that we wish we had in the States

Source: Reddit