Silly Stuff People Believe

Remove all ads!

Hey - forget about 1 in 5 Americans thinking Obama is a Muslim - here's a list of 10 other things at least 1 in 5 (and in some cases much more than that) believe in. Staring on the list IMO? That the sun revolves around the Earth.

Those Silly Americans!

 

A list of silly stuff people believe, and God isn't at number one??

 

God isn't a silly thing to believe. If it gets you through the day and gives you something to live well for then it's not silly

 

None of this is really surprising. People are just generally not well-informed (and that means more of us than you may think...I suspect that basically everybody - and that means us too - has held some ridiculous assumption or bizarre belief or other at some time).

I remember in the time leading up to the 2008 elections in the US, some talk show (Leno or somebody) did a man-on-the-street thing where they asked what people thought about Barack Obama's choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate, and most people responded that they felt she would compliment him well and that they would be successful together.

 

Sil, that's what alcohol is for....

 

Some of that stuff wasn't THAT silly. The Sun around the Earth thing was really bad, but some of the others were political things and people in all countries are pretty ignorant of politics.

I'd put the belief that Muslims are evil and want to blow up the world near the top of the list of silly things that a lot Americans believe.

With a bit of time we can probably think of lots more.

 

I live near to the German border. Some people believe the Vaterland will annex us soon.

 

There is guy here, who believes that Greeks have come from Sirius. The problem is that he is also an elected parliament member (with the rightwing party of course).

 

BOC, as one of your countrymen said long ago: meden thaumadzein .

 

20% is around about Fianna Fáil's (government party's) poll rating. Now whilst this would have been unthinkable for them not so long ago I really can't understand what these 20% are thinking of. Have they seen the state of the country?

 

All I can say is...
Jay Walking.

I used to think he had to filter out the intelligent answers to get the stupid ones, but maybe not.

 

Three words, people: neuro-linguistic programming.

 

I've had my laughs at the inane answers given to simple academic questions. Maybe my favorite is from 'cash cab', the question: [also known as 'ships of the desert' what pack animals are used to haul loads accross arid landscapes]....the answer(from four college students): 'Scorpions?'

However, from my experience, humans are a pragmatic bunch. They learn and know what it is they *need* to know.

Ask the average working man what the sun and earth do relative to each other or who Stephen Hawkin is or what the chemical symbol for potassium is and you will get a blank stare. Ask him (he who has had to deal with it) the more difficult question of how to navigate the healthcare gauntlet to get a four year old an experimental and potentially life saving treatment and they become a sage advisor with a seemingly photographic memory.

I think people are disinterested, practical and lazy not unable.

Barmy, Silvery is right....my neighbors, school teachers, have two daughters. The oldest, a 6 year old girl, developed a nasty cancer and had to undergo aggressive treatment. She lost all of her hair and the father shaved his head so she would not be the only one in the household who was bald. The father spoke to me of the situation and it took more will than I knew that I had to not cry during our conversation...and to me she is just the cute neigbor girl who waves to me, plays with her dog in the yard and occassionlly jumps on the trampoline I have with my nephew. He confessed that the support from his church, his flock, and his belief in God had given him the strength to retain his sanity. I don't believe and you don't believe but if it is keeping him (and others with unbearable circumstances) together then it is not silly.

And T2Bruno is right also, alcohol is a pretty good salve for people who can't believe.

 

I'll go about 70/30. 70 is religion, the 30 is alcohol. However, in the bad old days it was 70 on the alcohol and 30 that purple cheese faeries were trying to steal my shoes.

 

Purple cheese faeries? As in, they were made of cheese, or they gave out cheese, or they just smelled like cheese. Because only one of those sounds like a bad thing.

 

I'm not entirely sure. Too be honest, I was rather heavily self-medicating at the time