12 Lies Almost All of Us Have Encountered at Least Once in Our Lives

Many things in our world seem to us to be absolute truths that we don’t usually question. When we have a sore throat, we try to prefer hot drinks. We use household appliances less often to extend their lifespan. We claim that we are not good at math because our right brain hemisphere works better. However, many of these ideas are nothing but myths.

“Hot drinks help when we have a sore throat.”

Cold and soft-textured foods, such as ice cream, can relieve sore throat pain for some time. Of course, such treats are not a cure, so it is impossible to cure a sore throat with them. But it relieves some people of unpleasant symptoms and allows them to consume more healthy foods if swallowing is painful for them. However, consuming too much ice cream is not recommended, as it contains a lot of sugar, which suppresses the immune system.

On the other hand, it is better to avoid hot drinks that are really hot. They can irritate the throat’s mucous membrane and even damage it. This not only hinders recovery but also, according to some scientists, can lead to the development of other diseases.

“Sports drinks restore the body after a workout.”

Many special drinks enriched with electrolytes contain various ingredients that are not very healthy. They add hydrogenated oils, which are potentially dangerous for the thyroid gland, and corn syrup. The latter is rich in fructose, which can cause a huge increase in blood sugar levels.

Sports drinks are worth consuming only after intensive sports activities that last more than an hour and lead to active sweating. Even in this case, it is better to carefully read the product composition on the label. After a normal workout, it is better to just drink water, as it helps to restore all the necessary substances in the body.

“Chlorinated water leads to hair loss.”

Chlorinated water can indeed harm hair. People who spend a lot of time in the pool may notice that their hair becomes dry and stiff, but the risk of hair loss is not much higher than that of the general population. High chlorine concentration can cause irritation and dryness of the skin, which can ultimately lead to a reduction of hairline, but the concentration of this element in pool water is significantly below dangerous levels.

“Using house appliances as little as possible increases their lifespan.”

Some house appliances require constant use, otherwise they will quickly break down. For example, dishwashers are equipped with special seals designed to function in high humidity conditions. If the unit is not used for a few weeks, these parts begin to dry out, crack, and deteriorate. In addition, washing dishes in a specially designed appliance allows us to save more water than handwashing.

“Coffee leads to dehydration.”

Caffeine has a mild diuretic effect. However, if the amount of this substance in the drink is not too high, the effect of consuming coffee or energy drinks will go almost unnoticed. An adult can drink about 300 mg of coffee daily without no harm to health. In addition, our body gets used to a certain dose of caffeine within 1-4 days. After this, regular amounts of the product do not lead to dehydration, and in people who regularly consume such drinks, coffee can actually restore the balance of fluids in the body.

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

Technically, breakfast is the first meal of the day, but neither the time nor the food matters. Some scientists think we overestimate the role of breakfast. If a person doesn’t feel hungry in the morning, they can skip this meal and just have lunch when the stomach starts sending signals. All that really matters is that you get enough nutrients during the day.

“The ability to nap anywhere at any time means a person has no trouble with sleep.”

Many people sincerely envy those lucky ones who can instantly fall asleep anywhere, even in the most inappropriate place. In fact, daytime sleepiness is a worrisome symptom that sometimes indicates sleep disorders, insomnia, and lack of sleep. Ideally, we should strive to establish a regular sleep schedule and devote a sufficient number of hours to sleep at night.

“Using Incognito Mode for searching can help you find cheap airline tickets.”

Many companies use cookies on the internet to track consumer queries and habits and adjust their prices based on these factors. However, there is no evidence that airlines also use this trick.

According to some experts, the average cost of an economy-class ticket can change 61 times in a day. But these fluctuations are usually caused by the rise and fall in demand for certain routes. So, using incognito mode when ordering tickets is pointless.

“People communicate less in real life due to social media.”

A study conducted at the University of Kansas showed that using social media does not affect how much time we spend on direct communication with friends and family. Scientists were unable to detect any signs of personal relationships being replaced by online contacts. In their opinion, the interest in social media has simply replaced old ways of spending time, such as reading newspapers and watching TV.

“People are divided into 2 brain types: those with a more developed left hemisphere, and those with a more developed right hemisphere.”

For a long time, it was believed that a person’s personality type is determined by which hemisphere of the brain is more developed. “Left-brained” people were thought to have analytical thinking, be more logical and rational. “Right-brained” individuals were usually seen as creative personalities, prone to subjective judgments. However, a study by neurologists from the University of Utah Health Sciences showed that this claim is controversial. People typically do not have a more developed right or left hemisphere.

“Mona Lisa has a magic gaze.”

“The Mona Lisa effect” is usually used to call the feeling that a person experiences when they feel that the eyes of a character depicted in a painting follow them as they move. However, the painting in honor of which this phenomenon was named that does not have this ability. A study by scientists from Bielefeld University showed that most viewers did not feel that the famous lady was watching them. They determined that the Mona Lisa is looking to the right. So, although this effect exists, it should have been named after some other painting.

“Makeup matters the most when taking photos.”

Light plays a more important role in creating photographs than makeup. Or actually, makeup should be carefully chosen based on the light conditions that are going to be used during the photoshoot. For example, yellow light makes the skin look pale, so more concealer is needed. Fluorescent lighting washes out tones and requires more blush. The face should be evenly lit from all sides, otherwise shadows will appear under the eyes, around the nose and mouth, which will ruin the overall impression.