Today’s Lesson of Hope said the following:
- You shouldn’t throw rice at weddings because it will harm (or even blow up) pigeons and other wild birds.
- The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space.
- Going outside with wet hair in winter weather will give you a cold.
- Mother birds will abandon their babies if you touch them.
- Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain on earth.
These, and several other tidbits of information, we hold true without question. We take them for granted. They are facts that swim in our brains since we are children, and they define our universe. They all have one more significant thing in common.
They are all completely false.
We all have “facts” lurking inside our brains: I’m ugly, I’m stupid, I’m a failure, I’m too old, I’m too fat, I’m too poor, I can’t… Have you held on to any of these, believing they’re true without question?
They are all completely false.
Just a tiny bit of research debunked the long-held beliefs listed above. Gratefully looking at your relationships and other successes will debunk those negative thoughts about yourself.
Don’t accept anything negative about yourself as a fact, no matter how long you’ve held the belief. You are more beautiful, intelligent, and talented than you know. You are young enough, thin enough, rich enough, and everything else enough right now. You can do anything you desire – but you have to try.
Now, debunking of the above:
You shouldn’t throw rice at weddings because it will harm (or even blow up) pigeons and other wild birds.
The fact is, many wild birds eat rice as part of their normal diet. For those that don’t uncooked rice wouldn’t have the time nor the temperature needed to expand to any significant size in a bird’s digestive tract.
The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space.
If you count light, you can see tons of other man-made things from space. But, even without the smarty-pants answer, the fact is that the Great Wall is pretty difficult to discern from orbit – being that it’s earth-colored, and all. It is literally made out of the same stuff it’s surrounded by (local rocks) – so it’s really not easily visible even from an airplane.
Where did this fact come from? It started before the Space Age, before anyone knew any better. See what I mean about speculation?
Going outside with wet hair in winter weather will give you a cold.
Being cold does not give you a cold. A cold is virus, and viruses need warmth to survive. Being around people with colds, no matter the temperature, can get you your own cold, though. Avoid sickies, and boost your immune system by staying away from junk foods and taking in vitamins C, D, and zinc.
Mother birds will abandon their babies if you touch them.
The fact is that most birds rely on their eyesight more than other senses, and actually have a very weak sense of smell, so they wouldn’t notice your scent on their babies. Most “babies” that people find on the ground are just reeling from their flight lessons. Much like a toddler who is still learning to toddle, these babies fall down. A lot. And, like most babies, mom or dad won’t be too far away to coach them into getting back up. Just keep Fido or Fluffy from interfering, and the baby will most likely be just fine.
Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain on earth.
If a mountain is only measured from sea level up, perhaps Everest can hold its title at 29,092 feet. But, that’s a little unfair, wouldn’t you say? When a mountain is measured for its full size – from its base, even if that base is under water – then Mauna Kea (Hawaii) kicks Everest’s butt at 33,465 feet.
Don’t you feel smarter already? Never accept a fact without its backup. Now, be careful, or your face will freeze that way.
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