'Facts' that are not true

Danny_Girl · 14/08/14 - 01:48

33 Facts that apparently everyone knows are lies:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/tomphillips/facts-that-are-not-facts

Well some of them caught me out! Anyone want to add any?

[Deleted User] · 14/08/14 - 02:40

Sticking 'fact' on the end of a statement, no matter how absurd the statement is, suddenly makes the statement pure fact. Fact.

Billy_Value · 14/08/14 - 03:11

The thread title is messing with my head, facts that are not true, so it cannot be a fact if it is not true and therefore by not being true it is not a fact, it is a fact that it is not true, but the facts that are not true or not facts at all, as they are not true

jra · 14/08/14 - 03:31

A ducks quack doesn't echo is a myth.

plankwalker · 14/08/14 - 03:39

Billy_Value wrote: »

The thread title is messing with my head, facts that are not true, so it cannot be a fact if it is not true and therefore by not being true it is not a fact, it is a fact that it is not true, but the facts that are not true or not facts at all, as they are not true

On Fact and Facts. You have to repeat a Fact or Facts at least 7 times for it to be a Fact, obviously not within a sentence, but this must be within the same paragraph. Your Statement above is therefore not a Fact. Therefore this Statement here is not a Fact but now with this added it is.

Hmm on rechecking your Statement is a Fact, which means I can't add up and that's a Fact, but as this is a separate paragraph that cannot be a Fact.>:(

Corkhead. · 14/08/14 - 04:46

.......that in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying.

The author of that little "gem" <tongue in cheek> was Adolph Hitler in his book, "Mein Kampf".

When the US Office of Strategic Studies compiled a profile on Hitler, they interpreted that passage thus:

"His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it"

Over the past sixty years or so, it has become generally accepted that Hitler wrote "Any lie, if repeated often enough, will eventually be accepted as fact." when actually, he never said any such thing.

Quod erat demonstraudum, ladies and gentlemen.

Jefferson · 14/08/14 - 05:06

Reginald D Hunter hasn't actually had a lobotomy.

stvn758 · 14/08/14 - 05:26

Lightning strikes the same place twice quite a lot, actually.

Interesting stuff.

Patti-Ann · 14/08/14 - 06:01

Looking at google, Napoleon was 5 feet 6. If that was classed as 'above average', what was the height of the average male - not very tall

victor mel · 14/08/14 - 06:23

Dogs can't look up.

Hugh Jboobs · 14/08/14 - 06:27

The Sun newspaper never ran a "Charlotte Church Countdown to 16 Clock".

Ted C · 14/08/14 - 06:47

You don't really hear this so much now, but it used to be that if a typically ignorant person was trying to convince you of some myth or fallacy or dubious piece of information, they would add at the end of the sentence 'It's a well-known fact, innit'.

I remember a guy insisting on that old myth that when a rat is cornered it will go for your throat...that was apparently a 'well-known fact' as well...

kampffenhoff · 14/08/14 - 07:17

Another erroneous use of the word everybody. Unfortunately, everybody doesn't know these facts are lies. I know people who believe some of them.

As for the average height of a Frenchman in Napoleons time, evidently it was 5'5.

RandomSally · 14/08/14 - 07:19

31. Eating turkey*doesn't make you any more sleepy*than most other foods.

I had never heard that one anyway!

BlueEyedMrsP · 14/08/14 - 07:22

I'll admit that I never questioned the 'Great Wall of China is visible from space' one. I assumed they were telling me the truth.

I guess 'space' must refer to the distance at which satellites orbit the earth or greater.

BlueEyedMrsP · 14/08/14 - 07:25

Ted Cunterblast wrote: »

I remember a guy insisting on that old myth that when a rat is cornered it will go for your throat...that was apparently a 'well-known fact' as well...

Maybe it was a white rabbit.

TheSilentFez · 14/08/14 - 07:34

13 is interesting. People like to tell me off when I use "less" and "fewer" haphazardly.

[Deleted User] · 14/08/14 - 07:38

TheSilentFez wrote: »

13 is interesting. People like to tell me off when I use "less" and "fewer" haphazardly.

Yeah. It's a case of hypercorrection.

The DS Grammar Police don't generally seem to understand 'hypercorrection' though...

blueblade · 14/08/14 - 08:26

Danny_Girl wrote: »

33 Facts that apparently everyone knows are lies:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/tomphillips/facts-that-are-not-facts

Well some of them caught me out! Anyone want to add any?

Not sure I agree with every conclusion they draw.

SaturnV · 14/08/14 - 08:41

GeoBa92 wrote: »

Yeah. It's a case of hypercorrection.

The DS Grammar Police don't generally seem to understand 'hypercorrection' though...

It's more a case of if enough people not understanding the meaning of a word misuse it then the meaning changes.

zx50 · 14/08/14 - 08:54

I agree with the we use 100% of our brain one. Our brain has to process sounds, images constantly, thoughts a lot, what we're touching, and control all the other stuff that's going on in our bodies. I highly doubt that all of this will just take up 10% of our brain power. Our brains also stay in the same state when we're asleep as when we're awake and relaxed.

[Deleted User] · 14/08/14 - 09:26

blueblade wrote: »

Not sure I agree with every conclusion they draw.

Me neither. All these "non-facts" being presented as "facts" don't impress me.

"Actually, Mr Fry, there is a shred of evidence. The spoken evidence that's been handed down for generations".

jjwales · 14/08/14 - 09:42

Ingrid Bergman never said "Play it again, Sam" in the film "Casablanca". She actually said "Play it, Sam. Play As Time Goes By".

zx50 · 14/08/14 - 09:49

jjwales wrote: »

Ingrid Bergman never said "Play it again, Sam" in the film "Casablanca". She actually said "Play it, Sam. Play As Time Goes By".

"Play it once, Sam. For old time's sake". "I don't know what you mean Miss Elsa". Play it, Sam". "Play As Time Goes By". I got this from a video on YouTube.

jjwales · 14/08/14 - 09:53

zx50 wrote: »

"Play it once, Sam. For old time's sake". "I don't know what you mean Miss Elsa". Play it, Sam". "Play As Time Goes By". I got this from a video on YouTube.

Thanks for the full quote.

Hugh Jboobs · 14/08/14 - 10:02

On the subject of movie misquotes, Darth Vader never said "Luke, I am your father" as is popularly quoted.

Hey there!

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