by CLAIRE TAN
Copyright Š 2015 by Claire Tan Cheng Lean All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Printed in Malaysia. ISBN 0-9000000-0-0 195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007, United States. Tel. +1 212-207-7000
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Dedications
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Preface 9 Introduction 10
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Illogically: They don’t make sense at all
Hold hands and you will get pregnant 14 You will become old when you stay in the water too long 16 Why is the Moon following me? 18 Coloured milk from similar coloured cows 19 Swallowed gum will stay in your stomach for 7 years 20
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What the Grown-Ups told us: Sometimes, you can’t trust everything they say Finish your rice or your future partner will have pockmarks 24 Watching TV up-close can harm eyesight 25 Grown-ups are always correct 26 Policemen catch naughty children 27 You will grow a plant on your head if you swallowed a seed 28 To activate night vision, eat thy carrot 29 Eating fish roe makes you suck at math 30 You will turn into a pig if you sleep after eating a full meal 31 Parents “pick” up their children from the rubbish bin 33 Pointing at the moon will cause a cut on your ear 34
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35 Exposed: It’s time, busted for truth Every school has a haunted toiled 37 The mystery of the Tooth Fairy 39 What about Easter Bunny and its basket of eggs? 41 Santa Claus is coming to town 43 Are fairies real? 45 Alien invasion only in America 46 47 Seeing is Believing: I see, therefore I believe It used to be a black and white world 49 Geniuses wear specs 51 Cartoon characters are real 52 Spinach makes you stronger 53 All dogs are male, all cats are female 55 Where is my Prince Charming? 56 Bad-looking guys are bad people 57 My toys are alive 58 So what if toys DO come alive? 59
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60 Counter Fear: To feel safe and accepted Crying means you are weak 62 We had at least one imaginary friend 64 If you are bad in your studies, you are stupid 65 My blanket protects me from monsters under my bed 65 New clothes transforms me into a Superhero 67
S68 Beliefs, Lies and the Reason Why Young children are especially trusting of things they are told 68 Out of the mouths of the babes (by Justin L. Barrette) 69 Lies we tell kids (by Paul Graham) 70 Sources 80
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To God, who gave me guidance and strength to finish this book . I could not have finish this without Him. To my Mother and Father. Thank you for supporting me financially for this book. To my friends and family. Your encouragement and compliments motivate me. To YOU, the reader who is willing to read this book. Seriously, you are the bomb. Thank you.
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There is always something in telling kids’ stories... They are nostalgic, heartwarming and sometimes downright hilarious. I personally find this topic interesting because it shows how gullible we were as children-- we believed in nearly everything! When I started writing this book, I jotted down things I actually believed as a kid and asked around for other stories from friends, family and Google. It made me realise how gullible I was as a kid. Thank goodness I am not as gullible as before! I tried to cover as many stories possible, but I might have missed out many stories as well. For some, I could hardly find answers! It is amazing how these stories stayed around for a long time, passed on from generation to generation. Sit back, relax and enjoy this book! Thank you, Claire
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As a kid, do you find yourself blindly believe in things which are a little illogical? Do you know why these stories still come about in today’s society? What are the truth behind these tales?
Discover the reasons behind the existence of each story and have your questions answered. This is the book where you can sit back, relax and laugh about the things people believed as young children. Onto CHAPTER ONE!
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Whenever we played around, like how friends usually do, there would be other kids who would warn us that if we ever held hands, then I will get pregnant. It is said to be possible to get pregnant too by staying close to him.
Many kids grow up with a strong identification of being a male or a female, depending on how they are raised up by their parents. For many asian families, kids are raised under strict gender guidelines, therefore they become tracked into the characteristics of their biological gender. When there is an obvious gender difference, kids try to put it similar in a way how adults put it instead of thinking in a more gender-neutral way. Hence, the belief that you will get pregnant by just holding hands.
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The realisation of having wrinkled fingers and toes after a long bath/ swim. And people who teased about becoming old due to this situaion.
Turns out that the wrinkly fingers is harmless and will not cause aging of skin. Researchers believe wrinkly fingers could be an autonomic nervous system reaction, allowing you to grip onto wet objects easily.
Although you cannot see them, your skin is covered with
The thicker layer of skin on your hands and feet contains more
special oils. These oils lubricate and protect your skin. They
dead skin cells than other parts of your body. These dead skin
also act like a raincoat, your skin a bit waterproof. This is why
cells soak up water like an efficient sponge, while thinner skin
water rolls off your hands when you wash them before dinner.
on the rest of your body is less affected.
So what’s really happening when your fingers and toes shrivel
When you have wrinkly bath fingers, your fingertips are
up? When you take a quick shower, you’re not in the water
actually waterlogged, which means they are completely
long enough to wash all the oils off your body. On the other
saturated with water. As the epidermis begins to swell, it pulls
hand, if you settle into a nice long bubble bath, eventually the
on live skin layers beneath. Unlike the dead surface layer,
water temporarily washes away the oils. Once it is gone, the
deeper layers are firmly attached to fibers in your skin and do
water begins to absorb into the outer layer of your skin.
not swell. The swelling of outer layers and pulling in of deeper layers is what causes the appearance of wrinkles after you’ve
You may notice that different parts of your body act differently
spent some time in the tub.
in the water. While your toes and fingertips wrinkle quite easily, you’ve probably never experienced waterlogged arms or a wrinkly tummy. This is because the outer layer of skin on your hands and feet — called the epidermis — is different than the skin on the rest of your body.
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How could something far away seem to follow
a mountain from a moving car, notice how long it
along? To understand, start with objects that are
takes for that object to pass by. Out West, you can
much closer.
sometimes ride toward mountains that never seem to get any closer.
When you are riding in a car, close things seem to move by rapidly as you pass them. A tree or
The Moon is more than 200,000 miles away. It is so
house by the road starts out ahead of you. It
far away that the motion of your car doesn’t change
comes up fast and, in a few moments, it’s far
its position enough for you to notice. So the Moon
behind you.
just seems to follow you wherever you go.
Objects that are far away do not seem to move very fast. If you can see a faraway building or
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Kids trying to identify where the flavoured milk comes from according to the colour of milk
Any kinds of dairy cow produce white milk. Flavoured milk is actually white milk from the dairy cows with added sweeteners, flavourings and colourings. The type of dairy cows does not affect the taste and/or the colour of milk.
Kids are often exposed to seeing black and white Holstein cows producing white milk. With lack of information, kids who do not understand about the use of flavourings and colourings would associate the colour of the mialk to the colour of cows such as the Swedish Red cows and Brown Swiss cows.
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Our digestive system is built to dissolve and excrete what we put in our mouths in a matter of hours, days at most, but certainly not years. Pediatric gastroenterologist David Milov tells the magazine Scientific American that he can say “with complete certainty” that gum does not stay in you for
The body is very good at digesting material that it can use
seven years.
and passing the rest out in the stool. It is true that your body is unable to digest the synthetic portion of chewing gum, but it doesn’t stay in the stomach for an extended period of time because the stomach periodically empties into the small intestine. The gum then moves through the small intestine into the colon and is eventually passed in the stool. There are many substances that the body cannot digest that pass harmlessly through our system – for instance, this is why you will often see the outside fiber shell of corn in your bowel movements. Tougher things than gum will often pass through harmlessly in a couple of days, as any parent of a toddler who swallowed a penny can tell you. Of course, if you swallow something that is too large to fit through the various valves and tubes in your guts, it can cause an intestinal obstruction. So if you swallow a large amount of gum in a relatively small amount of time it can theoretically clump up into a large mass of indigestible substance (called a bezoar) that can get trapped in your GI system. This medical emergency is very rare, but believe me – it if does happen, it’ll take a lot less than 7 years for you to figure out something ain’t right. So the next time you’re at a fancy restaurant with a cloth napkin and nowhere to put your gum, you can swallow it with confidence. Despite what the “old wive’s tale” says, it’ll be out of your system in a day or two.
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To make sure that their young ones do not leave any leftovers, parents would tell the kids that the kid’s future wife/husband will have lots of acne marks/pockmarks. Another version of the story is that they will grow acne in the future and nobody would want to marry them. Imagine how many kids actually fear about the impossibility of future marriage/ possibility of having an ugly partner (for life, gasp!).
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This myth prevails because back in the 1960s General Electric sold some new-fangled color TV sets that emitted excessive amounts of radiation—as much as 100,000 times more than federal health officials considered safe. GE quickly recalled and repaired the faulty TVs, but the stigma lingers to this day.
Although parents have been saying this
even though electronic emissions aren’t an
getting some rest. With a good night’s sleep,
ever since TVs first found their way into our
issue with TVs made any time after 1968
tired eyes should quickly return to normal.
homes, there’s no evidence that plunking
(including today’s LCD and plasma flat
down right in front of the TV set damages
screens), what about causing harm to one’s
Debra Ronca, a contributor to the How Stuff
someone’s eyes. The American Academy
vision? Dr. Lee Duffner of the American
Works website, argues that some parents
of Ophthalmology (AAO) says that kids can
Academy of Ophthalmology isn’t concerned,
might be putting the cart before the horse in
actually focus up close without eyestrain
maintaining that watching television screens—
blaming close-up TV watching for their child’s
better than adults, so they often develop the
close-up or otherwise—“won’t cause any
vision issues. “Sitting close to the television
habit of sitting right in front of the television or
physical damage to your eyes.” He adds,
may not make a child nearsighted, but a child
holding reading material close to their eyes.
however, that a lot of TV watching can surely
may sit close to the television because he or
However, sitting close to a TV may be a sign of
cause eye strain and fatigue, particularly for
she is nearsighted and undiagnosed,” she
nearsightedness.
those sitting very close and/or watching from
reports. “If your child habitually sits too close
odd angles. But there is an easy cure for
to the television for comfort, get his or her eyes
eye strain and fatigue: turning off the TV and
tested.”
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Adults know what they do and what they say. Adults are never wrong, always correct. So dear children, listen to the adults.
Adults are (usually) more correct than children.
If done in a way which is argumentative, such as saying “Because I say so!�, the adult is trying to say that he/she is
It’s foolish to believe that this is ALWAYS the
the more powerful one here.
case, however, as their experience often differs from their child.
This is known as argument from authority. Adults sometimes use authority in context of logical reasoning to
Always right?? No one is. But adults are more
enforce a command and even to dismiss evidence.
experienced than children and teens, and they also remember their own earlier years and the
However, it also means is that he/she has more foresight
troubles then encountered.
than you, has made mistakes that he/she hopes you as a kid will avoid, knowing what pain can result from impulsive or immature judgment.
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A police force has asked parents to stop telling naughty Disciplining young children can be challenging for parents,
children that they will be taken off to jail as part of a drive
especially when their child’s behavior is especially
to make the force appear more approachable.
inappropriate or obnoxious. There are few experiences more stressful—or more embarrassing—than having
Durham Constabulary released a poster asking parents:
your child throw himself to the ground in the middle of a
“Please don’t tell your children that we will take them off
crowded store.
to jail if they are bad. We want them to run to us if they are scared — NOT be scared of us.”
For many parents, threatening children by saying they will be sent to jail are one of the last-resort discipline
A Durham police spokesman said: “Children should be
measures to ensure kids sat still in church or were “good”
taught from an early age that if they feel like they are in
in front of company.
danger and they need help, they can approach an officer who will reassure them.”
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It is perfectly fine if you accidentally swallowed one or two seeds. Seeds will not be able to germinate in your stomach because your stomach does not have the right conditions for plant growth.
As young kids, we are taught to chew slowly when we eat to prevent swallowing inedible objects. In this case, our parents certainly do not want us to choke on seeds or suffer from cases of indigestion. Also, while some seeds are proven to be nutritious to the human body, a few types of seeds such as apple seeds may contain poisonous substances that may cause cyanide poisoning. Kids and pets are more prone to suffer from such poisoning compared to adults, therefore this myth is created as a safety measure.
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In the dead of night, just how did the British Air Force manage to gun down German aircraft during World War II? Eating carrots was the key to the pilots’ success, according to the U.K. Ministry of Food. The now-defunct agency rolled out a propaganda campaign detailing the pilots’ superb carrot-enriched night vision and encouraging civilians to devour more of the locally grown vegetable to help them function during blackouts. Decades later rumors swirled that the British Royal Air Force pushed that message as a coverup for the recently adopted radar technology
Research has shown that beta-carotene does not
infusion of beta-carotene
they were secretly relying on for their nighttime
convert into vitamin A very efficiently—estimates
.
skirmishes. Information from the de Havilland
suggest it requires anywhere from 12 to 21
The issue of night blindness is far from new.
Aircraft Museum suggests that subterfuge was
molecules of beta-carotene in the diet to make
It was detailed in ancient Egyptian texts. The
indeed the British Ministry of Information’s plan.
just one molecule of vitamin A. Beta-carotene,
treatment at the time was simple: The juices of a
unlike straight vitamin A, would need to be
grilled lamb’s liver were squeezed into the eyes
converted in the intestinal wall into vitamin A,
of afflicted patients to provide a topical treatment
meaning most individuals would be better off
(although the famed ophthalmologist and vitamin
taking vitamin A supplements, if possible, instead
A expert Alfred Sommer later wondered if the
of downing carrots.
restoration actually came from perhaps feeding the patients the remaining liver—rich in vitamin
Binging on carrots would also not improve
A—following such treatments).
eyesight. Once you have enough beta-carotene Are carrots truly able to improve eyesight or is that
in your body it often will no longer convert to
When it comes to eating nutrient-rich foods to
the stuff of fiction? The answer is yes, under certain
vitamin A according to Emily Chew, the deputy
improve eyesight, more generally, Chew suggests
conditions, eating carrots will help improve eyesight.
clinical director at the National Eye Institute.
stocking up on green, leafy vegetables. Spinach,
The body naturally regulates against excess
kale or collard greens—all chock-full of lutein
The root vegetable is rich in beta-carotene, a
amounts of vitamin A to prevent accumulation
and zeaxanthin (which are other food-derived
naturally occurring pigment that nourishes the eye.
of toxic levels of the substance. So how many
nutrients)—could help protect your eyes by
carrots are ideal? “I don’t have any numbers to
filtering high-energy wavelengths of visible light
But exactly how many carrots would be needed to
give you about how many carrots you should eat
that can damage the retina. Such foods may
optimize night vision remains less clear. Most studies
per day, but everything should be balanced in
also help to protect against age-related macular
have so far looked at the benefits of beta-carotene
moderation,” she says. Indeed, if a person eats
degeneration, the major cause of blindness in the
or vitamin A supplements, not carrots specifically.
too many carrots his or her skin may turn a bit
elderly.
orange—a harmless symptom that is not a health concern. Most eye problems stem from visionimpairment caused by issues such as genetics, aging or diabetes that cannot be aided with an
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Fish roe or fish eggs have been a sacred food across the globe since ancient times. In his writings, Dr. Weston A. Price detailed the great lengths the natives of the Andes went to Children are not allowed to eat fish eggs
carry dried fish roe from sea level back to their
because it is said that once consumed they
villages high in the mountains—sometimes
will be unable to count anymore.
hundreds of miles—to supply those of childbearing age with the nutrients needed
This is because the large number of roe
to make the healthiest of babies. These
makes it hard to count, therefore kids are
nutrient- dense eggs are rich in vitamins A, D,
encouraged not to eat fish roe completely to
and K2 (Activator X) along with zinc, iodine,
eliminate the counting process as well as the
and the brainbuilding fatty acid DHA, making
fear and confusion of not knowing where to
them a powerful superfood for babies and
start counting the fish roe.
adults alike. According to a recent Weston A. Price Foundation-funded analysis by UBE Laboratories, fish eggs contain 17,000 IU vitamin D per tablespoon!
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In Chinese zodiac culture, the Pig is the most docile of livestock in people’s minds, having
Body weight depends on a multitude of
a round and fat face, and doing nothing other
factors, and, as you might imagine, both
than eating and sleeping all day long.
lifestyle and genetics play critical roles. The key to weight control is balancing energy
It is famous for its laziness, and it grows
intake with energy expenditure, a relationship
fastest among all the livestock due to its lack
that is often referred to as the energy balance
of activity. The Pig barely takes any exercise
equation.
despite continually eating, let alone worrying Energy input comes from the food and drink
Since one pound of body fat is equivalent to
we consume and is usually measured in
about 3,500 kcal of energy, the energy balance
Many believed that sleeping after eating can
kilocalories (kcal). When energy intake is
equation suggests that an increase in food
lead to weight gain quickly, and took reference
greater than energy expenditure the body
intake or a decrease in energy expenditure
from the Chinese zodiac culture as the Pig too
will store excess energy as fat, regardless of
equal to 3,500 kcal will result in a weight gain
did nothing but eat and sleep.
whether those excess kcals came from fat,
of one pound. Conversely, a weight loss of
carbohydrate, protein or even alcohol.
one pound will result for every 3,500 kcal
or being overworked.
worth of food not eaten or an equal amount
It basically meant, eating after sleeping will cause weight gain.
Energy expenditure consists of three
of increased expenditure. Although this is a
components: resting metabolic rate (BMR),
good rule of thumb for predicting either weight
which is the energy your body uses to
gain or loss, there are considerable individual
maintain normal function throughout the
differences that the energy balance equation
day; diet induced thermogenesis (DIT), the
does not account for. Weight change is a
energy needed to digest, absorb, transport,
relatively slow process—taking place over
metabolize and store food and drink; and
longer periods than just mere minutes, hours
physical activity. In the sedentary individual
or days. Weight gain, for instance, involves a
BMR typically accounts for 60 to 75 percent
long-term state where caloric intake exceeds
of energy expenditure, DIT is responsible
expenditure.
for about 10 percent and physical activity between 10 and 25 percent. (As you might expect, active individuals will have a greater
Sleeping itself, however, is not the cause of
proportion of energy expenditure accounted
weight gain. As we have seen above, the key
for by physical activity.) Our bodies are
is really energy balance over extended periods
expending energy all the time. Even while
of time. Unfortunately, many people are
asleep the body requires energy to fuel the
consuming more energy than their bodies can
multitude of complex functions required to
use (or than they are using), which has led to a
keep us alive.
situation of epidemic proportions where over one third of all adults are now obese. Interestingly, there have been a few recent studies indicating that individuals who either suffer from sleep deprivation or get only limited amounts of sleep may be more susceptible to weight gain than those who get adequate sleep. It appears that lack of sleep leads to decreased release of the hormone leptin—higher levels of which confer a feeling of fullness, whereas low levels can result in feelings of hunger. In addition, sleep loss increases levels of the hormone grehlin, which also makes people feel more hungry.
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“Where do I come from?� Almost every kid have asked their parents this question, about how they are born. The Netizens had a discussion about how they asked their parents the similar questions as a kid, and it turned out that their parents had at least told about them being adopted from the rubbish dump. No idea where does this idea came from, but it is usually seen in an Asian family, especially the Chinese, where parents would try to avoid discussions about the birds and the bees.
The topic about birds and the bees has always a tabboo in the society. When children asked about how they came around, parents would think that they are too young for sex education and also thought that it is a good idea to prank their children about them being picked up from the trash. However, experts do not encourage such actions as this will ruin the trust between parent and child.
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Many people recalled being told by parents and/or grandparents not to point at the moon, because it would cut your ears. It seemed to be either a myth or superstition circulated amongst Han-Chinese. Although many do not believed such belief, there are people whcvo claimed that they suffered cuts on their ear after pointing at the moon. There is barely any scientific base to such incidences and the origin of this tale is unclear. Therefore, it is counted as a cultural superstition.
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Japan is famous for its stories for haunted toilets in schools. One of Japan’s most popular legends, this story typically takes place in the bathroom of a school, so teachers beware. OR DARE. Much like Bloody Mary, Hanako-san is something of a summoning game. If you are brave enough to bring forth Hanako-san, go into the women’s restroom and stand outside the door of the third stall in a row of stalls. Supposedly in life, Hanako-san was a young school girl killed in the bathroom of her
Reports of Hauntings and supernatural
school during a WWII bombing. Some say
experiences have several characteristics that
that you’ll know if she is occupying the third
seem to always be present. For one, the location
stall because the bathroom lights will flicker,
has to be old! Second, sightings and experiences
the stall will always have a mysterious “out of
are usually concentrated in a particular area that
order” sign on it, and you’ll often hear a small
has the most amount of activity.
voice coming from the stall even when no feet are visible under the door.
These areas tend to be highly trafficked areas (by the living). Conveniently enough, the bathroom is small, has mirrors that elucidate the imagination, and requires an individual to be contained (or trapped depending on the situation).
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Why did she show up in the first place? Many have argued that the tooth fairy serves as a much-needed source of comfort during an experience that can otherwise be scary, even traumatic. While there are many rites of passage in a person’s life, the loss of a baby tooth is arguably the first — and, thus, the most frightening. The three stages in a rite of passage, as described in Arnold van Gennep’s book of the same name, are nicely mirrored Despite the seeming timelessness of
a tree or on a wall; and (9) swallowed by the
in both the loss of a tooth and the tooth-fairy
the character, the tooth fairy is in fact an
mother, child or animal.
ritual in general: separation (tooth falls out; child leaves tooth under pillow), transition (gap
extremely recent arrival on the mythological scene. Her first print appearance is an
It’s no coincidence that at the same time
in teeth; child goes to sleep) and incorporation
eight-page playlet for children by Esther
the tooth fairy was starting to gain traction
(new tooth grows in; child wakes up to a
Watkins Arnold from 1927, and the oldest oral
in the United States, Disney was also
gift of money). In “Flights of Fancy, Leaps of
references date her to approximately the turn
releasing animated films like “Pinocchio”
Faith,” Cindy Dell Clark has further argued that
of the 20th century.
and “Cinderella” — each of which features a
the use of monetary rewards — and leaving
benevolent, maternal fairy with the power to
money for each tooth, not just the first one, is
Rituals surrounding tooth loss date back
make wishes come true. Pop culture helped
another distinctly American invention — helps
much further than that. Every recorded human
solidify the tooth fairy in the mainstream, and
children transition into the world of adulthood,
culture has some kind of tradition surrounding
she’s been a fixture there ever since.
where cash is a symbol of increased agency
the disposal of a child’s lost baby teeth, and in
and responsibility.
the 1960s, a researcher named B. R. Townend distilled these rituals down to nine basic forms. (1) the tooth was thrown into the sun; (2) thrown into the fire; (3) thrown between the legs; (4) thrown onto or over the roof of the house, often with an invocation to some animal or individual; (5) placed in a mouse hole near the stove or hearth or offered to some other animal; (6) buried; (7) hidden where animals could not get it; (8) placed in
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The legend of the Easter Bunny bringing eggs appears to have been brought to the United States by settlers from southwestern Germany. The German tradition of the Easter Bunny or “Oschter Haws” migrated to America in the 1800s, likely accompanying German immigrants, many of whom settled in Pennsylvania. Over the past 200 years, the Easter Bunny has become the most commercially recognized symbol of Easter. In legend, the Easter Bunny, also called the
The Bible makes no mention of a long-eared,
Easter Hare and the Spring Bunny, brings
short-tailed creature who delivers decorated
baskets filled with colored eggs, candy, and
eggs to well-behaved children on Easter Sunday;
sometimes toys to the homes of children on
nevertheless, the Easter bunny has become a
the night before Easter, in much the same way
prominent symbol of Christianity’s most important
as Santa Claus is said to deliver presents on
holiday. The exact origins of this mythical
Christmas Eve. The Easter Bunny will either
mammal are unclear, but rabbits, known to be
put the baskets in a designated place or hide
prolific procreators, are an ancient symbol of
them somewhere in the house or garden for
fertility and new life. According to some sources,
the children to find when they wake up in the
the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the
morning, giving rise to the tradition of the
1700s with German immigrants who settled in
Easter egg hunt.
Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. Eventually, the custom spread across the U.S. and the fabled rabbit’s Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests.
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It is thought that the word Easter comes
understandable that the rabbit is the symbol
from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre)
of fertility.
who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe.
From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are
A festival called Eastre was held during the
said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the
spring equinox by these people to honor
tomb and resurrection. Decorating eggs for
her. Of interest is the word’s relation to east
Easter is a tradition that dates back to at least
(ost in German). The name for a celebration
the 13th century, according to some sources.
of the sunrise and a change of season was
One explanation for this custom is that eggs
eventually applied to the Christian celebration
were formerly a forbidden food during the
of the resurrection of Christ and the new era
Lenten season, so people would paint and
He heralded.
decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then eat them on
The goddess Eastre’s earthly symbol was the
Easter as a celebration.
rabbit, which was also known as a symbol of fertility. Since rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring, it’s
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Santa Claus... Kris Kringle...Old Saint Nick... who is this guy and why does he have so many aliases? Well, the original St. Nicholas lived in southwestern Turkey in the 4th century. As the bishop of Myra he was credited with doing a number of miracles involving sailors and children. After his death this led him to become the patron saint of both groups as well as for unmarried girls. As a saint he was given his own “feast day” that was celebrated on December 6th. At about the same time Nicholas lived, Pope Julius I decided to establish a date for the celebration of the birth of Jesus. As the actual time of year for this event was unknown, the Pope decided to assign the holiday to December 25th. There had long been a pagan
It’s been said that Dutch settlers brought
Theological Seminary, drew upon Pintard’s
midwinter festival at this time of year and the
the tradition of Saint Nicholas to the North
thinking about the early New Amsterdam
Pope hoped to use the holiday to christianize
American city of New Amsterdam (which
traditions and added some elements from
the celebrations.
the British would later rename “New York”).
German and Norse legends. These stories
However, research shows there’s little
held that a happy little elf-like man presided
Eventually, Saint Nicholas’s feast day also
evidence that Nicholas played much of a part
over midwinter pagan festivals. In the poem,
became associated with December 25th
in these early settlers’ celebrations. It seems
Moore depicts the Saint as a tiny man with
and his connection with Christmas was
more likely that Saint Nicholas became an
a sleigh drawn by eight miniature reindeer.
established. A tradition developed that he
American tradition during a wave of interest
They fly him from house to house and at each
would supposedly visit homes on Christmas
in Dutch customs following the Revolutionary
residence he comes down the chimney to fill
Eve and children would place nuts, apples,
War. Washington Irving (of Sleepy Hollow
stockings hung by the fireplace with gifts.
sweets and other items around the house to
fame) included him a comic History of New
welcome him. As the reformation took a hold
York City written in 1809. John Pintard,
Moore had written the poem for the enjoyment
of much of Europe, however, the popularity
founder of the New York Historical Society,
of his own family, but in 1823 it was published
of St. Nicholas dropped in most Protestant
took an especially keen interest in the legend
anonymously in the Troy Sentinel. It became
countries, with the exception of Holland where
and the Society hosted its first St. Nicholas
very popular and has been reprinted countless
he was referred to as “Sinter Klaas.” After this
anniversary dinner in 1810. Artist Alexander
times under the more familiar title, The Night
tradition came to the United States, “Sinter
Anderson was commissioned to draw an
Before Christmas.
Klass” would eventually be corrupted to
image of the Saint for the dinner. He was
“Sancte Claus.”
still shown as a religious figure, but now he
Where did Moore get the reindeer? The Saami
was also clearly depositing gifts in children’s
people of northern Scandinavia and Finland
stockings which were hung by the fireplace
often used reindeer to pull their sledges
to dry.
around and this found its way into the poem. Reindeer, which are much sturdier animals
Perhaps nothing has fixed the image of Santa
than North American deer,are well adapted to
Claus so firmly in the American mind as a
cold climates with their heavy fur coats and
poem entitled A Visit from St. Nicholas written
broad, flat hooves for walking on snow.
by Clement Moore in 1822. Moore, a professor of biblical languages at New York’s Episcopal
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Fairies come in many races and tribes, and are also said to vary in size and shape; though most are small, some change size and become man-size or larger if they choose.
Fairy affairs reappeared two decades later when two teenage cousins, Frances Griffiths
Fairies are tiny, often beautiful human-like creatures (sometimes with wings) that appear
n centuries past, people were much less
and Elsie Wright, played with fairies in
in legends and folklore around the world.
sophisticated about what was real and what
the English countryside near Cottingley.
Fairies likely began as versions of pagan
wasn’t; much of the world was still unexplored
Interacting with imaginary fairy friends would
nature gods and goddesses, and thus they are
and shrouded in mystery. Traveling shows
probably be considered normal behavior for
often associated with the outdoors (especially
brought amazing creatures from around the
10- and 16-year-old girls, but the pair insisted
forests), as well as magic and journeys.
world to people who had never seen such
that the fairies were real. They even provided
wonders. Animals such as giraffes, bears and
proof in the form of five photographs showing
Depending on the region, fairies are said to
tigers, for example, appeared as attractions in
little fairy folk playing with the girls.
live in woodland communities, underground
carnivals and circuses during the 1800s. For
kingdoms, or inhabit lakes, hills, or stone or
many having seen these animals for the first
While some dismissed the photos as obvious
grass circles — often along with centaurs,
time, dragons, mermaids and fairies did not
fakes, many others were not so sure. Sir
elves, ogres, gnomes and other such animals.
seem far-fetched.
Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, believed that the fairies were real, and wrote a book titled “The Coming of the Fairies,” in which he discussed the fairies and his conviction that their existence had been proven beyond any doubt. Many were taken in, and the reality of fairies was the subject of debate among some adults for decades. Finally, in 1983, Frances Griffiths, then 75 years old, confessed that the “fairies” were cut-out drawings from a book, Though belief in fairies exists to the present day in some places — especially in Ireland, Iceland, Norway, and Scotland — modern fairies have been sanitized for today’s children and (luckily) lost their murderous ways.
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It is convenient as the filmmakers are more familiar about their own country compared to the rest of the world. Not to mention that America is a well-known and well-off country. The United States is probably the most successful country in the world in terms of economic and political power. Alien races in movies are often depicted as intelligent on Earthling affairs, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the aliens knew in advance of the prosperity and political clout of the United States and chose it intentionally: if the United States were destroyed, it would have a major effect on the world economy, and the President of the United States is probably the most well-known political leader, so it’s not surprising they’d choose him as the “leader” they want to be “taken to.”
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Whenever there is a flashback in a movie or TV
imagining ways that electronic television
series, the past is often being reflected in the
could work. One day while working in the
form of an old black and white hptotgraph or
fields among rows of vegetables, he was
a footage of the old electronic television. This
inspired. He realized that a picture could be
method of presenting to past is widely used
dissected by a simple television camera into
in pop culture and many kids who had no idea
a series of lines of electricity. The lines would
why it is presented in black and white thought
be transmitted so quickly that the eyes would
the world used to be without colour.
merge the lines. Then, a cathode ray tube television receiver would change those lines
Such reference is often made to reflect on
back into a picture. Initially, television was
past technology of the era. Back then, there
available only in black and white, even though
were no colour television and photographs
experiments with color began in the 1920s;
until they were invented.
however, you could not buy a color television until 1953.
Philo Farnsworth successfully demonstrated electronic television in San Francisco, in 1927. Farnsworth, at the age of fifteen, began
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Developed Asian countries have reported increasing myopia rates of up to 80 per cent, and the rapid growth rate, scientists say, suggests that environmental factors play a significant role. To try and find a link between intelligence and visions, researchers at the University Medical Center in Mainz, Germany examined nearsightedness in 4,658 Germans ages 35 to 74. Results of their work, known as the Gutenberg Health Study, show that myopia became more prevalent as a person’s education improved. For instance, 24 per cent of participants with no secondary school education or other training were nearsighted. Around 35 per cent of secondary school graduates and vocational school graduates were nearsighted, while the figure for university graduates was over half at 53 per cent. The researchers also looked at the effect of 45 genetic markers, but found it a much weaker factor in the degree of nearsightedness compared to education level. Eye experts claim you are myopic if your vision is blurred beyond 6.6ft (2 metres). It is usually caused by an elongation of the eyeball when people are young. The antidote to the rise in myopia could be as simple as going outside more often. Pop culture that constantly shows smart
For years, people with glasses have been
In the last several years, studies of
people wearing glasses to look the part.
stereotyped as being a ‘nerd’ or a ‘geek’.
children and young adults in Denmark and
It is often shown on TV series, cartoons, films
But scientists have always believed that
exposure to daylight is associated with less
and even anime, thus the stereotype that
genes, rather than education, were more
nearsightedness.
geniuses wear specs.
important in determining poor vision.
Asia show that more time outdoors and
‘Since students appear to be at a higher
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Now a study provides scientific backing to
risk of nearsightedness, it makes sense to
suggest that the smarter you are, the more
encourage them to spend more time outdoors
likely you are to suffer from myopia, also
as a precaution,’ said Alireza Mirshahi, lead
known as nearsightedness.
author of the study.
• Cartoon heroes have been created or drawn by a person. They have been drawn and brought to life. Their voices are the sounds Cartoons are the most frequent and easily
The process of realizing that cartoon
of human beings. This is called productive
accessible source of entertainment which
characters are not real but a figment of the
direction. According to this, cartoon heroes
is provided to children. Time which was
imagination takes place in at least three
have been created by humans.
previously spent by children in outdoor
different ways. By having a mascot, it is as though confirming
activities is now replaced, as now they can be found glued to the TV sets for long hours,
• Firstly, cartoon characters do not really
the first point as false because kids do get to
peering at all sorts of cartoons.
exist. You do not really meet them, you are
meet the mascots at places lke Disneyland.
not harmed by them and you cannot speak
It is up to the children to believe whether
with them. According to this existence view,
they buy the idea of their favourite cartoon
children understand that cartoon characters
character being “real”.
are not real. Nevertheless, cartoons heroes remained • Cartoon heroes do not have feelings and
unreal.
thoughts like we do and they cannot do what we do either. They belong to another social class that is different from humans. This is called social direction. According to this view, children understand cartoon characters are quite different from humans in terms of psychological and behavioral patterns. Children are at a stage when their minds are developing and forms impressions easily, at such an early stage children consider the things they watch in cartoons to be real. Meeting the mascot from a cartoon character makes it more believable as they are unable to differentiate between fantasy and reality.
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Popeye’s taste for a can of spinach before a fight has a genuine scientific basis, researchers have found: the leafy green vegetable really can boost your muscle power. It was thought the iron content of spinach accounted for its status as a superfood. But researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden have found that the inorganic nitrate it contains is the secret of its strengthgiving property. They gave a small dose of nitrate, equivalent to that found in a plate of spinach, to exercising volunteers and found it reduced their need for oxygen. Their improved muscle performance was due to increased efficiency of the mitochondria that power cells, the researchers wrote in Cell Metabolism. They suggest their finding could offer one explanation for the health benefit of eating fruit and vegetables, the mechanism of which still remains unclear. Great efforts have been made to isolate the key ingredients of a healthy diet, with limited success. Nitrates could be one of those key ingredients. They interact with bacteria in the mouth to produce nitric oxide, a physiologically important molecule with a key role in lowering blood pressure.
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It seems whenever cats and dogs are paired together, the dog will almost always be male while the cat will almost always be female. The cat will be sassy, intelligent, but occasionally cruel. The dog will be crude but kind. Often their owners will be the same sex as the animals. Ergo, women will be cat people and men will be dog people. Even if they’re not contrasted with another species of animal, strangers will tend to assume by default that dogs are male — especially large or intimidating breeds — and cats are female. So widespread is this trope that a common misconception among children is that all dogs are male, and that all cats are female.
This trope could be due to the way dog’s bodies are shaped and the way cat’s bodies are shaped. Dog’s bodies have big chests and small bellies and they tend to look more muscular. Cats bodies have small chests and they look rounder and curvier. Dog faces also tend to be narrower and more angular (giving them a sharper, “rugged” look), while cats usually have more delicate features (making them look “prettier”). Speaking of inversions with the owners; if a male character owns a cat, it’s often a sign of shared personality, say eccentricity, or intelligence level (thus masculine/catlike) as in Garfield. If a woman owns a dog, it’s often a sign of shared emotional bonds (thus feminine/doglike).
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These happily ever after endings instill in young minds the idea that your prince is out there and that one day, you will bump into
We all know the common fairy tale. There’s
them — probably while frolicking through a
a man and a woman—rarely, if ever, do we
meadow and singing a good morning song to
see stories about a woman and a woman or a man and a man—who must overcome some obstacle to reach happily ever after. There is always a happily ever after.
woodland creatures — and then, POOF! You The very idea of seeking a prince to solve your
will be in love, married, all your problems will
problems, or the source of your happiness,
be solved, and you will spend the rest of your
creates an imbalance at the onset of a
life walking into a sunset horizon with hearts
relationship that hasn’t even begun. It also has
in your eyes.
strong implications and creates dependency. We are taught at a young age to rely on a man to help us out of a problem and in return we fall in love. We know women are capable of fighting off evil and achieving success. But why has Disney never portrayed women as independent instead of hopeless romantics? Furthermore, why do they give little girls who admire these princesses, hope that true love exists for everyone? False hope and an altered reality is what these movies are doing to young minds.
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Naci and Erdal obtained data on 20,745
The problem is that many of these prejudices
people, who were interviewed and rated at
start to act as self-fulfilling prophecies.
various points during their lives (in the period
Ugly children start to do less well at school
1994 – 2002). A small army of independent
because of the low expectations placed on
interviewers rated the person’s level of
them: they have less belief in themselves,
attractiveness (ranging from very unattractive
less confidence, they receive less personal
to very attractive). Subsequently, Naci and
attention from their tutors, and so on. And,
Erdal statistically compared this indicator of
as a consequence, the prophecy comes true;
physical attractiveness with the incidence
they do achieve less.
of the respondent having been involved in a crime, such as property damage, burglary,
Once on the job market, they are then once
robbery, theft, assault, or drug-related crimes.
again confronted with the same prejudice,
And even when they corrected these models
making things even more challenging. For
for all sorts of background characteristics,
example, research has shown that, given
such as ethnic background, religion, family
the same qualifications, physically attractive
situation, income, and so on, the answer was
applicants are considered more suitable for a
pretty clear: criminals are ugly.
particular job. They are also recommended to receive higher starting salaries.* Indeed, the
Although this involves a healthy dose of
handsome subjects in Naci and Erdal’s study
speculation, we do know quite a lot from
also made substantially more money than their
prior research about the influence of physical
esthetically more challenged counterparts.
attractiveness on such things as income and
To conclude, handsome children are helped
schooling, which might shed some light on
to achieve more, once they reach adulthood
the issue. For example, we know from prior
they are more likely to be successful in a job
studies that good-looking children receive
interview, and once they are in the job they get
more attention at school, are considered more
paid more.
trustworthy, and are judged to have higher academic potential.
As a consequence of these effects, on the margin, ugly people are more often tempted – or perhaps pushed – into a life of crime than people who are physically attractive. The ugly ducklings amongst us are often devout of the opportunities that befall the beautiful and, therefore, comparatively are more prone to end up in crime.
Although in general not every ugly person is bad and not every beautiful person is good, it now appears that these film makers are rather
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Has it ever struck you that in movies the villain
more realistic in their portrayal of the bad
is pretty much always ugly? Whether you
guys than you might have guessed. Criminals
take a James Bond film, a horror movie, or a
– as research by professors Naci Mocan from
Disney character, the bad guy is usually rather
Louisiana State and Erdal Tekin from Georgia
‘esthetically challenged’, dotted with rather
State University showed – are often indeed
unsightly, coarse features.
pretty ugly.
Probably from Toy Story movies.
If toys are alive, they wouldn’t be toys anymore. They’d only frighten the children
It is said that whenever humans are not
by coming alive. The toys in Toys Story
around or are sleeping, toys will come alive
are aware that if they were to demonstrate
and move around. They might even have their
their sentience, this could turn into a huge
little adventures!
worldwide crisis, with toys everywhere in danger of being experimented on, imprisoned
Toys have a life of their own, and they operate
or destroyed.
similarly to humans. Also, if toys ARE alive, they would have some idea that if a human child, or any human entered to find what they assumed to be nonliving, inanimate objects moving and talking, it would freak them out.
NEXT PAGE: There’s a reason possessed toys are a staple of the horror genre.
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Imagine that your toys are alive. Not just alive, but very alive, they have romance, attitudes, and no batteries. Who needs batteries, when your supposed to not be alive? Yes. No. This is a very scary concept, if you think about it. Every time you sleep, they are there. Every time you need personal space, they are there plotting, planning, you know evil stuff. Every time you think you are alone, they are there. They just wait for you to sleep, or leave. They are like statues with the ability to stay still. Not for minutes, for hours, days, weeks. Think about this, every time as a kid when you got angry or annoyed at something, you threw something... didn’t you. When you got mad you threw your toys, what you think they do not remember. Oh yeah, they remember. Sleep tight.
Now imagine if you will, you are asleep, and
That is right, they are intelligent. They
Yup, they are immortal, as far as I can tell
all of a sudden, little voices. It’s not your
made plans and elaborately complicated
anyway, and probably know telekinesis.
mom, not your dad, brothers or sisters. What
strategies.
you do not have brothers and sisters, well
Honestly, would you? No you wouldn’t. You heard a sound at night, like all other kids
Can you imagine the possibilities? Imagine
do, you pull over the covers or you brush it
this is awkward. NO, no it’s not, it’s your toys
This is a no-nonsense situation. Want to
revenge against your entire bloodline one kid
that’s right, and they think you are asleep.
off. They can talk, you won’t even believe
get rid of them? They will find a way back
at time...they scare you once, then wait until
Tiny whispers ring in your ears at three in the
yourself. In the morning, when it is light out,
home. Want to make a plan to get them?
20 years later and scare you again. Surely by
morning, in pitch, black, darkness.
you will check on the toys. You won’t be able
They can hear everything you say, and they
this time you’re in a mental hospital, and they
to find anything. You can poke them all day
can even work the TV. They might even turn
will find you, or they could scare your child, an
Nightlight? It won’t save you from sound, will
tear, tear them with a sharp object, any torture
on TV shows you hate. They are tricky, they
endless line of waiting and scaring.
it. How about the woody doll you are cuddling
you want. They will not flinch or move.
have a whole army of toys at their command.
up with, yea that one that supposed to keep
An entire army of toys that can talk to each
Remember that they remember, everything.
you safe at night. Good luck. Do you think
So what do you do? Help everyone learn the
other and you.
Do you rememeber ripping off the eyeball of
someone would believe you if you told, nope.
truth. Look around there is probably a toy
your doll? Since they are inanimated objects,
You would wind up in a stray jacket for that
next to you, right now. Do you feel little eyes
they have no feelings, no pain. That is right,
nonsense.
on you?
no pain. So when you tore out your doll’s eye, was she in pain? No. Was she mad? Yes.
The look of a dolls dark empty eyes. You think
REVENGE.
it’s over, no. Did you hear what they said?
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Crying is confrontational, says Dr. Robert
or even just trying to get someone’s attention,
R. Provine, a neuroscientist, professor of
which DeLuca and other researchers call a
psychology at the University of Maryland,
‘’secondary gain’’ cry.
Baltimore County and the author of Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and
On top of that, crying may have a biochemical
Beyond. He says that someone else’s crying
purpose. It’s believed to release stress
“is appealing to you to provide caregiving, and
hormones or toxins from the body, says
at least sympathy,” which can be emotionally
Lauren Bylsma, a PhD student at the
tiring, if not exhausting.
University of South Florida in Tampa, who has focused on crying in her research.
Crying does serve an emotional purpose, says Sideroff, an assistant clinical professor of
Lastly, crying has a purely social function,
psychiatry at the UCLA David Geffen School
Bylsma says. It often wins support from those
of Medicine. “It’s a release. There is a buildup
who watch you cry. Sometimes, crying may be
of energy with feelings.”
manipulative -- a way to get what you want, whether you’re asking a friend to go shopping
It can also be a survival mechanism, notes
with you, your spouse to agree to a luxurious
Jodi DeLuca, PhD, a neuropsychologist at
vacation, or your child to get their math
Tampa General Hospital in Florida. ‘’When
homework done.
you cry,” she says, “it’s a signal you need to address something.” Among other things, it may mean you are frustrated, overwhelmed
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Most young children play pretend games
Invisible friends are an especially compelling and involved form of pretend
and interact with their stuffed animals,
play. Perhaps invisible friends represent “bemagination” – something partway
dolls, or other special toys as if they were
between belief and imagination.
alive. According to Marjorie Taylor and her colleagues at the University of Oregon,
Invisible friends can be human, animal, or fantasy creatures. They may appear
by age seven, about 37% of children take
alone or in groups. Boys tend to invent only male imaginary friends, whereas
imaginative play a step farther and create an
girls have either male or female ones.
invisible friend.
Children with invisible friends can readily describe what these friends look like and how they behave. Many children even offer details about hearing or touching their invisible friends. Invisible friends can sometimes be a part of the life of a child— and a family—for years.
It seems logical that children who invent invisible friends might be lonely or have social problems, but research doesn’t support those assumptions. In fact, compared to those who don’t create them, children with imaginary companions (either invisible friends or personified objects) tend to be less shy, engage in more laughing and smiling with peers, and do better at tasks involving imagining how someone else might think. Oldest children, only children, and children who don’t watch much television are more likely to create an imaginary friend. This probably reflects opportunity. Children need unstructured time alone to be able to invent imaginary friends. Having an imaginary friend is not evidence that a child is troubled. However, imaginary friends can be a source of comfort when a child is experiencing difficulties. There are many case studies of children inventing imaginary friends to help them cope with traumatic experiences. A study based on interviews of middle school students at high risk for developing behavior problems found that having an imaginary companion was associated with better coping strategies but lower social preference with peers. However, by the end of high school, those high-risk children who had had an imaginary companion in middle school showed better adjustment on multiple measures. At a more mundane level, children with imaginary friends sometimes blame them for misbehavior in an attempt to avoid parental displeasure. Imaginary friends can also help children to cope with fears, explore ideas, or gain a sense of competence through learning from or taking care of the imaginary friend.
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For years, society has placed a disgustingly
Well, it’s time to let the children learn that
large stigma on bad grades and an
it’s okay not to be an A student, it’s okay to
overwhelming importance on good grades.
fail. Because here’s a little secret the older
There’s a predisposed instinct to strive for
generations are unwilling to divulge to you: it
A’s and cast anything lower to the side, to
doesn’t matter.
deem as unworthy. To all those tight-ass intellectuals out there, it’s time to get the facts straight. For all those years that you spent cooped up in the library, poring over facts and stats, soliloquies and Greek mythology, the average scoring kids — the ones partying and getting C’s in college — are the ones obtaining the skills that do matter: life experiences.
Failing is a life experience. Not getting that A on the exam you spent all night studying for, is an experience. Life experiences are a composite of all the skills necessary to get along in the real world. It’s comprised of all those skills that are only learned through failure and the obstacles of life, like how to hold a conversation, get away with a lie or entertain someone you really don’t like. It’s all those skills that high-paying Fortune 500 companies value above all else. In college, it’s all about grades. In the real world, it’s about experience, balls and drive. Because once you get past the first job, no one is ever going to ask you about your GPA or how you did on that Psych 215 final. What matters in the real world is your ability to adapt, innovate and get along. There are no scantron sheets or essay exams. There are no TA’s to hold review sessions or to help you practice your presentation. Real life is about how well you can bullsh*t your way through it, and that’s not something taught in a classroom. It’s about yourself and the gut feelings you have towards what is right and what is wrong. Succeeding in life means following your gut and understanding what a bad decision is. Just because you passed History with flying colors doesn’t mean you’ll know what to do when your coworker is talking behind your back to your boss. It doesn’t mean you’ll know how to handle an insubordinate or get together a presentation the night before a deadline. So for all of you preparing for finals, or finishing them with a bitter taste in your mouth, this should be reason enough not to worry. If you are ending the semester with C’s and maybe a few D’s, don’t sweat. There’s plenty of opportunity out there, and it’s the people with the audacity not to care about their grades — the ones who don’t spend their lives in the library and bubbling in correct answer sheets — who will rule the world. Because at the end of it all, it’s really about those people with the most passion.
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In the 1940s, attachment to a special object
Because security objects may serve as a
was regarded as a childhood fetish reflecting
substitute for the mother in her absence, they
pathology in the relationship between the
can be employed practicably by parents,
mother and her child (Wulff, 1946). D. W.
teachers, doctors, babysitters, and other
Winnicott (1953), however, regarded the object as necessary for normal development: it was a “transitional” experience, intermediate between the infant’s ability to distinguish the inner subjective world from
Although the blanket does not have any magical powers which can protect you from monsters under your bed, the blanket provided comfort to you , like a mother.
professionals. At bedtime, it can soothe and facilitate sleep. A study by G. J. Ybarra, R. H. Passman, and C. Eisenberg found that during a
outside reality. John Bowlby considered
routine third-year pediatric examination,
transitional objects to be a “substitute”
the security object enhanced rapport with
for the absent mother, and he deemed the
the examining nurse. Children attached to a
child’s attachment to them normal and even
blanket who were allowed access to it were
desirable.
rated as less distressed and experienced less physiological stress—as evidenced by
Nevertheless, throughout the 1970s, but
heart rate and systolic blood pressure— than
progressively less in the 1980s and 1990s, a
children undergoing the medical evaluation
stigma remained attached to children who
without their security object. The comfort
hugged a blanket in times of stress.
provided by a blanket in novel situations has even been shown to enhance children’s learning (Passman, 1977).
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So scientists report after studying a
It is said that whenever you wear new clothes, they provide a certain superpower which enhances either of your features. For example, if you wear new shows, you feel as though you can become Flash and run like the wind!
phenomenon they call enclothed cognition:
“One of the biggest reasons kids love
the effects of clothing on cognitive
superheroes is the sense of control
processes.
and power they can exert on the world vicariously,” says Naeema Jiwani, a child
We think not just with our brains but with our
development psychologist at the Human
bodies, Dr. Galinsky said, and our thought
Relations Institute, Dubai (www.hricdubai.
processes are based on physical experiences
com). “By channelling their energies into
that set off associated abstract concepts.
these fictional figures, they can conquer bad
Now it appears that those experiences
guys, rule the world and be kings or queens
include the clothes we wear.
of their own universes.” A superhero who saves the planet might seem like a good thing, but science is divided over whether Superman and his pals are helpful for kids.
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Little kids believe the darnedest things. For example, that a fat man in a red suit flies through the air on a sleigh pulled by reindeer. A new study on three-year-olds, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the
In one experiment, an adult showed children a
Association for Psychological Science, finds
red and a yellow cup, then hid a sticker under
that they aren’t just generally trusting. They’re
the red one. With some children, she claimed
particularly trusting of things people tell them.
(incorrectly) that the sticker was under the yellow cup; with other children, she placed
“Children have developed a specific bias to
Previous research has found that three-year-
an arrow on the yellow cup without saying
believe what they’re told,” says Jaswal. “It’s
olds are a credulous bunch; they believe most
anything. The children were given the chance
sort of a short cut to keep them from having to
things they’re told, and skepticism doesn’t
to search under one of the cups and allowed
evaluate what people say. It’s useful because
kick in until later. Vikram K. Jaswal, of the
to keep the sticker if they found it. This
most of the time parents and caregivers tell
University of Virginia, wanted to look more
game was repeated eight times (with pairs of
children things that they believe to be true.”
closely at trust in three-year-olds. Through his
differently colored cups).
Of course, there are times when people do lie
work on how young children learn language,
to children—about Santa Claus, for example,
he became interested in what they do with
The children who saw the adult put the arrow
but also in less innocuous situations. Jaswal
what they hear. “Why are they so willing to
on the incorrect cup quickly figured out that
says it is useful to understand the specifics
accept somebody else’s word, for example,
they shouldn’t believe her. But the kids who
of children’s trusting natures—in this case,
that an eel is a fish, when it looks so much like
heard the adult say the sticker was under a
to understand that they believe what people
a snake?” he asks. For this study, he and his
particular cup continued to take her word for
tell them, but can be more skeptical about
students, A. Carrington Croft, Alison R. Setia,
where it was. Of those 16 children, nine never
information delivered in other ways.
and Caitlin A. Cole, asked whether three-year-
once found the sticker. Even when the adult
olds are more trusting of information they are
had already misled them seven times in a row,
told than the same information conveyed to
on the eighth chance, they still looked under
them without words.
the cup where she said the sticker was. (At the end of the study, the children were given all the stickers whether or not they’d found any of them.)
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Children will believe a lot of what their
makes sense to them. Children just need
parents teach them, but not everything. Try to
adults to specify which one.
convince a child that a tarantula is harmless, that broccoli is a better food for them than
Experimental evidence, including cross-
crisps, or that Paul McCartney is a better
cultural studies, suggests that three-year-olds
musician than Miley Cyrus and you’ll likely get
attribute super, god-like qualities to lots
nowhere. Likewise, teachers have difficulty
of different beings. Super-power, super-
teaching many scientific insights such as
knowledge and super-perception seem to be
evolution by natural selection or that solid
default assumptions. Children then have to
objects such as tables are composed almost
learn that mother is fallible, and dad is not all
entirely of space. Children learn things that
powerful, and that people will die. So children
their minds are tuned to learn more readily
may be particularly receptive to the idea of a
than things that go against that natural tuning.
super creator-god. It fits their predilections.
Developmental psychologists have provided
Recent research by Paul Bloom, Jesse
evidence that children are naturally tuned to
Bering, and Emma Cohen suggests that
believe in gods of one sort or another.
children may also be predisposed to believe in a soul that persists beyond death.
Children tend to see natural objects as designed or purposeful in ways that go
That belief comes so naturally to children
beyond what their parents teach, as Deborah
may sound like an attack on religious belief
Kelemen has demonstrated. Rivers exist so
(belief in gods is just leftover childishness)
that we can go fishing on them, and birds are
or a promotion of religious belief (God has
here to look pretty.
implanted a seed for belief in children). What both sides should agree upon is the scientific
Children doubt that impersonal processes
evidence: certainly cultural inputs help fill in
can create order or purpose. Studies with
the details but children’s minds are not a level
children show that they expect that someone
playing field. They are tilted in the direction
not something is behind natural order. No
of belief.
wonder that Margaret Evans found that children younger than 10 favoured creationist accounts of the origins of animals over evolutionary accounts even when their parents and teachers endorsed evolution. Authorities’ testimony didn’t carry enough weight to override a natural tendency. Children know humans are not behind the order so the idea of a creating god (or gods)
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Since we all agree, kids see few cracks in There may also be a benefit to us. We were all
the view of the world presented to them.
lied to as kids, and some of the lies we were
The biggest disagreements are between
told still affect us. So by studying the ways
parents and schools, but even those are
adults lie to kids, we may be able to clear our
small. Schools are careful what they say
heads of lies we were told.
about controversial topics, and if they do contradict what parents want their kids to
I’m using the word “lie” in a very general
believe, parents either pressure the school
sense: not just overt falsehoods, but also all
into keeping quiet or move their kids to a new
the more subtle ways we mislead kids. Though
school.
“lie” has negative connotations, I don’t mean to suggest we should never do this—just that
The conspiracy is so thorough that most kids
we should pay attention when we do.
who discover it do so only by discovering internal contradictions in what they’re told. It
One of the most remarkable things about the
can be traumatic for the ones who wake up
way we lie to kids is how broad the conspiracy
during the operation.
is. All adults know what their culture lies to kids about: they’re the questions you answer
I remember that feeling. By 15 I was
“Ask your parents.” If a kid asked who won
convinced the world was corrupt from end to
the World Series in 1982 or what the atomic
end. That’s why movies like The Matrix have
weight of carbon was, you could just tell him.
such resonance. Every kid grows up in a fake
But if a kid asks you “Is there a God?” or
world. In a way it would be easier if the forces
“What’s a prostitute?” you’ll probably say “Ask
behind it were as clearly differentiated as a
your parents.”
bunch of evil machines, and one could make a clean break just by taking a pill.
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If you ask adults why they lie to kids, the most
Life can be pretty good at 10 or 20, but
cocoon they grew up in. Combine this with
common reason they give is to protect them.
it’s often frustrating at 15. This is too big
the confidence parents try to instill in their
And kids do need protecting. The environment
a problem to solve here, but certainly one
kids, and every year you get a new crop of 18
you want to create for a newborn child will be
reason life sucks at 15 is that kids are trapped
year olds who think they know how to run the
quite unlike the streets of a big city.
in a world designed for 10 year olds.
world.
That seems so obvious it seems wrong to call
What do parents hope to protect their children
Don’t all 18 year olds think they know how
it a lie. It’s certainly not a bad lie to tell, to give
from by raising them in suburbia? A friend
to run the world? Actually this seems to be
a baby the impression the world is quiet and
who moved out of Manhattan said merely that
a recent innovation, no more than about 100
warm and safe. But this harmless type of lie
her 3 year old daughter “saw too much.” Off
years old. In preindustrial times teenage
can turn sour if left unexamined.
the top of my head, that might include: people
kids were junior members of the adult
who are high or drunk, poverty, madness,
world and comparatively well aware of their
Imagine if you tried to keep someone in as
gruesome medical conditions, sexual behavior
shortcomings. They could see they weren’t as
protected an environment as a newborn till
of various degrees of oddness, and violent
strong or skillful as the village smith. In past
age 18. To mislead someone so grossly about
anger.
times people lied to kids about some things
the world would seem not protection but
more than we do now, but the lies implicit
abuse. That’s an extreme example, of course;
I think it’s the anger that would worry me most
in an artificial, protected environment are a
when parents do that sort of thing it becomes
if I had a 3 year old. I was 29 when I moved
recent invention. Like a lot of new inventions,
national news. But you see the same problem
to New York and I was surprised even then. I
the rich got this first. Children of kings and
on a smaller scale in the malaise teenagers
wouldn’t want a 3 year old to see some of the
great magnates were the first to grow up
feel in suburbia.
disputes I saw. It would be too frightening. A
out of touch with the world. Suburbia means
lot of the things adults conceal from smaller
half the population can live like kings in that
The main purpose of suburbia is to provide
children, they conceal because they’d be
respect.
a protected environment for children to grow
frightening, not because they want to conceal
up in. And it seems great for 10 year olds. I
the existence of such things. Misleading the
liked living in suburbia when I was 10. I didn’t
child is just a byproduct.
notice how sterile it was. My whole world was no bigger than a few friends’ houses I bicycled
This seems one of the most justifiable types
to and some woods I ran around in. On a log
of lying adults do to kids. But because the
scale I was midway between crib and globe.
lies are indirect we don’t keep a very strict
A suburban street was just the right size.
accounting of them. Parents know they’ve
But as I grew older, suburbia started to feel
concealed the facts about sex, and many at
suffocatingly fake.
some point sit their kids down and explain more. But few tell their kids about the differences between the real world and the
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I’d have different worries about raising teenage kids in New York. I’d worry less about what they’d see, and more about what they’d do. I went to college with a lot of kids who grew up in Manhattan, and as a rule they seemed pretty jaded. They seemed to have lost their virginity at an average of about 14 and by college had tried more drugs than I’d even heard of.
One thing adults conceal about sex they also conceal about drugs: that it can cause
The reasons parents don’t want their teenage
great pleasure. That’s what makes sex and
kids having sex are complex. There are some
drugs so dangerous. The desire for them can
obvious dangers: pregnancy and sexually
cloud one’s judgement—which is especially
transmitted diseases. But those aren’t the only
frightening when the judgement being clouded
reasons parents don’t want their kids having
is the already wretched judgement of a
sex. The average parents of a 14 year old girl
teenage kid.
would hate the idea of her having sex even if there were zero risk of pregnancy or sexually
Here parents’ desires conflict. Older societies
transmitted diseases.
told kids they had bad judgement, but modern parents want their children to be confident.
Kids can probably sense they aren’t being
This may well be a better plan than the old
told the whole story. After all, pregnancy and
one of putting them in their place, but it has
sexually transmitted diseases are just as much
the side effect that after having implicitly lied
a problem for adults, and they have sex.
to kids about how good their judgement is, we then have to lie again about all the things they
What really bothers parents about their
might get into trouble with if they believed us.
teenage kids having sex? Their dislike of the idea is so visceral it’s probably inborn. But if
If parents told their kids the truth about
it’s inborn it should be universal, and there
sex and drugs, it would be: the reason you
are plenty of societies where parents don’t
should avoid these things is that you have
mind if their teenage kids have sex—indeed,
lousy judgement. People with twice your
where it’s normal for 14 year olds to become
experience still get burned by them. But this
mothers. So what’s going on? There does
may be one of those cases where the truth
seem to be a universal taboo against sex
wouldn’t be convincing, because one of the
with prepubescent children. One can imagine
symptoms of bad judgement is believing you
evolutionary reasons for that. And I think this
have good judgement. When you’re too weak
is the main reason parents in industrialized
to lift something, you can tell, but when you’re
societies dislike teenage kids having sex. They
making a decision impetuously, you’re all the
still think of them as children, even though
more sure of it.
biologically they’re not, so the taboo against child sex still has force.
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Another reason parents don’t want their kids
why should one be ok for kids to say and
But there’s more to it than that. The reason
having sex is that they want to keep them
one forbidden? The only explanation is: by
our hypothetical jaded 10 year old bothers me
innocent. Adults have a certain model of how
definition.
so much is not just that he’d be annoying, but that he’d have cut off his prospects for growth
kids are supposed to behave, and it’s different Why does it bother adults so much when
so early. To be jaded you have to think you
kids do things reserved for adults? The
know how the world works, and any theory a
One of the most obvious differences is the
idea of a foul-mouthed, cynical 10 year old
10 year old had about that would probably be
words kids are allowed to use. Most parents
leaning against a lamppost with a cigarette
a pretty narrow one.
use words when talking to other adults that
hanging out of the corner of his mouth is very
they wouldn’t want their kids using. They try
disconcerting. But why?
from what they expect of other adults.
Innocence is also open-mindedness. We want kids to be innocent so they can continue to
to hide even the existence of these words for as long as they can. And this is another of
One reason we want kids to be innocent is
learn. Paradoxical as it sounds, there are
those conspiracies everyone participates in:
that we’re programmed to like certain kinds of
some kinds of knowledge that get in the way
everyone knows you’re not supposed to swear
helplessness. I’ve several times heard mothers
of other kinds of knowledge. If you’re going
in front of kids.
say they deliberately refrained from correcting
to learn that the world is a brutal place full
their young children’s mispronunciations
of people trying to take advantage of one
I’ve never heard more different explanations
because they were so cute. And if you think
another, you’re better off learning it last.
for anything parents tell kids than why they
about it, cuteness is helplessness. Toys and
Otherwise you won’t bother learning much
shouldn’t swear. Every parent I know forbids
cartoon characters meant to be cute always
more.
their children to swear, and yet no two of them
have clueless expressions and stubby,
have the same justification. It’s clear most
ineffectual limbs.
make up the reason afterward.
Very smart adults often seem unusually innocent, and I don’t think this is a
start with not wanting kids to swear, then It’s not surprising we’d have an inborn desire
coincidence. I think they’ve deliberately
to love and protect helpless creatures,
avoided learning about certain things.
So my theory about what’s going on is that
considering human offspring are so helpless
Certainly I do. I used to think I wanted to know
the function of swearwords is to mark the
for so long. Without the helplessness that
everything. Now I know I don’t.
speaker as an adult. There’s no difference
makes kids cute, they’d be very annoying.
in the meaning of “shit” and “poopoo.” So
They’d merely seem like incompetent adults.
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After sex, death is the topic adults lie most
Along with such outright lies, there must
conspicuously about to kids. Sex I believe
have been a lot of changing the subject when
they conceal because of deep taboos. But
death came up. I can’t remember that, of
why do we conceal death from kids? Probably
course, but I can infer it from the fact that I
because small children are particularly
didn’t really grasp I was going to die till I was
horrified by it. They want to feel safe, and
about 19. How could I have missed something
death is the ultimate threat.
so obvious for so long? Now that I’ve seen parents managing the subject, I can see how:
One of the most spectacular lies our parents
questions about death are gently but firmly
told us was about the death of our first cat.
turned aside.
Over the years, as we asked for more details, they were compelled to invent more, so the
On this topic, especially, they’re met half-way
story grew quite elaborate. The cat had died
by kids. Kids often want to be lied to. They
at the vet’s office. Of what? Of the anaesthesia
want to believe they’re living in a comfortable,
itself. Why was the cat at the vet’s office?
safe world as much as their parents want
To be fixed. And why had such a routine
them to believe it.
operation killed it? It wasn’t the vet’s fault; the cat had a congenitally weak heart; the anaesthesia was too much for it; but there was no way anyone could have known this in advance. It was not till we were in our twenties that the truth came out: my sister, then about three, had accidentally stepped on the cat and broken its back. They didn’t feel the need to tell us the cat was now happily in cat heaven. My parents never claimed that people or animals who died had “gone to a better place,” or that we’d meet them again. It didn’t seem to harm us. My grandmother told us an edited version of the death of my grandfather. She said they’d been sitting reading one day, and when she said something to him, he didn’t answer. He seemed to be asleep, but when she tried to rouse him, she couldn’t. “He was gone.” Having a heart attack sounded like falling asleep. Later I learned it hadn’t been so neat, and the heart attack had taken most of a day to kill him.
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One reason this works so well is the second kind of lie involved. The truth is common property. You can’t distinguish your group by doing things that are rational, and believing things that are true. If you want to set yourself apart from other people, you have to do things that are arbitrary, and believe things that are false. And after having spent their whole lives doing things that are arbitrary and believing things that are false, and being regarded Some parents feel a strong adherence to an
as odd by “outsiders” on that account, the
ethnic or religious group and want their kids to
cognitive dissonance pushing children to
feel it too. This usually requires two different
regard themselves as Xes must be enormous.
kinds of lying: the first is to tell the child that
If they aren’t an X, why are they attached to
he or she is an X, and the second is whatever
all these arbitrary beliefs and customs? If they
specific lies Xes differentiate themselves by
aren’t an X, why do all the non-Xes call them
believing.
one?
Telling a child they have a particular ethnic or
This form of lie is not without its uses. You can
religious identity is one of the stickiest things
use it to carry a payload of beneficial beliefs,
you can tell them. Almost anything else you
and they will also become part of the child’s
tell a kid, they can change their mind about
identity. You can tell the child that in addition
later when they start to think for themselves.
to never wearing the color yellow, believing
But if you tell a kid they’re a member of a
the world was created by a giant rabbit, and
certain group, that seems nearly impossible
always snapping their fingers before eating
to shake.
fish, Xes are also particularly honest and industrious. Then X children will grow up
This despite the fact that it can be one of the
feeling it’s part of their identity to be honest
most premeditated lies parents tell. When
and industrious.
parents are of different religions, they’ll often agree between themselves that their children
This probably accounts for a lot of the spread
will be “raised as Xes.” And it works. The kids
of modern religions, and explains why their
obligingly grow up considering themselves as
doctrines are a combination of the useful and
Xes, despite the fact that if their parents had
the bizarre. The bizarre half is what makes
chosen the other way, they’d have grown up
the religion stick, and the useful half is the
considering themselves as Ys.
payload.
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One of the least excusable reasons adults
but I must have been told a lot of lies of this type
lie to kids is to maintain power over them.
by teachers, because I rarely heard a teacher say
Sometimes these lies are truly sinister, like a
“I don’t know” till I got to college. I remember
child molester telling his victims they’ll get in
because it was so surprising to hear someone say
trouble if they tell anyone what happened to
that in front of a class.
them. Others seem more innocent; it depends how badly adults lie to maintain their power,
The first hint I had that teachers weren’t
and what they use it for.
omniscient came in sixth grade, after my father contradicted something I’d learned in school.
Most adults make some effort to conceal their
When I protested that the teacher had said the
flaws from children. Usually their motives
opposite, my father replied that the guy had no
are mixed. For example, a father who has an
idea what he was talking about—that he was just
affair generally conceals it from his children.
an elementary school teacher, after all.
His motive is partly that it would worry them, partly that this would introduce the topic of
Just a teacher? The phrase seemed almost
sex, and partly (a larger part than he would
grammatically ill-formed. Didn’t teachers know
admit) that he doesn’t want to tarnish himself
everything about the subjects they taught? And if
in their eyes.
not, why were they the ones teaching us?
But because adults conceal their flaws, and
The sad fact is, US public school teachers don’t
at the same time insist on high standards
generally understand the stuff they’re teaching
of behavior for kids, a lot of kids grow up
very well. There are some sterling exceptions,
feeling they fall hopelessly short. They walk
but as a rule people planning to go into teaching
around feeling horribly evil for having used a
rank academically near the bottom of the college
swearword, while in fact most of the adults
population. So the fact that I still thought at age
around them are doing much worse things.
11 that teachers were infallible shows what a job the system must have done on my brain.
This happens in intellectual as well as moral questions. The more confident people are, the more willing they seem to be to answer a question “I don’t know.” Less confident people feel they have to have an answer or they’ll look bad. My parents were pretty good about admitting when they didn’t know things,
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years about him. I wonder if it wouldn’t have been better just to tell us the truth: that there weren’t any famous black scientists. Ranking George Washington Carver with Einstein misled us not only about science, but about the obstacles blacks faced in his time. As subjects got softer, the lies got more frequent. By the time you got to politics and recent history, what we were taught was pretty much pure propaganda. For example, we were taught to regard political leaders as saints— especially the recently martyred Kennedy and King. It was astonishing to learn later that they’d both been serial womanizers, and What kids get taught in school is a complex
that Kennedy was a speed freak to boot. (By
mix of lies. The most excusable are those
the time King’s plagiarism emerged, I’d lost
told to simplify ideas to make them easy to
the ability to be surprised by the misdeeds of
learn. The problem is, a lot of propaganda
famous people.)
gets slipped into the curriculum in the name of simplification.
I doubt you could teach kids recent history without teaching them lies, because
Public school textbooks represent a
practically everyone who has anything to
compromise between what various powerful
say about it has some kind of spin to put on
groups want kids to be told. The lies are rarely
it. Much recent history consists of spin. It
overt. Usually they consist either of omissions
would probably be better just to teach them
or of over-emphasizing certain topics at
metafacts like that.
the expense of others. The view of history we got in elementary school was a crude
Probably the biggest lie told in schools,
hagiography, with at least one representative
though, is that the way to succeed is through
of each powerful group.
following “the rules.” In fact most such rules are just hacks to manage large groups
The famous scientists I remember were
efficiently.
Einstein, Marie Curie, and George Washington Carver. Einstein was a big deal because his work led to the atom bomb. Marie Curie was involved with X-rays. But I was mystified about Carver. He seemed to have done stuff with peanuts. It’s obvious now that he was on the list because he was black (and for that matter that Marie Curie was on it because she was a woman), but as a kid I was confused for
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Of all the reasons we lie to kids, the most powerful is probably the same mundane reason they lie to us. Often when we lie to people it’s not part of any conscious strategy, but because they’d react violently to the truth. Kids, almost by definition, lack self-control. They react violently to things— and so they get lied to a lot. A few Thanksgivings ago, a friend of mine found himself in a situation that perfectly illustrates the complex motives we have when we lie to kids. As the roast turkey appeared on the table, his alarmingly perceptive 5 year old son suddenly asked if the turkey had wanted to die. Foreseeing disaster, my friend and his wife rapidly improvised: yes, the turkey had wanted to die, and in fact had lived its whole life with the aim of being their Thanksgiving dinner. And that (phew) was the end of that.
Whenever we lie to kids to protect them, we’re usually also lying to keep the peace. One consequence of this sort of calming lie is that we grow up thinking horrible things are normal. It’s hard for us to feel a sense of urgency as adults over something we’ve literally been trained not to worry about. When I was about 10 I saw a documentary on pollution that put me into a panic. It seemed the planet was being irretrievably ruined. I went to my mother afterward to ask if this was so. I don’t remember what she said, but she made me feel better, so I stopped worrying about it. That was probably the best way to handle a frightened 10 year old. But we should understand the price. This sort of lie is one of the main reasons bad things persist: we’re all trained to ignore them.
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A sprinter in a race almost immediately enters a state called “oxygen debt.” His body switches to an emergency source of energy that’s faster than regular aerobic respiration. But this process builds up waste products that ultimately require extra oxygen to break down, so at the end of the race he has to stop and pant for a while to recover. We arrive at adulthood with a kind of truth debt. We were told a lot of lies to get us (and our parents) through our childhood. Some may have been necessary. Some probably weren’t. But we all arrive at adulthood with heads full of lies. There’s never a point where the adults sit you down and explain all the lies they told you. They’ve forgotten most of them. So if you’re going to clear these lies out of your head, you’re going to have to do it yourself. Few do. Most people go through life with bits of packing material adhering to their minds and never know it. You probably never can completely undo the effects of lies you were told as a kid, but it’s worth trying. I’ve found that whenever I’ve been able to undo a lie I was told, a lot of other things fell into place. Fortunately, once you arrive at adulthood you get a valuable new resource you can use to figure out what lies you were told. You’re now one of the liars. You get to watch behind the scenes as adults spin the world for the next generation of kids. The first step in clearing your head is to realize how far you are from a neutral observer. When I left high school I was, I thought, a complete skeptic. I’d realized high school was crap. I thought I was ready to question everything I knew. But among the many other things I was ignorant of was how much debris there already was in my head. It’s not enough to consider your mind a blank slate. You have to consciously erase it.
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CHAPTER ONE: Hold hands and you will get pregnant -http://www.parents.com/parenting/gender-neutral-parenting/ You will become old when you stay in the water too long -http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-does-your-skin-get-wrinkly-in-water-2 Why is the Moon following me? -https://www.highlightskids.com/science-questions/why-does-moon-follow-me -http://www.wired.com/2010/09/why-does-the-moon-follow-me/ Coloured milk from similar coloured cows -http://www.iusedtobelieve.com/food/milk/chocolate_milk_brown_cows/ -http://bcdairy.ca/dairyfarmers/dairyclassroom/post/do-brown-cows-make-chocolate-milk/ -https://www.nextnature.net/2012/11/does-chocolate-milk-come-from-brown-cows-2/ -http://animalsmart.org/kids-zone/jr-animal-scientist-e-news/does-chocolate-milk-come-from-brown-cowsSwallowed gum will stay in your stomach for 7 years -http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/yucky/swallowed_gum.html -http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/gum-seven-years.htm -http://u.osu.edu/buckmdblog/2009/12/02/medical-mythbusters-does-gum-really-stay-in-your-stomach-for-7-years/ -http://www.yalescientific.org/2010/05/everyday-qa-can-gum-really-stay-in-your-stomach-for-7-years/
CHAPTER TWO: Finish your rice or your future partner will have pockmarks -https://www.reddit.com/r/singapore/comments/2tko44/alright_rsingapore_whats_the_weirdest_funniest_or/ Watching TV up-close can harm eyesight -http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/eyes/vision_facts_myths.html -http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/earth-talk-tv-eyesight/ Grown-ups are always correct -http://www.wordmonster.org/2012/09/20/because-i-said-so-the-argument-from-authority/ -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority -http://www.sahaayta.org.nz/mg/201501/a_WHY_DO_ADULTS_THINK_THEY_ARE_ALWAYS_RIGHT_.html -http://ericabarker.com/guest-postwhy-parents-should-not-say-because-i-said-so/ Policemen catch naughty children -http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/durham-police-asking-parents-not-to-tell-misbehaving-childrenthey-will-be-sent-to-jail-divides-opinion-10274512.html -http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/11629334/Dont-warn-naughty-children-theyll-go-to-jail-policetell-parents.html http://www.todaysparent.com/kids/preschool/6-discipline-fallbacks-and-how-to-fix-them/ -http://www.empoweringparents.com/how-to-discipline-young-kids-effectively-4-tips-every-parent-can-take.php -http://www.loveourchildrenusa.org/parent_controlanger.php
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You will grow a plant on your head if you swallowed a seed -http://www.whyzz.com/will-a-watermelon-grow-in-my-stomach-if-i-swallow-its-seeds -http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/14/watermelon-seeds-benefits_n_7054996.html -http://blog.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/the-dangers-of-swallowing-fruit-seeds/ To activate night vision, eat thy carrot -http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-carrots-improve-your-vision/ Eating fish roe makes you suck at math -http://newhouse.xm.fang.com/2012-03-02/7172345.htm -http://paleoleap.com/all-about-fish-eggs/ -https://nourishingourchildren.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/nutrient-dense-fish-roe/ You will turn into a pig if you sleep after eating a full meal -http://wenwen.sogou.com/z/q382741659.htm -http://www.zhihu.com/question/22619848 -http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-sleep-after-meal-weight/ -http://www.livestrong.com/article/410000-do-you-get-fat-if-you-sleep-after-eating/ -http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/pig-chinese-zodiac-sign-symbolism.htm -http://www.livestrong.com/article/410000-do-you-get-fat-if-you-sleep-after-eating/ Parents “pick� up their children from the rubbish bin -http://www.kaixin001.com/repaste/9795808_7364836679.html -http://www.zhihu.com/question/26505430 -http://www.douban.com/group/topic/1408082/?start=200 Pointing at the moon will cause a cut on your ear -http://afspot.net/forum/topic/675460-pointing-at-the-moon/ -http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/blogs/
CHAPTER THREE: Every school has a haunted toiled -https://www.tradewindsimports.com/blog/entertainment/haunted-bathrooms-debunking-worlds-haunted-toilets/ -http://www.xojane.com/fun/japanese-bathroom-ghosts The mystery of the Tooth Fairy -http://www.salon.com/2014/02/09/dont_tell_the_kids_the_real_history_of_the_tooth_fairy/ What about Easter Bunny and its basket of eggs? -http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/easter-symbols -http://www.gotquestions.org/easter-bunny-eggs.html Santa Claus is coming to town -http://www.unmuseum.org/santa.html Are fairies real? -http://www.livescience.com/25413-fairies.html
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Alien invasion only in America -http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=511949 -http://www.iusedtobelieve.com/the_past/history/world_was_black_and_white/
CHAPTER FOUR: It used to be a black and white world -http://www.knowitall.org/kidswork/etv/history/television_inv/ -http://www.ask.com/history/first-black-white-television-invented-1f23b05c4a2fc1a Geniuses wear specs -http://www.science20.com/news_articles/people_who_wear_glasses_really_are_smarter-139427 -http://elitedaily.com/news/world/people-wear-glasses-smarter-study/964248/ -http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2676252/Wear-glasses-Then-youre-probably-SMART-Educatedpeople-likely-suffer-sight-problems-claims-study.html Cartoon characters are real -http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-6-128111-Effects-of-cartoons-on-children%E2%80%99s-psychology-&behaviour-patterns -http://www.disboards.com/threads/what-to-say-to-child-if-they-ask-if-mickey-is-wearing-a-costume-and-issomeone-inside.3379926/ -http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED437207 -http://www.sahajayogaportal.org/en/family-school/children-cartoon-characters.html Spinach makes you stronger -http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/popeye-had-it-right-spinach-really-doesmake-you-stronger-2201458.html All dogs are male, all cats are female -http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FemaleFelineMaleMutt Where is my Prince Charming? -http://thoughtcatalog.com/taylor-geslak/2014/10/is-disneys-version-of-true-love-just-a-lie/ -http://therumpus.net/2012/05/the-trouble-with-prince-charming-or-he-who-trespassed-against-us/ -http://thoughtcatalog.com/corinda-katz/2014/06/its-time-we-redefined-happily-ever-after/ -http://knockeddownstillstanding.com/2015/02/13/the-problem-with-looking-for-prince-charming/ Bad-looking guys are bad people -http://www.forbes.com/sites/freekvermeulen/2011/04/22/criminals-are-ugly-yes-really/ -http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3625972/Beautiful-people-good-ugly-people-bad.html My toys are alive, So what if toys DO come alive? -http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Headscratchers/ToyStory -http://jravity1.hubpages.com/hub/5-Reasons-the-toys-from-Toy-Story-are-terrifying
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CHAPTER FIVE: Crying means you are weak -http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/why-we-cry-the-truth-about-tearing-up?page=2 -http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/relationships/why-my-ability-to-cry-daily-is-my-favourite-thing-about-myself/ article23536934/ We had at least one imaginary friend -http://www.babble.com/toddler/imaginary-friends-early-child-development-imagination/ -https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/growing-friendships/201301/imaginary-friends If you are bad in your studies, you are stupid -http://elitedaily.com/life/motivation/why-the-ones-who-have-bad-grades-are-often-the-ones-who-are-mostsuccessful/ My blanket protects me from monsters under my bed -http://health.heraldtribune.com/2013/04/01/separation-anxiety-independence-and-security-blankets/ -http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/the-psychology-of-security-blankets -http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/561/Security-Objects.html -http://www.theguardian.com/science/2007/mar/09/psychology.uknews New clothes transforms me into a Superhero -http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/family/is-playing-superhero-good-for-kids -http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/04/wearing-a-suit-makes-people-think-differently/391802/ -http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/03/science/clothes-and-self-perception.html?_r=0
CHAPTER SIX: Young children are especially trusting of things they are told -http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/news/releases/young-children-are-especially-trusting-of-thingstheyre-told.html Out of the mouths of the babes (by Justin L. Barrette) -http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2008/nov/25/religion-children-god-belief Lies we tell kids (by Paul Graham) -http://www.paulgraham.com/lies.html
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What did you believe as a young kid? That if you swallowed a gum, it will stay in your stomach for seven years? That if you did not finish your rice, your future lover will have pockmarks? No matter how silly these stories are, many of us cannot deny that we have at least heard of some them, if not all of them...