What was the silliest thing you believed as a child?

I wondered where people came from. If you're a boy, a part of your body has a kind of fold. I figured they had a mold, and poured stuff into it. When they unmolded you, they cut away all the flange. But since nobody looks "down there" they just left the flange.
Also, I'm much older than my little brother. When I was told I was getting a brother, I expected a kid to come walking in the door. When they brought my baby brother home, all I could think of was ........For once, why couldn't my parents spend the few extra bucks to get the kid that was already grown, and not get the cheaper "grow your own kid" version
 

I hope none take offense at this, none meant.

I grew up in the Bible belt US South, very conservative. Learned to believe many bad/silly things but one that comes to mind is that anyone not baptized as a Christian would automatically go to hell. My father worked with an engineer from Iran who was on a one year assignment to the US. He had a son about my age, we were put together and became friends, I liked the whole family.

When I discovered they were Muslim I was shocked, and questioned my faith for the first time. How could such nice people be sent to hell? But I believed (at that time) they would.

Sure seems silly now looking back.
 

I hope none take offense at this, none meant.

I grew up in the Bible belt US South, very conservative. Learned to believe many bad/silly things but one that comes to mind is that anyone not baptized as a Christian would automatically go to hell. My father worked with an engineer from Iran who was on a one year assignment to the US. He had a son about my age, we were put together and became friends, I liked the whole family.

When I discovered they were Muslim I was shocked, and questioned my faith for the first time. How could such nice people be sent to hell? But I believed (at that time) they would.

Sure seems silly now looking back.
I was taught in Catholic school, that you wouldn't go to Heaven if you weren't baptized Catholic. I had some neighbors that I really liked and could hardly believe they couldn't go to Heaven. They didn't go to any church. I was so upset about this that I told my Mom it wasn't fair. She told me that it was not true because they were good people and would be saved.

That was the start of questioning my religion which I gladly left behind at age 20.
 
i am so grateful my parents didn't generally didn't make stuff up, they knew if they told me the real reason i should keep away from something or not do it i would use my common sense and listen. The exception was my mother when upset was prone to the 'Careful your face might get stuck in that frown' type thing, which i knew was a crock.
What i did believe, misunderstand on my own were two things.

1) i didn't know Ballerinas had special shoes for standing on toes, and i practiced doing it barefoot but despaired of ever being able to move gracefully while doing it.
2) i didn't know the Weekee Wachi 'Mermaids' (underwater performers) actually had hidden air hoses in some of the structures in the tank they performed him and things were so choregraphed so they could go get air frequently. Consequently i struggled to hold my breath while moving underwater, drove my sisters crazy getting them to time me. Four minutes was my max.
 
i am so grateful my parents didn't generally didn't make stuff up, they knew if they told me the real reason i should keep away from something or not do it i would use my common sense and listen. The exception was my mother when upset was prone to the 'Careful your face might get stuck in that frown' type thing, which i knew was a crock.
What i did believe, misunderstand on my own were two things.

1) i didn't know Ballerinas had special shoes for standing on toes, and i practiced doing it barefoot but despaired of ever being able to move gracefully while doing it.
2) i didn't know the Weekee Wachi 'Mermaids' (underwater performers) actually had hidden air hoses in some of the structures in the tank they performed him and things were so choregraphed so they could go get air frequently. Consequently i struggled to hold my breath while moving underwater, drove my sisters crazy getting them to time me. Four minutes was my max.
I never knew that thing about underwater performers. Learn something new everyday.
 

What was the silliest thing you believed as a child?​


I didn't

Nothing I was told did I believe
Not even Santa.....especially Santa

I did play the game, however
.....there were presents.....and candy

I don't know how old I was here, but wasn't buyin' into it all;

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Some old things.

WE ARE A GENERATION THAT WILL NEVER COME BACK.
A generation that went to school and walked back.
A generation that did their homework alone to get out asap to play in the street.
A generation that spent all their free time on the street.
A generation that played hide and seek when dark.
A generation that made mud cakes.
A generation that collected sports cards.
A generation that found, washed and sold empty coke bottles to the local grocery store for 5 cents each.
A generation that made paper toys with their bare hands.
A generation who bought vinyl albums to play on record players.
A generation that collected photos and albums of clippings.
A generation that played board games and cards on rainy days.
A generation whose TV went off at midnight after playing the National Anthem.
A generation that had parents who were there.
A generation that laughed under the covers in bed so parents didn't know we were still awake.
A generation that is passing and unfortunately will never return!!...
 
I believed that similar to they way people sweat when they get hot, blades of grass sweat when it gets cold. Explained morning dew and frost nicely, if inaccurately.

Neil deGrasse Tyson says children are natural scientists: Always trying to figure things out--the whys and hows of the world. But i think it is a human trait. i frequently mention when someone uses the word 'superstition' pejoratively that actually the superstitions of early humans were the precursors to science.

They came about from observation, tho sometimes the conclusions drawn are flawed and many 'science minded people are reluctant to admit that even today's scientists with all their fancy equipment and 'studies' sometimes draw false conclusions too--because the study was flawed--influenced by what they wanted to prove or disprove, or because they conflated cause and effect or overlooked a third thing that might 'cause' both the effect and what they think is cause.

The conclusions of early humans that were later validated (moon cycles--regardless of what they thought caused the cycles--they accurately recorded the phases and 'schedules') usually seem a surprise to modern scientists who don't seem to get they are still prone to similar errors. Tho at least in recent decades more of them are saying 'as far as we can tell', 'from what we know now' and similar qualifying statements about their theories.
 
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I really liked the show, it was only about 1/2 hour drive from our house. Whenever we had company it was on the agenda. However I always knew about the air hoses.

Its a state park now, not sure if they still have the show.
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At 5 or 6 i aspired to be one of them when i grew up. LOL. i was a little 'ham' in many ways -- there was a tour boat that cruised up/down the Little Manatee River (which lived on a bank of near where it emptied into Tampa Bay. We'd show off by using the trapeze Dad had mounted on an Oak branch near the water to swing out and dive into the river. The tour guide on the boat would crack jokes about 'Those natives might look friendly but they are wild.' and we'd start acting like the 'native' extras in movies about wild places shaking fishing poles as if they were spears.
 
I really liked the show, it was only about 1/2 hour drive from our house. Whenever we had company it was on the agenda. However I always knew about the air hoses.

Its a state park now, not sure if they still have the show.
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I love mermaids. Although I wished they were real, I never believed they were real. I wouldn't mind seeing the mermaid performers in person though. @feywon
 


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