You know how we used to mishear song lyrics when we were little (those of us who grew up in times before lyrics.com)? We also grew up believing a lot of things that were just not true. At the time those things may have seemed perfectly logical, but now appear hilarious. For instance, we believed that if we handed someone a pair of scissors or a knife directly, this would mean that there will be a fight and we would put these down for the other person to pick up. So when someone asked the question about myths they believed as kids and the answers were very relatable:
What is the dumbest thing you believed as a child? Well I grew up thinking that whistling would make me grow a moustache – later realised that was my grandmother just trying to get some peace and quiet.
Stands to reason – because trees grow from seeds, right? My cousin was also told that biting her nails would cause a tree of nails to sprout from the stomach and she wouldn’t be able to eat anymore. I don’t think anyone believed that one.
Drinking tea will turn skin dark. In a country where everyone revers fair skin, this one worked really well to reduce the number of cups of tea drunk in a household.
I think a lot of people believe this to date. There is the assumption that parenthood is the next step after marriage. Poor newly married couples are harangued with questions about this regardless of their own wishes.
Scary numbers of kids actually believe this, because sex education is so abysmal – or altogether absent in our schools. And of course, sanskaari people never speak about sex with their kids!
Some believed that the actors changed behind trees – now we know about swank vanity vans.
We all had some or the other version of this belief – about strange and evil things happening at precisely 12 in the night.
A fox will come and eat you if you go to bed with an empty stomach.
Work hard in X and XII then you can relax – parents are still telling this fairy story to kids – and some kids still believe it.
No 1 is a clever way to make a small kid shut up for a bit. The second is not unreasonable – the song literally goes Brazil la la la la
So many different beliefs: blue cheese, an uncle who made poha, a plate, papad… that list about the moon is long.
Kidnaping of kids, criminals escaping – all this was so much more convenient in a van with sliding doors.
Also, frequently true!
We believed that once we became adults we would be free to do what we wanted, free to live our lives as we wanted. We hadn’t reckoned with the expectations of parents, demands of in-laws, needs of spouse and kids, professional goals, societal pressures. Perhaps those days of childhood – when we believed all manner of absurd things, were the best?
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