Why We Believe Stuff That Ain’t True
Okay, so let’s start with the obvious—school and college, they teach you a lot, sure, but somehow we also end up believing a bunch of random stuff that’s kinda… wrong. Like, remember when your teacher said you needed to be super smart in math to get anywhere in life? Yeah, that’s total myth. And somehow, we all just nod and start freaking out about numbers. It’s weird because the world literally has billionaires who flunked math, but here we are, crying over algebra.
Honestly, education myths are like that one friend who keeps giving “advice” even though they have no clue. You listen, you panic, and suddenly your confidence tanks. And social media doesn’t help—it’s like a rumor mill on steroids. One TikTok clip of some “genius kid” doing rocket science at 12 and boom, everyone thinks if they’re not doing the same, they are doomed. News flash: not everyone needs to be a prodigy to be successful.
The “Grades Are Everything” Trap
Oh boy, this one hits hard. We’ve all grown up thinking that your entire future hinges on your marks. And sure, grades matter to some extent, but not like the way schools make it feel. Some of the most famous people literally sucked at school. Like, I remember reading somewhere (probably Instagram, so take it with a grain of salt) that Einstein didn’t exactly shine in his early school years. And yet, look where he ended up.
This whole grades obsession is like playing a video game where the score doesn’t matter at all in real life. You stress over A+, miss out on projects that could teach way more than exams, and forget how to enjoy learning. Honestly, I sometimes wonder if the whole “grades define you” thing is just a ploy to make parents proud while kids lose their sleep.
Learning Only Happens in Class? Nah.
Here’s a myth that needs to die yesterday: the idea that if you’re not sitting in a classroom, you’re not learning. Um, hello? YouTube exists. Podcasts, blogs, Reddit threads with actual insights—learning is everywhere now. And honestly, sometimes the things you learn outside of school stick way more than anything in textbooks.
I personally learned more about personal finance watching a 10-minute TikTok than in my entire economics class. Don’t ask me why, but apparently, a dancing guy explaining compound interest with pizza slices made more sense to me than a 3-hour lecture with charts and equations.
Failure Equals Disaster
We’re also obsessed with the myth that failing is the end of the world. Like, if you fail a test, your life is over. And honestly, that kinda paranoia gives students anxiety attacks for no good reason. Truth is, failing is literally part of learning. Every successful person you’ve heard of has failed at something. Like, JK Rowling was rejected by a ton of publishers before Harry Potter happened.
Social media kinda glamorizes the success part but conveniently hides all the messy failures. It’s like seeing only the highlight reel of someone’s life. You forget that behind every viral tweet or successful YouTube channel, there were dozens of tries that went horribly wrong. And that’s perfectly fine. Actually, it’s how growth works.
You Need a “Safe” Career Always
This one is classic: parents, society, everyone will tell you to pick a “safe” career like engineering, medicine, or accountancy. And yeah, there’s nothing wrong with these, but the idea that taking a risk in an unconventional field is crazy? That’s bogus.
Some of my friends ignored this and followed their weird passions—one became a professional gamer (yes, seriously), another started a small Etsy shop selling handmade stuff, and guess what? They’re happier than the ones pulling all-nighters in a job they hate. Risk doesn’t equal failure. It equals opportunity. And sometimes, it equals stories you’ll laugh about later when you’re old and gray.
Smartness is Fixed
Ahh, the myth that you’re either smart or not. Total trap. Growth mindset? Ever heard of it? People keep thinking intelligence is like a static trait, like height or eye color. But skills can be built. Brains can be trained. You can literally suck at drawing today and end up painting like a pro in a year if you actually practice.
The worst part is, this myth makes students give up way too soon. “I’m just not good at this,” they say. And honestly, that’s like saying you’ll never get better at video games just because you lost a level once. Patience, practice, persistence—way more important than some natural-born “smartness.”
Education Isn’t Just for Exams
Let’s be real, the ultimate goal of education isn’t just passing exams or memorizing facts. It’s about learning how to think, solve problems, and deal with life. And somehow, we keep forgetting this because the system is obsessed with checkboxes and scores.
I remember doing this weird side project once—just building a tiny budget planner for fun—and I learned way more about money management than any textbook could teach me. And guess what? That knowledge actually helped me save real cash later. So yeah, real learning often happens off the beaten path.
Breaking the Myths Yourself
Honestly, the first step is realizing these myths exist. The second step is giving yourself permission to ignore the noisy crowd. Follow what makes sense for you. Learn from wherever you can, fail a bit, make mistakes, laugh at them, and try again. Life isn’t a lecture hall, it’s messy and weird and full of surprises. And that’s exactly how it should be.