What do you think is the biggest misconception that seems to be accepted by a huge majority?

[NowWhatUsernameShallIHave]

That if you’re rich or skinny you’re automatically happy

That cigarette smoke is the business of the smoker only and doesn’t affect anyone nearby.

That domestic abuse is the responsibility of both parties.

That the words gender and sex mean the same thing.

That people are either good or bad. Most people are a complicated mix of both traits.

I'm not sure if it is one, but it constantly pops up on weight loss threads:

If you're not losing weight it's because you aren't eating enough'

That can't physically be possible, can it? I mean, yes, change the composition of meals so there is more veg than meat or carbs, but eat 'more' in general?

Don't think so...

That if the accused in a court case isn’t named it’s to protect him / her. Unless it’s a child, it’s generally because there are other charges outstanding

That if someone disagrees with your point, it’s only because they don’t understand what you’re saying.

That the cleaner/canteen worker/delivery person etc isn't very intelligent.

I know some very well-educated people with the above jobs who have taken on such roles as they fit in with childcare/lifestyles.

That being a 'common law spouse' means something in law.
I used to work in a police station and they would use this term to describe non married relationships. Some of the officers gave out terrible advice based on it.

That if someone gets found not guilty in court, they are not guilty of the crime. Might be the case or there might just not be enough evidence

@Sobeyondthehills I hear ya! Still so much more to be done to address the prejudices against the mentally ill

@SimonJT I've also had people upon learning I have a mental illness switch from talking to me normally to speaking to me as if I'm stupid! I hold 2 degrees and several postgraduate vocational qualifications mental illness hasn't rendered me stupid!

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER - I see it on other sm too it's disgusting!

That there is a 'UK education system' instead of four separate systems.

Yep! As a scot it's maddening! I can understand to a point non Uk people not knowing or fully understanding but the constant posts and comments on here in particular if a poster not in England DARES to mention their child isn't at school (because our school holidays are different!) or isn't taking GCSEs or a-levels (because our exams are different!) or is at primary school aged 11 (because we start high school a year later here) are insane!

I can't remember if it was here or on another sm platform but I remember someone actually telling me that I had invented the subject "modern studies"!

Which is absolutely a subject here in Scotland (which you can take up to post grad level)

Weird!

@maudspellbody I'm overweight I'm
also on medications that mess with my metabolism and I'm physically disabled and in chronic pain which dulls my appetite too. I eat far less than is what I officially need to even maintain current weight, gp and dietician have actually said I'm not eating enough. Pretty sure they know what they're talking about, there's also significant research that supports this theory in certain circumstances.

The "not guilty" thing bugs me too

If this site is a representative sample, that urine is sterile.

That a degree is necessary to success.
That we have one soulmate.

DS was premature and literally everyone at the time said that a baby born in the seventh month was healthier than one born in the eighth Sooo many said this to me that I actually asked the professor of foetal medicine if there was any truth in it. The answer was absolutely not.

That marriage and children are necessary for happiness & fulfilment. The vast majority of women, in particular, seem never at any point seriously to question this assumption.

They should.

That the UK is overpopulated.Its true in certain parts of the country but not UK as a whole. So many people believe this.

The UK is massively overpopulated, the environmental impact is huge which is why our native species are in terminal decline.

That if you are married to a wealthy person and subsequently divorce you will be protected financially.

That you can claim against your parents estate if they don’t leave you an equal share (at least under English/ welsh law, no idea about Scotland/ NI).
It’s significantly more complicated than that.

That taking someone to court is the way to settle a difference - court proceedings are long, expensive and emotionally taxing for those involved. Avoid them like the plague even if it means you settle for a bit less than you would otherwise have done (the only caveat to this would be financial issues on divorce, there you may need to push it in court).

Non-legal ones - the CPR is always effective if done right - actually the out of hospital survival rate is dismal, I mean, always have a go because you might get lucky and the person be in the (15?20% that survive) but realistically it probably won’t work and if they do die, you cannot hold yourself responsible- you tried your best in a difficult situation.
(I say this because a friend did an unsuccessful cpr on her relative and spent months feeling bad that she had ‘failed’ him, when she hadn’t). Tv makes CPR look quick and easy and a cure for a heart attack - it’s not any of these things!

That protecting your children from all upset, risk and danger is good parenting

That eating meat and dairy is perfectly fine. They are thought by some to be the biggest cause of major health issues, not to mention the effect that factory farming has on the planet and of course the cruelty to animals. We wouldn't let anyone mistreat our pets so why do we contribute to the torture of millions of other animals every day?

That you aren’t wealthy with a joint salary of £50,000.

Your employer cannot contact you if you are signed off sick for a length of time.

That you aren’t wealthy with a joint salary of £50,000

That's not a misconception. A single salary of 25 k is poor, two of them certainly does not make you wealthy!

That eating meat and dairy is perfectly fine

It is perfectly fine. You mistaking your opinions with facts, there can't be a misconception of your opinion....

That marriage and children are necessary for happiness & fulfilment. The vast majority of women, in particular, seem never at any point seriously to question this assumption

That's both smug and utter bollocks.