Popular errors

Popular errors

Popular errors are false ideas that are used widely and provide a basis for stereotypes and can cause poor judgments or a faulty impression of the topic to which they refer. They are always untrue facts (see fact) - contrary to urban legends - which are legends (myths) and can be both true and untrue. Popular errors do not contain any set framework, (i.e. "friend of a friend", "FoaF", like urban legends)

Popular errors include misconceptions (see misconception), fallacies, inaccurate facts or beliefs, and stereotypes. They usually originate from distorted or outdated information, jokes or anecdotes not meant to be taken seriously, or mistaken comments. There are many popular errors circulating about a large variety of subjects. There exist sources attempting to correct these errors to separate the facts from the fallacies.

Popular errors in society

Popular errors have a strong influence on children who obtain untrue information, mostly from relatives and friends, and do not try to question it, nor have the sources to verify it.

This causes them to develop a mistaken view of the world.

Popular errors have a bigger impact than misconceptions and even fallacies as they often deal with issues deeply rooted in ethnic or national cultures.

ee also

*List of misconceptions
*Urban legends
*Error

References

External links

* [http://www.popularerrors.com Popular Errors.com] - a free encyclopedia of popular errors, misconceptions, and fallacies.
* [http://www.snopes.com snopes] is a site dedicated to debunking myths and misconceptions.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Errors in the United States Constitution — There are several apparent spelling and grammatical errors in the United States Constitution both the original articles and the Bill of Rights. Errors of these kind are not uncommon in documents created and edited by hand. Since the Constitution… …   Wikipedia

  • Popular Front of the Canary Islands — The Popular Front of the Canary Islands (Frente Popular de las Islas Canarias) or FREPIC AWAÑAK is a leftist political party seeking independence from Spain for the Canary Islands. It celebrated its first congress in May 1986. FREPIC AWAÑAK was… …   Wikipedia

  • The Comedy of Errors — This article is about Shakespeare s play. For other uses, see Comedy of errors (disambiguation). Poster for a 1879 production on Broadway, featuring Stuart Robson and William Crane The Comedy of Errors is one of William Shakespeare s earliest… …   Wikipedia

  • MIT in popular culture — The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), an educational and research institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been referenced in many works of cinema, television and the written word. MIT s overall reputation has greater influence on… …   Wikipedia

  • Loch Ness Monster and popular culture — The Loch Ness Monster is well known throughout Scotland and the rest of the world.LiteratureIn the book The Bogart and the Monster the Loch Ness Monster is actually an invisible shape shifting creature that has become trapped in one form. The… …   Wikipedia

  • Error — The word error has different meanings and usages relative to how it is conceptually applied. The concrete meaning of the Latin word error means wandering or straying . To the contrary of an illusion, an error or a mistake can sometimes be… …   Wikipedia

  • Demoniacs — • Article concerned with the demonic possession in the New Testament Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Demoniacs     Demoniacs     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Giacomo Leopardi — Giacomo Taldegardo Francesco di Sales Saverio Pietro Leopardi Born June 29, 1798(1798 06 29) Recanat …   Wikipedia

  • hair —    This makes many appearances in *superstitions, cures, tales, popular errors, and *div ination. One should be particularly careful in the disposal of hair after cutting or brushing, as such removable parts of the body can be used in *witchcraft …   A Dictionary of English folklore

  • John Henry Newman — John Henry Cardinal Newman, CO (February 21, 1801 ndash; August 11, 1890) was an Anglican who was received into the Roman Catholic Church in 1845. He was later made a cardinal and, in 1991, was proclaimed Venerable . In early life he was a major… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”