What is something that you believed as a kid that turned out to be totally bogus as an adult?

I'd like to add "people magically gain wisdom as they age... umm not so much."
Religion, ummm, which one should I pick, well on the other hand, which one will shouldn't I pick or will keep the crazies away from my house, ride, and etc.
Drugs are bad... only when abused or concocted with poisonous or deadly chemicals.
It was impossible to have sex with another girl ... If you did the Devil would hunt you down and take you to Hell.
Only bad people go to jail and all law enforcement personnel are good people.
Most religious people are good people. especially the ones who holler the loudest and proudest.
John Wayne was a World War II hero and a real American patriot.
Thomas Edison didn't invent half of things he was credited with inventing.
The whole Jessica Alba-Bill O'Reilly/Fox News flak about the "Be Sweden/Be Switzerland" about it ... Alba, was incorrect for the English usage of it, yet was perfectly fine in the way she used it (accidentally correcting a somewhat misleading English idiom) and in reality Sweden has held its neutral status longer than Switzerland.
People care about the person inside of you, instead of the outside... pertains to any matter involving skin color, physical beauty, status/objects in your possession, your religions/beliefs, and etc. People are some really ignorant, shallow f#ckers.
McDonalds was "bestest company" ever.
Pee Wee Herman was Paul Reubens, but Paul Reubens was acutally Pee Wee Herman playing with things in Pee Wee's Playhouse and occassionally your local theater ... for adults. I still love Pee Wee.
The crooked salesman, like the modern day criminal doesn't actually look like a crook.

 

Throw in anything about rock musicians being devil worshippers, or devil worshippers holding human sacrifices (Mark Kilroy notwithstanding).

 

If you go to college, you will get a good job, guaranteed.

 

In reality that was true with our parents and grandparents situation... not so much now, unless it is a specialized degree or a field of high demand.

 

You can be anything you wanted to be if you worked hard for it

Wanted to be Michael Jordan

Fail.

 

you drink out that red straw from your coffee

 

You can be anything you wanted to be if you worked hard for it

Wanted to be Michael Jordan

Fail.

 

Best friends forever...

 

Umm...that's where it is. You're joking right?

 

I feel you, bro. I really do.

 

I think he means more to the "front", in the same area as the male organ, not "under". I thought the same thing as a kid.

 

It's been mentioned already, but like many males I didn't realize until I was nearly an adult that girls have 3 holes down there. Based on the replies, it seems like there are still a few in this thread that don't know that.

Another would be that Republicans are good and Democrats are bad.

 

i was a sheltered child..

now it mostly affects me when i want to talk to females

 

Well, I like to consider myself strong and adaptive. But let's say, just because I got my degree and am nice and polite, doesn't necessarily mean that the world will be a nice place.
-I didn't get jobs even though I did what I was supposed to do in the interview.


-I didn't get loans (business or mortgage) because of my age even though I was good with my credit and financial standings.

-Girls

-I'd have to do things I didn't necessarily want to do in order to get things I wanted in life, as opposed to working hard in general and it paying off

 

Damn it took you until you were an adult to find this out

 

Go take an anatomy class. Babies come out of the vag, not pee

 

There's only two you blapshemer.

 

When I was a little kid my parents would get those prepaid sheets of paper that you write a letter on and fold up and mail from family in India. They always had a Taj Mahal on them. I thought everyone in India lived in the Taj Mahal. Basically I didn't know what the Taj Mahal was and thought that was India. Then I turned 4 and went to India. Everyone DOES NOT live in the Taj Mahal

 

that following one religion fervently is the key to happiness, success, etc all of the above.

 

They said anything... not anyone. You can only be you... and how hard did you try, really, anyway?


Myself, I thought we were the only truly free country in the world, and that we were not and would not be subjected to the same suspicions and controls to which people in other countries (namely the USSR, when I was young) were/are subjected. Not to discount our awesomeness or even open that can of worms \, but let's just say the luster of that shiny ideal continues to tarnish as I grow older.