Not everything we’ve been told about history is true. Some of the biggest moments in history are built on lies so convincing that people believed them for centuries.
These aren’t just small distortions—they’re massive deceptions that shaped societies, influenced decisions, and changed the course of history. Many of them still impact us today.
Get ready to uncover the 19 biggest lies in human history—shocking, world-changing, and guaranteed to make you question what you thought you knew.
1. The War Won’t Last Long
The war usually takes much longer than you were made to believe. The phrase “in and out, just like Iraq” became popular and is totally inaccurate. American soldiers remained in Iraq for an incredibly long 2 decades. If that’s not long, what is?
2. Please Listen Carefully as Our Menu Options Have Recently Changed
This line has always been part of the restaurant service industry, but it’s a complete hoax. The menu rarely changes, and it’s just a conventional line of restaurants like using.
Listen anyway, though… who knows, maybe there’s really something new.
3. We Are a Family and Care About Our Employees
You’ll always hear managers and even executives tell their employees this line just to invoke trust and loyalty in them. No, you are not a family. When you’re “family at work,” you often get cheap labor. Of course, corporations will say that!
4. If Elected…
One of the biggest lies in the world is a politician’s promise, which has been happening since time immemorial. Politicians often make empty promises just to get votes. After getting elected, they won’t need your votes anymore, so who cares, right?
5. I Acknowledge That I Have Read and Agree to the Above Terms and Conditions
Many don’t read the terms and conditions. Either way, people tick that box, acknowledging they’ve read and agreed to it just to get it over with. People can’t be bothered, whether because they’re often too long or because the font is too small.
6. Your Call Is Important to Us
Many customer service representatives have several spiels they say on-call without meaning it. It’s like an impulse for them. One of which is the phrase, “Your call is important to us.” This goes with the phrase, “I’m sorry you experienced that.” Both are said for politeness and not something they genuinely feel or mean.
7. No Strings Attached
When starting a casual relationship or even just a friendly business deal, there’s no such thing as no strings attached. There will always be expectations from both sides. It can be time or respect in a relationship, even when exclusivity is often disregarded.
8. There Are Hot Singles in My Area Dying to Meet Me
Similar to the phrase “there are so many fish in the sea,” saying that hot single people in your area are dying to meet you is not always true. The truth is that many are now more focused on personal development and career goals rather than dating and casual hookups.
9. Push the Flap to Open
More popularly seen on Kraft’s Mac and Cheese box, the “Push Flap to Open” portion is an annoying lie for many customers. No, it doesn’t open even if you push the flap. Just get a pair of scissors and cut through the box to make your life easier.
10. Your Baby Is Beautiful
Babies are absolutely wonderful, but let’s be honest, they’re not always beautiful, especially newborns. Of course, to avoid offending the new parents and looking like a horrible human being, people lie about it.
11. Yes, I Will Remember to Cancel the Subscription Just Before the Free Trial Ends
Forgetting to cancel the subscription will cost you several bucks. It’s not like you meant to lie about it. It’s just you tend to forget it. The trick is to cancel the subscription after availing of its free trial promo.
12. You Can Be Whatever You Want to Be When You Grow Up
You can dream of being whoever you want, but making it a reality can be difficult. Sadly, many people genuinely believe they can be whatever they want. It’s okay to be optimistic about your goals, but make sure you’re realistic too.
13. Looks Don’t Matter
Looks matter, and you’ll often be judged based on your appearance. The only people who believe that looks don’t matter are those who are conventionally attractive.
14. If You Work Hard, You’ll Have a Good, Happy Life
There’s a Russian anecdote that says, “If hard work pays off, the world will be filled with rich donkeys.” Sadly, you can be a hard worker and still struggle in life. The good news, though, is that working hard still bears fruit, one way or another.
15. If You’re a Good Person, Good Things Will Happen to You
In an ideal world, it would be true that good people will only experience good things, and bad people will get their comeuppance. In the real world, though, you can be as good as a saint and still have it rough.
16. The Good Guys Always Win
Good guys always win in fantasy movies and books. In real life, bad guys can win. And the winner writes history. What you may know today as a triumph of good against evil can be just the bad guys glossing over their stories to make them look good. And even if you look around, you will wonder how some people are at the top when they act horribly.
17. The Serving Sizes on Bags of Chips
While it only serves as a suggestion, the serving sizes indicated on bags of chips and other packets are lies. You can try it out and check if a bag of chips can serve the number of persons they claim to serve.
18. We’re Doing This to Keep You Safe
This phrase, “We’re doing this to keep you safe,” is both a lie and a manipulative tactic. People often say this line to make you believe that every decision is for your own good. Don’t just rely on their words. Gather information and decide whether it’s actually a good thing for you or not.
19. Money Doesn’t Buy Happiness
Money can’t directly buy happiness, but it can get things and experiences that will make you happy. With money, you resolve basic problems like bills and daily expenses. You can also buy things you want or afford fun experiences like travel and tours. It’s like renting happiness and not buying it.
10 Things That You Will Start to Dislike As You Grow Older
I recently saw this question online, “What are you starting to dislike more as you get older?” Here are the top-voted responses.
MSN Writer, Radical FIRE
Expertise: Entertainment, Travel, Interior Design, and Personal Improvement Niches
Education: Bachelor of Science in Tourism, Major in Development Tourism Management at Ateneo de Naga University
Experience: Marisa Bolivar is a content writer with 10 years of experience in creating blogs and articles across different industries on the web. She has explored many niches in her years working as a content specialist with her favorite zeroing on entertainment, from books to movies and TV shows. Marisa is also a bookworm, who has a fondness for personal improvement and philosophical authors like Paulo Coelho and Mitch Albom.