Bits of "common sense" that need to die

[The Blaatschapen]

That Holland and the Netherlands are the same thing.

I thought they were? What we call Holland the Dutch call the Netherlands, right? I know historically the Netherlands included Holland, Flanders, and Luxembourg (I think) but aren't the Holland and the Netherlands currently, at least in English usage, the same.

I'd rather not even get into why in English we refer to the people of the Netherlands as Dutch (that is, Germans!)

No, it's not. Current Netherlands consists of Holland, Gelderland, Utrecht, Groningen, Friesland(Fryslan) and various other provinces. I myself am from North-Brabant (the southern parts are in modern day Belgium).

[The Blaatschapen]

I thought they were? What we call Holland the Dutch call the Netherlands, right? I know historically the Netherlands included Holland, Flanders, and Luxembourg (I think) but aren't the Holland and the Netherlands currently, at least in English usage, the same.

I'd rather not even get into why in English we refer to the people of the Netherlands as Dutch (that is, Germans!)

Holland is a province of the Netherlands (I think. Correct me if I'm not. )

Holland is 2 provinces actually. A north-Holland and a South-Holland.

[Ovisterra]

Holland is a province of the Netherlands (I think. Correct me if I'm not. )

Holland is 2 provinces actually. A north-Holland and a South-Holland.

Close enough.

[The Merchant Republics]

Oh. Golly, how could I forget this gem.

That girls only like "bad boys" and or nice guys can't a girl.

As a recovering nice guy, I can definitely say that's false.

[Salandriagado]

Holland is a province of the Netherlands (I think. Correct me if I'm not. )

Holland is 2 provinces actually. A north-Holland and a South-Holland.

Yay, I actually remembered something from one of those geography lessons I sat through in school.

[Meryuma]

not voting for one of the two major US political parties is 'throwing your vote away'.

Hear, hear. I intend to "throw my vote away" for the rest of my life. It's not voting at all that's throwing it away!

It is an alternative to medicine, in the same way that drinking bleach is an alternative to drinking water.

Which is exactly my point.

Oh, that there are two kinds of medicine, modern Western medicine and literally everything else, and that only the former works.

That penises are keys and vaginas are locks.

Is that what causes vaginismus*?


*When the muscles of the vagina spasm and clamp onto the penis and won't let go, so the guy is stuck like a rat in a glue trap. Nurse! WD-40! Stat!

Erm... that doesn't happen.

That penises are keys and vaginas are locks.

Fuck that shit.

How is that a bad analogy?

It positions men as above women and non-heterosexuals as non-existent or wrong.

That third world sweatshops are what make people poor
(No doubt that sweatshops are bad, but they're a symptom of poverty not the ailment)

That the Industrial Revolution invented the concept of child labour
(Indeed, paradoxically it was the eventual increase in Industrial Revolution which first really introduced the concept of childhood being a time for education and play not work at least for the poor)

Stemming from that, that the Industrial Revolution made people poor.
(You get this from faux-socialists that haven't done their reading, the Satanic Mills were bad, but you can't bet it was better than the miserable existence of the pre-industrial farmer)

I don't think people actually say any of these things.

[Conserative Morality]

I don't think people actually say any of these things.

I've heard all three.

I got into a long argument with a history intern at the school for suggesting #1 and #2.

[Salandriagado]

I don't think people actually say any of these things.

I've heard the first two on these very forums.

[Trotskylvania]

Quite true, Bach was left handed, Da Vinci was left handed, MichealAngelo was left handed, oh so many people are left handed, just search on youtube: Famous Left handed People,
notice how most of them are creative,

I'm considered extraordinarily creative by my peers. Not to compare myself to those sorts of masters of the arts. But I'm creative and I'm right-handed, I was early on in my years ambidextrous, but I can't right more than chicken scratch now.

The Left/Right divide simply doesn't exist.

You certainly can't discount the confirmation bias that comes with people buying into this idea. "I'm left handed, so I must be bad at math but good at art. Better be a graphic designer."

Apparently I'm ambidextrous because I'm good at both, not because I spent a lot of time and effort to learn to do common activities with my off hand.

[New Octopucta]

I don't think people actually say any of these things.

I've heard all three.

I've only heard the second, but it's all over the place in America, because no one considers working on a farm prior to the Industrial Revolution to be "child labor"

[Cannot think of a name]

That Trafalgar and Waterloo were the only important battles in the Napoleonic Wars.

The same can be said for most wars actually. If you ask an American to name two battles of the Revolution, you'll get some combination of Lexington, Concord, Bunker(Breeds)Hill, and Trenton. You might also get the Boston Massacre if you are talking to someone who slept through History class.

Is this really an error of 'common sense' or a big ol' case of 'don't give a shit'? Knowing the exact nature and total battle list of various wars is useful to people not interested in war, how?

[New Octopucta]

The same can be said for most wars actually. If you ask an American to name two battles of the Revolution, you'll get some combination of Lexington, Concord, Bunker(Breeds)Hill, and Trenton. You might also get the Boston Massacre if you are talking to someone who slept through History class.

Is this really an error of 'common sense' or a big ol' case of 'don't give a shit'? Knowing the exact nature and total battle list of various wars is useful to people not interested in war, how?

I suppose that that drifts into what is common knowledge rather than common sense.

[Cannot think of a name]

Is this really an error of 'common sense' or a big ol' case of 'don't give a shit'? Knowing the exact nature and total battle list of various wars is useful to people not interested in war, how?

I suppose that that drifts into what is common knowledge rather than common sense.

I don't even think that applies. If someone only knows a handful of key battles covered in a compulsory history class that doesn't mean they think those were the only battles, just those are the only ones they know about. This is essentially complaining that everyone doesn't know the same trivia.

[Soviet Haaregrad]

"If you don't vote, you have no right to complain."

Representative democracy doesn't present enough options to express everyone's opinions, one can't vote for a candidate they don't approve of, if all of the choices suck you're fully entitled to not vote and to bitch about it.

[Kirav]

New = Good, Old =Bad, Change = Progress = Good

[Sovereign Spirits]

"People will recommend things in this thread that aren't simply a cop-in for their own, sometimes legitimately controversial ideologies."

[The Merchant Republics]

I don't think people actually say any of these things.

I've heard all three.

I got into a long argument with a history intern at the school for suggesting #1 and #2.

All of these three were brought up in my History Class just last year and I deal with #1 and #3 on NSG like once every couple weeks, and pretty much anytime I bring up economics in real life.

[Dilbertarian Workplaces]

not really "common sense" but still widely quoted:

that Islam is the religion of peace

[The Blaatschapen]

"If you don't vote, you have no right to complain."

Representative democracy doesn't present enough options to express everyone's opinions, one can't vote for a candidate they don't approve of, if all of the choices suck you're fully entitled to not vote and to bitch about it.

Or you can start your own party/campaign. Because that's democracy too.

[The Merchant Republics]

I'm considered extraordinarily creative by my peers. Not to compare myself to those sorts of masters of the arts. But I'm creative and I'm right-handed, I was early on in my years ambidextrous, but I can't right more than chicken scratch now.

The Left/Right divide simply doesn't exist.

You certainly can't discount the confirmation bias that comes with people buying into this idea. "I'm left handed, so I must be bad at math but good at art. Better be a graphic designer."

Apparently I'm ambidextrous because I'm good at both, not because I spent a lot of time and effort to learn to do common activities with my off hand.

Yeah, it's probably derived from that.

I'm not entirely certain I was ever ambidextrous honestly, I know I can still play hockey and golf left-handed, but it's not exactly a major switch.

[New Octopucta]

I suppose that that drifts into what is common knowledge rather than common sense.

I don't even think that applies. If someone only knows a handful of key battles covered in a compulsory history class that doesn't mean they think those were the only battles, just those are the only ones they know about. This is essentially complaining that everyone doesn't know the same trivia.

Well, since my response to this began as "Well, they should know more of the battles", I guess you have a point there.

[Call to power]

Chicken soup cures a cold. This a very damaging belief because FUCK chicken soup.
Girls mature faster than boys.

The "common sense" that girls are inherently less interested in math/science/sport/etc.

huh, what about they experiment with the children's toys and the monkeys?

That penises are keys and vaginas are locks.

Fuck that shit.

How is that a bad analogy?

if you ever have strange growth coming out of your penis or notice a mysterious unlocking noise when having a long hot bath it is time to see the doctor.


Or become a master thief I suppose.

[Dilbertarian Workplaces]

that "free delivery" is actually free

[The Merchant Republics]

not really "common sense" but still widely quoted:

that Islam is the religion of peace

Historically speaking, Islam was pretty damn peaceful. Well I should perhaps say instead that after the sweeping invasions of the early Caliphates, the Muslims were generally pretty peaceful and non-dickish to the people they conquered, when contrasted with the Christian Europeans.

[Soviet Haaregrad]

"If you don't vote, you have no right to complain."

Representative democracy doesn't present enough options to express everyone's opinions, one can't vote for a candidate they don't approve of, if all of the choices suck you're fully entitled to not vote and to bitch about it.

Or you can start your own party/campaign. Because that's democracy too.

Indeed you can, if you can fit that into your 60 hour work week, raising a family and not neglecting to take the dog for walks ever.