Caught Up In Myths - Grasshopper

How many myths do you buy into? If we’re honest, the answer is a lot more than we think.

Remember Toto in The Wizard of Oz? He pulled back the curtain and exposed the so-called “Great Oz” for what he really was. That was an easy one to spot.

But what about the myths that aren’t so obvious? The ones we don’t even know we’re carrying around? How do you uncover those?

One way is simple–but not always easy. Take a look at your beliefs. Hold them up to the light. Ask yourself: Do they still hold up, or are they past their expiration date?

Here’s an example from my own life. Growing up in Pennsylvania, I thought there were a lot of Dutch people living in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. I mean, everybody called them the “Pennsylvania Dutch.”

Then I learned the truth. “Dutch” was just a mispronunciation. The word actually came from Deutsch, which means “German.” There weren’t many Dutch folks around at all–but there were plenty of Germans. And the name stuck so hard that Germans who ran “farmers markets” started using it on their products, even slapping windmills on the packaging.

So, one myth retired.

But there are plenty more–some harmless, some not so much.

Here’s a useful test: What do you argue passionately for that you can’t back up with facts? That’s a myth. And some myths–well, they don’t just stay myths. They grow into conspiracy theories. And people act on them, even without evidence–just belief.

We all carry beliefs. And yes, plenty of them are myths. The trick is figuring out which ones are keeping you stuck. And once you spot them? Just like Dorothy–click your heels three times and let those myths blow away in the storm.