Charles Darwin Coined the Phrase “Survival of the Fittest” Myth
Charles Darwin came up with the idea of natural selection, but he didn’t coin the phrase “survival of the fittest”, that was Herbert Spencer in 1864’s Principles of Sociology.
Myths
For our purposes: Myths are commonly held beliefs or ideas that are false. For a claim to be considered a myth one or more parts of it must be proved false. Other definitions of myth, such as those pertaining to the not false-but-allegorical stories we tell to explain things, are discussed on our “what is a myth?” page.
Below is a collection of all factoids rated “myth” (as in “not true or not fully true”) by our authors. If you disagree or have more evidence to support a claim consider commenting. See our list of facts here.
The Founding Fathers Supported Slavery Myth
Slavery was legal when America was founded, but few founding fathers fully supported the nefarious institution. In fact, many founders fought to limit and abolish slavery.
The General Election Decides the President Myth
Votes cast for President and Vice President in the general election are advisory votes, the President and Vice President aren’t decided until the electors’ direct votes are cast and counted.
The United States is a Corporation Myth
Despite misconceptions, the United States is not a corporation. This can be confirmed by its lack of incorporating acts, its sovereign immunity, and past court cases, among other things.
A Third Party Can’t Win Myth
Third Parties can win elections, but they rarely do. This is because the United States of America has a two-party system in practice.
The United States Has a Two-Party System Myth
Despite two parties dominating politics due to a majority being needed to win elections, the United States doesn’t officially have a two-party system. Parties aren’t even mentioned in the Constitution.
James Monroe Wrote the Monroe Doctrine Myth
One might assume James Monroe wrote the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, but its primary author was future-President and then secretary-of-state John Quincy Adams.
Marie Antoinette Said, “Let them Eat Cake.” Myth
Marie Antoinette never said “let them eat cake”. The idea of royalty suggesting peasants eat cake is an old myth that can be traced to Rousseau’s Confessions, a Spanish Princess, and even a Chinese emperor.
Fat Makes You Fat Myth
Fat can make you fat, but it isn’t the only thing that causes weight gain. Fat is high in calories and is easy to store as fat cells, but in general, it is storing more calories than you burn (from fat, carbs, or protein) that causes weight gain.
Sex, Gender, and Sexuality Are Binary Myth
Studies have shown there is no single determinant of sex, gender, or sexuality. In terms of both sex (genetic) and gender (a social construct), a binary distinction of “male or female” fails to describe a wide range of humans in practice. Meanwhile, sexuality (a preference) eludes any simple categorization as well. Simply put, despite some binary aspects (for example a person either has a Y gene or they don’t), Gender, Sex, and Sexuality are all non-binary and each is instead a complex spectrum… and we can prove it with science and logic.