# Facing Facts/Harmful false beliefs

Because false beliefs are more likely to be harmful than true beliefs, each of us has a moral obligation to choose true beliefs. Here is a list (created in part by chatGPT) of potentially harmful false beliefs. Many topics in this list are broadly stated and generally false yet may include overgeneralizations and overlook important exceptions. Distinguish among 1) matters of fact, 2) matters of preference, or 3) matters of controversy. You may enjoy testing your knowledge with this list of general knowledge questions. Research factual claims. Advance no falsehoods. Know how you know. Choose true beliefs. Find common ground.
* Tigers make good house pets
* A red traffic light means go, and green means stop.
* It is healthy to drink laundry bleach
* It is wise to join a cult
* It is safe to leap off a tall building and fly unaided.
* It is wise to represent yourself in a criminal trial.
* It is wise to rely on the law of attraction.
* Saddam Hussein was building weapons of mass destruction in 2003.
* It is safe to walk across a busy street while blindfolded.
* It is a good idea to storm the US capitol building.
* Various delusional beliefs.
* Thought broadcasting, thought insertion, or religious delusion.
* Mental telepathy.
* Vaccines cause autism
* HIV does not cause AIDS
* Holocaust denial
* The earth is flat
* Climate change is not caused by human activity
* Conspiracies theories such as QAnon
* Barack Obama was not born on the United States.
* The belief in racial or ethnic superiority
* The belief in certain religious or spiritual practices that harm oneself or others
* The belief that certain medical conditions can be treated primarily with alternative therapies, rather than conventional medicine
* Being swindled by a charlatan
* Quackery
* Being misled by Ponzi schemes or other get-rich-quick schemes.
* Being the victim of confidence tricks such as three-card Monte.
* Being the victim of consumer fraud or other forms of fraud.
* The belief that mental illness is not real and can be overcome through willpower alone.
* Denial of inconvenient truths.
* Rejecting the existence of biological evolution.
* Belief in young earth creationism.
* Belief in supernatural claims.
* Belief in alien abductions.
* Belief in cryptozoology.
* Belief in fortune telling.
* Recovered memory therapy.
* Exorcism.
* Effectiveness of conversion therapy.
* Homosexuality is a sin.
* Belief in a supernatural afterlife.
* The Bible is the word of God
* Tobacco smoking is safe.
* Continuing risky behaviors that could lead to a preventable cause of death.
* The belief that certain groups of people are inherently evil or inferior.
* The belief that certain foods or ingredients cause serious health problems despite a lack of scientific evidence.
* Contending for a Darwin Award.
* The belief in conspiracy theories about government or political groups controlling world events.
* The belief that one's personal experiences or feelings are more valid than scientific evidence or expert opinion.
* The belief in the existence of secret societies or hidden agendas controlling society.
* The belief in the existence of extraterrestrial or supernatural beings that are controlling human affairs.
* The belief that certain groups of people are immune to certain diseases or illnesses.
* The belief that certain effective medical treatments or procedures are unnecessary or harmful.
* The belief that certain religious or spiritual practices can cure physical or mental illnesses.
* Religious beliefs prohibiting use of effective medical treatments.
* The belief that certain groups of people are not capable of achieving success or happiness.
* The belief that certain groups of people are inherently violent or dangerous.
* You are invincible and will never die.
* Believing that suicide is the answer.
* Believing that nothing on this list is a problem.