WILL ROGERS was a famous humorist in the 1920s and 1930s.

Will Rogers once said that “It’s not so much what people don’t know that’s the problem; it’s what they think that ain’t so.”

Well, ain’t that the truth? There so much that’s “accepted wisdom,” stuff that “everybody knows” that’s just a bunch of applesauce that the mind boggles.

Here are a few:

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  Nothing is so perfect that it can’t be improved upon; nothing that is standard practice that can’t be replaced. Black and white TVs. Wooden teeth. Dentistry in general. Eight-track tapes.

“You’ll understand when you grow up.”  Occasionally true, but more often it just a defense of outdated biases and long-nursed grievances.

“Your generation ruined it for our generation!”: Don’t worry, you’ll get your chance and ruin it for your kids, or they’ll think you did.

“If it’s too loud, you’re too old.” Maybe we didn’t grow old, we just grew up.

“You know how men (or women) are.” Probably you don’t, if you’re judging people by the group, which is the first and last refuge of people too lazy to think for themselves.

“Just take a taste. Try it, you’ll like it.” Almost never true if you’re over the age of 12.  

“Years from now, you’ll look back on this and laugh.” Now that makes me laugh. 

“Kiss your Aunt Isa; make it look good. Don’t embarrass me in front of the family!” If that’s the way you feel about human relationships, you’re already embarrassing.

“It’s not that expensive; I just pay off the monthly minimum.”  And the minimum will describe how much money you’re going to have in a few years.

“I wish I knew then what I know now.” Or, maybe you’d still be making the same decisions, being essentially the same person. 50-50.