Definition
A myth, in the sense used by skeptics and by The Book of Common Fallacies, is a false story or belief that persists across a culture because it is memorable, satisfying, or useful — not because it is true. This is the everyday meaning rather than the scholarly one; here a myth is simply a popular falsehood that has acquired the status of fact.
Myths endure because they do something for the people who hold them. They explain a confusing fact, supply a tidy origin story, or confirm a comfortable assumption. Their staying power comes from emotional and narrative appeal, which is independent of whether the underlying claim can be verified.
Why it matters
How it works
A myth spreads through repetition across a population, gaining authority with each retelling. Because it is rarely traced back to a source, no one encounters the evidence that would refute it. The story is also smoothed over time — inconvenient details drop away and vivid ones are added — until it reaches a polished, highly transmissible form.
Myths resist correction because the bare fact is often less compelling than the story it replaces. A successful debunking has to be as memorable as the myth itself, offering a clear and satisfying account of how the world actually works.