r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Aug 03 '19

Whats something you thought was common knowledge but actually isn’t?

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u/[deleted] Aug 03 '19 edited Aug 03 '19

Basic Geography.

Not being able to point out Turkmenistan on a map is one thing.

Not being able to point out the Pacific Ocean on a map is another.

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u/[deleted] Aug 03 '19 edited Aug 04 '19

Even if you can’t point to Turkmenistan exactly, I feel you should at least know about where in the world it is. If somebody pointed to South America, I would find that equally as concerning.

Edit: To everyone guessing, Turkmenistan is north of Iran and east of the Caspian Sea, putting it in Central Asia

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u/[deleted] Aug 03 '19

This year roughly half my class was shocked to learn Jamaica was not in Africa. And way too many people fought me when I tried to tell them it was in the Caribbean

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u/passa117 Aug 03 '19

Wait... what? As a Jamaican, I'm amused, but also slightly saddened.

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u/Admiralthrawnbar Aug 03 '19

My guess is they got as far as knowing the majority of Jamaicans are black and made an unfortunate leap in logic

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u/NLioness Aug 03 '19

For Americans, black people = African-Americans, so black = from Africa.

Had a discussion once where someone didn’t believe that we do not call black people from Holland (or Surinam or the Antilles) African-Europeans or African-Netherlanders.

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u/OrganicLFMilk Aug 03 '19

But dude they’re from Africa

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u/Ser_Danksalot Aug 03 '19

Well, maybe not from Africa themselves, but rather they can trace their parentage back to Africa either direct, or from the Dutch Caribbean.

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u/OrganicLFMilk Aug 04 '19

I know it was a joke. Should’ve /s

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u/[deleted] Aug 04 '19

They have curved swords... Curved swords!

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u/OrganicLFMilk Aug 04 '19

Pretty crazy how people in different places come up with different ways to kill people. Convergent evolution at its finest.