 世界一直在变化，知识也不断在更新，如果你还固守以前的观念，按“专家”的建议行事，那你很可能正走入一个又一个误区。
If you've ever washed out a wound with saline instead of tap water or requested an x-ray for lower-back pain, you're a fool. Here are 15 more things you shouldn't bother doing.
1 Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day The British government advises that we each eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. In Denmark, it's six. In Australia, it's seven. In 2014, campaigners tried upping it to 10. Just eat some vegetables and be done with it.
2 Taking vitamin C supplements If you feel a cold coming on, it's pointless to reach for the vitamin C tablets. Study after study has concluded that – unless you live in a frozen wilderness, smoke an incredibly large number of cigarettes or subject yourself to extreme physical stress on a regular basis – vitamin C won't do anything.
3 Flossing In August, the British Dental Association's scientific adviser declared flossing to be pointless, adding that all floss-based studies of the past 25 years have been of "very low quality". If you've never flossed your teeth, you were right all along. Go out there today and flash the world that foul-smelling, grey-green smile of yours. You've earned this.
4 Washing your jeans The sensible thing to do with dirty clothes is to wash them. But the CEO of Levi's has advised that you should never do so with jeans, because washing them makes them look bad. Instead, why not try rubbing off stains with a toothbrush, leaving them to air outside and never having any friends because you smell of dirt and sweat?
5 Having a landline No one calls your landline telephone. You never call anyone's landline. No one will have a landline at all 10 years from now. They exist purely to complicate the act of changing your broadband provider.
6 Drinking eight glasses of water a day You don't need to drink eight glasses of water a day. The figure first appeared in a recommended dietary allowance guide in the US 70 years ago, and it doesn't take into consideration your age, your height, your weight or your activity level. Instead, just drink until your wee is no longer dark. That means you're hydrated.
7 Overusing your fridge Don't put tomatoes in your fridge, because it stops them tasting of anything. Don't put potatoes in your fridge, because it will muck up their starch and make them taste funny. Don't put bread in the fridge, because it will go stale faster. Don't put onions in the fridge, because they need to be well ventilated. Don't put bananas in the fridge, because they're tropical fruits. Don't put avocado in the fridge, because they will never ripen. Don't put ketchup in the fridge, because it doesn't need to be kept in the fridge.
8 Washing your hair every day Nobody in the history of the world washed their hair as much as we do now. Daily washing is thought to be unnecessary. Every couple of days is good, or less if your hair is curly. Or never at all, if you want people to avoid you like the plague.
9 Peeling vegetables Most of a vegetable's insoluble fibre is in its peel. Stop throwing away delicious fibre.
10 Ordering anything in the top-right-hand corner of a menu Menu design is a skill rooted in complex psychology. Knowing that your eye will naturally fall on the top-right corner of the menu, this is where restaurateurs often place their most profitable items. Why not help run these crooks out of business by ordering from the bottom of the menu, where you'll find items with smaller margins?
11 Discarding out-of-date food When food reaches its sell-by date, that doesn't mean it suddenly becomes poisonous – it means that the supermarket has guessed this stock should be rotated. Unless it smells terrible or is covered in mould, you're probably fine.
12 Buying antivirus software Earlier this year, the US Department of Homeland Security's computer-emergency readiness team issued a warning about a popular brand of antivirus software after finding that it contained "critical vulnerabilities". Most browsers now have content-verification systems that do the job better.
13 Buying unnecessary products Why buy air freshener when you can just fill an orange peel with salt? Why use rinse aid in a dishwasher when you can just use white vinegar? Why buy deodorant when you can just rub coconut oil and baking powder on your armpits?
14 Learning to drive The driverless car revolution is only a few years away. You can get the bus until then.
15 Reading the news According to Professor Graham Davey, consuming a non-stop torrent of negative news stories can significantly contribute to the deterioration of your mood, and to the development of depression, anxiety, stress and PTSD. This article does not count as negative news and has therefore saved your life. Please thank me accordingly. (责任编辑：voa365) |