false beliefs
Mistaken notions held
False beliefs are convictions that don't correspond to reality—things people hold to be true that aren't.
The phrase appears frequently in psychology and philosophy, where it names a category rather than judging specific beliefs: Children develop the ability to understand that others can hold false beliefs.
In clinical contexts, false beliefs may indicate delusion or cognitive impairment.
- fallacyError in reasoning
- delusionStubbornly held false belief
- misinformationFalse data spread unintentionally
- fake newsIntentionally deceptive media content
- alternative factsLies presented as truth
confabulation · debunking · myth · old wives tale · self-deception · blind faith · cognitive bias · misconceptions · propaganda · superstition · urban legend · snake oil · confirmation bias · mass hysteria · misperception · conspiracy theory · tinfoil hat · memory distortion
- thinking errorsad hominem, straw man, slippery slope, confirmation bias, sunk cost fallacy
- cognitive biasesconfirmation bias, anchoring bias, negativity bias, framing effect, optimism bias
- knowledge gapsignorance, gaps, information gap, blind spots, blind spot
false beliefsfacts
Verifiable pieces of truth
knowledge · truths · certainties · verities · truth
false beliefssound judgment
Wise decision-making ability
insight · lucidity · rational thought · clear thinking · wisdom