Saying that it's a full moon to denote extra craziness

[Flyndaran]

I know that for most people it's just a cute expression showing exasperation.

But it is still promoting a gross myth.

[Nyoibo]

I know that it's supposed to be a myth, but have you ever been out on a full moon night? People do seem to act stupider and crazier.

[anriana]

But that's when werewolves come out!

[Lace Neil Singer]

I like to think I connect with the moon; I don't see it as being crazy tho, just as a really intense feeling. I adore walking in moonlight.

Interesting article here: http://www.divinecaroline.com/22360/...full-moon-make

My understanding about the full moon affecting crime rates is that it's cuz there's more light around; that probably was more pertaining to back in ye olden days before street lights, tho. XD

[BroomJockey]

But it is still promoting a gross myth.

Not a myth. Pre-electric lights, full moons were party nights. Thus, people acted crazy. Thus, it's actually a cliche, like "a stitch in time." Not a "cute saying."

[Flyndaran]

In areas with electric lighting it is a myth.
Does anyone know of legitimate studies showing that strange events are MORE likely during fully moons in areas without lighting?
Just because common sense makes it sounds obvious does not make it true.

[Cats]

I know that it's supposed to be a myth, but have you ever been out on a full moon night? People do seem to act stupider and crazier.

I'll concur on this too. I work overnights, and we'll all tell you we get a higher proportion of the crazy people on the nights near or at a full moon than any other day of the month (we actually go and look outside to confirm our suspicions if we think it's a full moon, and most of the time, we're right). And we've been doing it for years, long enough to say that it's probably not a coincidence.

This can apply to other things too, but just because someone can't find a scientific/rational explination for something, doesn't necessarily mean it's false. There's no concrete defintative accepted reason for contageous yawning, but I seriously have not found one single person to deny that it exists. Heck, in the past 2 weeks, I've ran into 3 incidents of it.

[BroomJockey]

In areas with electric lighting it is a myth.

You keep using that word, and I do not think it means what you think it means.

Myth: a traditional story, orally transmitted among the folk of the acts of gods and supernatural beings; a story of a mythology hero which served to explain actions of supernatural beings.

The closest thing to what you're looking for is "superstition." X condition causes Y, though there seems to be no actual causal relationship. And you are aware that sayings can persist past the time when they originally applied, correct? So considering *everywhere* was pre-electricity, at one point, the phrase was ingrained into the social structure until technology mooted the observation. Unfortunately, obviated phrases aren't immediately removed from language. Thus, while you can be annoyed at the phrases persistence and irrelevance, it's not a myth.

[Nyoibo]

I can comment on being in the middle of nowhere on a full moon night, there's something about it, you feel more alive, so I can see people being crazy.

[Flyndaran]

Ok, false belief then. I haven't read any studies that show that full moons coincide with strange behavior not even mentioning the lack of mechanism through which it might work.

[Slytovhand]

Hmmm - to throw a small spanner into the works... the term 'lunacy' comes from the idea that full moon causes more crazy behaviour. It was coined because, at the time, there appeared to be a statistical anomoly that suggested it was true. I'm thinking, maybe that anomoly was neither coincidence, nor incorrect. So, do we just throw it out because of a few statistical gathering researchs into the subject came up blank? Or do we at least give it a little bit of credence? (IIRC, I'm referring to anecdotal stuff that goes back a few thousand years.. have they all been wrong?)

[Flyndaran]

The singular of data is not anecdote.
Lots of people love to espouse the wonders of common sense, but it is often wrong. Scientific study is the only way to be sure of nearly any and everything.

Without studies we would have viable racism, sexism, etc.

Isn't it obvious that some races are less intelligent?
Africa and asia are far less developed than whitey areas.

Isn't it obvious that women are more prone to hysteria a word that comes from the greek for womb?

We say now that they aren't obvious, but that's because we come from a society that disproved them rationally.