Every good story starts with an “it’s true what they say.”
Every good story can be even better when it is a long-considered local rumor that everyone wrote off as being just that—a rumor and nothing more—but many, many, years later it turns out that it was actually true. With mixed results.
Folks on Reddit are sharing stories of local rumors that may or may not have sent chills down their spines, but ones that definitely maybe sent some chills after finding out that the rumor was definitely a thing.
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A netizen who identifies as the only carpenter recently asked AskReddit about local rumors that Redditors have heard as kids, but it turned out to be real.
The post garnered nearly 13,000 upvotes with another (also nearly) 5,000 comments in engagement.
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The amount of storytelling in this thread could be enough to write several mystery books with all of its talks of cults in the woods, football fields built on cemeteries, heroic business people with a dark past, being struck by lightning, dating teachers, you name it, it’s probably here.
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Because chaos is a natural part of life, it’s only appropriate to learn something out of the ordinary about rumors, and that is how to start one.
First up is crafting a compelling rumor. Figure out what you want to achieve with this rumor. Classics include humiliating someone to deflate their ego or exact karma for being a jerk, but it can be more elaborate, like breaking up a couple.
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It helps to also identify some emotional triggers that you can use to your advantage. You know, stir some panic and anxiety in the individual. Or individuals.
So, focus on a topic that would be relatable and would hit close to home. Topics like money help a lot, like winning the lottery, and it helps to include details that would please a crowd, like maybe choosing a controversial decision.
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Needless to say, the rumors have to be simple and believable, so making all the details overly complicated and the multitude to which the rumor extends beyond the immediate reality is not a good idea. Keep it grounded.
Once all that is sorted out, start spreading. And it’s not just talking about—it’s convincing others to spread it too. Hire all the bigmouths to do the job.
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Social media and the internet in general might prove to be very helpful with the level of anonymity that it provides. Fake accounts will be your best friend, both as a means of spreading and as a means of leaving deliberate evidence around. You know, breadcrumbs that make the whole thing sound legit. But don’t go overboard as it should also keep your tracks hidden.
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Speaking of which, covering your tracks is a huge part of spreading rumors.
So, make the rumor hard to disprove. Include details that are impossible to track down, like someone making a mistake and it affecting someone who nobody knows about and can’t find to confirm it.
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It also goes without saying that keeping the list of accomplices to a minimum is an advantage because that would also minimize the chances of the rumor leading back to you. It also helps to make sure that whatever that you’re spreading a rumor about doesn’t automatically leave you as the only suspect, i.e. if you’ve been entrusted with a secret and you’re the only one who knows about it.
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Obligatory PSA: keep in mind that spreading rumors is frowned upon and in some cases can be very, very illegal, so proceed at your own risk, i.e. keep it harmless and fun. Or, if anything, to teach someone a lesson about spreading rumors and ruining people’s lives because humans can be cruel sometimes.
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So, heard any juicy rumors lately that you wish becomes true? Why not share them in the comment section below!
But if that's not something you'd be into, then mayhaps take your virtual self to check out some conspiracy theories people actually believe in, despite them being over the top ridiculous!
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