For sure there was a long period historically when there was no official arrangement. However, by 1912 – 114 years ago – when there were 48 stars, there was a singular official placement, and there’s been one ever since. Making the assumption that you start forming conscious memories around 3, there’s a single person alive today who’s verifiably old enough to have any conscious memory of a time when the US flag’s stars lacked a set order.
I can kind of get having what I call a “latent misconception” where you never find out otherwise because it never meaningfully comes up as more than a fleeting thought. (Maybe “Lucky 10,000 Syndrome” is catchier and less dry if more generalized.) But the years-long spate of jokes about it and people actually believing and repeating it is where I get frustrated by how people just say shit and never even try to consider whether it’s true (especially when it’s ridiculous on its face).
I get you’re offering an explanation rather than a justification. This isn’t directed at you.
For sure there was a long period historically when there was no official arrangement. However, by 1912 – 114 years ago – when there were 48 stars, there was a singular official placement, and there’s been one ever since. Making the assumption that you start forming conscious memories around 3, there’s a single person alive today who’s verifiably old enough to have any conscious memory of a time when the US flag’s stars lacked a set order.
I can kind of get having what I call a “latent misconception” where you never find out otherwise because it never meaningfully comes up as more than a fleeting thought. (Maybe “Lucky 10,000 Syndrome” is catchier and less dry if more generalized.) But the years-long spate of jokes about it and people actually believing and repeating it is where I get frustrated by how people just say shit and never even try to consider whether it’s true (especially when it’s ridiculous on its face).
I get you’re offering an explanation rather than a justification. This isn’t directed at you.