So, now we know: Cass Elliot did not die from choking on a ham sandwich! That’s the lead for many of the articles reviewing Owen Elliot-Kugell’s new biography My Mama, Cass, 

Like much of America in 1974, I really liked Cass Elliot’s voice and bold, original persona. I rooted for her to have a big solo career. And then, on the cusp of major success, she died at 32. The story circulated that she choked on a ham sandwich, but now we know it was untouched. 

Why do myths like that persist? The person responsible came clean to Elliot-Kugell in 2020, but long before that, the widely publicized 1974 autopsy concluded the cause of death was a heart attack.

The persistence of this myth caused pain and trauma not only to Elliot-Kugell, but harmed her mother’s reputation.

Myths can harm in other ways too,This week, I read, once again — in a newsletter that should know better — advice to job-seekers about how to ace an interview. Just apply the 7-38-55 rule, it said.

I could not believe I was reading that! The idea that 7% of all verbal communication is the words you say, 38% is tone of voice, and 55% is body language was debunked by the man who did the original research in 1967! You can hear a rare interview with Dr. Albert Mehrabian here, where he discusses how his studies have been misinterpreted.  And read why his specific research, limited to the listener’s perception of conveying emotion through a single word, does not apply to most interpersonal communications here.

You see how this could catch on, though. It encourages anyone engaged in public speaking, whether for a keynote, a board meeting, or an interview, to minimize preparation. After all, how you look and sound in the moment matter so much more than what you say, right? So just practice your power poses and smile and make eye contact and you’ll be fine, easy peasy. If only.

I tell my clients that sometimes the things they hear as “conventional wisdom” are really debunked myths. They may sound funny or odd (death by ham sandwich) or easy (content is only 7% so why not wing it?), but they can be harmful. If it seems too easy, it probably is.