diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 55ea7cf..98473c6 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -128,9 +128,9 @@ escape_underscores
   Defaults to ``True``.
 
 escape_misc
-  If set to ``False``, do not escape miscellaneous punctuation characters
+  If set to ``True``, escape miscellaneous punctuation characters
   that sometimes have Markdown significance in text.
-  Defaults to ``True``.
+  Defaults to ``False``.
 
 keep_inline_images_in
   Images are converted to their alt-text when the images are located inside
diff --git a/markdownify/__init__.py b/markdownify/__init__.py
index cd66a39..3476223 100644
--- a/markdownify/__init__.py
+++ b/markdownify/__init__.py
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class DefaultOptions:
         default_title = False
         escape_asterisks = True
         escape_underscores = True
-        escape_misc = True
+        escape_misc = False
         heading_style = UNDERLINED
         keep_inline_images_in = []
         newline_style = SPACES
diff --git a/tests/test_escaping.py b/tests/test_escaping.py
index eaef77d..91eb4b1 100644
--- a/tests/test_escaping.py
+++ b/tests/test_escaping.py
@@ -29,19 +29,20 @@ def test_single_escaping_entities():
 
 
 def text_misc():
-    assert md('\\*') == r'\\\*'
-    assert md('<foo>') == r'\<foo\>'
-    assert md('# foo') == r'\# foo'
-    assert md('> foo') == r'\> foo'
-    assert md('~~foo~~') == r'\~\~foo\~\~'
-    assert md('foo\n===\n') == 'foo\n\\=\\=\\=\n'
-    assert md('---\n') == '\\-\\-\\-\n'
-    assert md('+ x\n+ y\n') == '\\+ x\n\\+ y\n'
-    assert md('`x`') == r'\`x\`'
-    assert md('[text](link)') == r'\[text](link)'
-    assert md('1. x') == r'1\. x'
-    assert md('not a number. x') == r'not a number. x'
-    assert md('1) x') == r'1\) x'
-    assert md('not a number) x') == r'not a number) x'
-    assert md('|not table|') == r'\|not table\|'
+    assert md('\\*', escape_misc=True) == r'\\\*'
+    assert md('<foo>', escape_misc=True) == r'\<foo\>'
+    assert md('# foo', escape_misc=True) == r'\# foo'
+    assert md('> foo', escape_misc=True) == r'\> foo'
+    assert md('~~foo~~', escape_misc=True) == r'\~\~foo\~\~'
+    assert md('foo\n===\n', escape_misc=True) == 'foo\n\\=\\=\\=\n'
+    assert md('---\n', escape_misc=True) == '\\-\\-\\-\n'
+    assert md('+ x\n+ y\n', escape_misc=True) == '\\+ x\n\\+ y\n'
+    assert md('`x`', escape_misc=True) == r'\`x\`'
+    assert md('[text](link)', escape_misc=True) == r'\[text](link)'
+    assert md('1. x', escape_misc=True) == r'1\. x'
+    assert md('not a number. x', escape_misc=True) == r'not a number. x'
+    assert md('1) x', escape_misc=True) == r'1\) x'
+    assert md('not a number) x', escape_misc=True) == r'not a number) x'
+    assert md('|not table|', escape_misc=True) == r'\|not table\|'
     assert md(r'\ <foo> &amp;amp; | ` `', escape_misc=False) == r'\ <foo> &amp; | ` `'
+    assert md(r'\ <foo> &amp;amp; | ` `') == r'\ <foo> &amp; | ` `'  # assert `False` is default