No matter what anyone tells you, neither common sense nor common knowledge are actually all that common.
Every single one of us has a thing we just never really grasped. We all suck at something. All of us. With 100% certainty. There, I said it. Now everyone can relax.
You're among friends here. Clueless friends who, just like you, have gotten really good at the smile-and-nod when it comes to whatever our thing is.
That thing could be different for all of us. It took me way longer than I'd like to admit to learn how to tie my shoes. Some people just aren't good at something like mopping. None of us can fold a fitted sheet.
Reddit user colormeinwords asked:
What is something that you don't know but are afraid to ask because it's supposed to be 'basic knowledge'?
Like I said... you're safe among friends here. Here are some of the more popular "basic knowledge" thing people don't know or know how to do. With answers, of course, cause I'm not a monster.
No there are no instructions here for folding fitted sheets. I'm also not a wizard.
Communication Conundrum
How often do people talk to each other? Like do you just text people every day and let them know about random things that happened to you, and not just talk whenever life happens to put the two of you in the same physical location?
Really depends on the person. With some people I text once every two weeks, others all day every day about the most mundane stuff.
The Mechanics Of Mopping
How the hell you mop the floors. I try to do it properly but afterwards I always get comments like "did you even try to mop" and so on. And this has been going on for 15-ish years, I've evaded it through never mopping. Ever.
- dunk mop in hot (near boiling), soapy water.
- wring most of the water out of the mop.
- don't mimic a sweeping brush. Go side to side in large, shallow arcs.
- start furthest from your sink/exit and step backwards as you swipe.
- Repeat until done or until the water in the bucket is too cold / dirty.
If that still doesn't work: get some other sucker to mop for you!
Darker Colors
I've always been curious about whether black people feel warmer than people with lighter skin tones when they're in the sun because dark colors absorb more heat.
Do tattoos count? I have mostly black tattoos on my rather fair skinned forearms, and they are substantially warmer than the surrounding non tattooed skin. I know it's not exactly the same but I'd imagine it's fairly similar.
Am black, I can't tell if I "feel" hotter than others but I do know you could fry an egg on my shoulder after some sun exposure where as my Scandinavian partner feels like he was been lightly warmed in the microwave after the same exposure.
- rkspm
A New Doctor
Giphy
How do you get a "doctor"?
My family doctor retired 5 years ago and now I don't know how to get a new one.
Do I just go to a random office and ask to become a patient?
Go on your health insurances website. Most of them have a "find a doctor" link somewhere and you can look for a new primary care physician that is accepting patients. From there call the office and make your first appointment.
- nkdeck07
Never Been Kissed
How to kiss. I've never kissed someone and I REALLY don't wanna screw up my first time.
- Zoh41b
- Place one hand on the small of their back
- place the other on the upper back lower neck
- while your doing this and going in start taking a big inhale from your nose (to help you relax)
- use their nose to line your nose up. You want your noses touching, but to be side by side not squished against each other.
- that will ensure that your lips will connect, which is what a kiss is. lip contact.
- keep your eyes open until you make contact, then close them. Because that way you can be present. And that's what makes a good kiss. Being present with someone you wanna be intimate with.
- A good kiss is different for everybody and a "good kisser" is someone you're compatible with. There is no definitive criteria for what makes a good kisser or bad one. It's all about compatibility and most of that comes from learning over time. It's not something you're supposed to know
- Go get'em tiger!
Cabs And Curved Arrows
What does that button on your car dash/control panel do that is like a picture of the cab with a curved arrow inside the cab?
- Brancher
It shuts the vents so that no air from outside comes in, useful when you're driving somewhere the air is really bad, tunnels and such. The arrow symbolizes the air staying in the car.
Basically, if it's on, you are not bringing in hot outside air through the ac system. You are recirculating the already cool air in the cabin - think of it like max a/c.
Coffee Talk
Giphy
Is there a difference between regular coffee grounds and espresso grounds?
Barista here - the difference is how fine the grounds are. Espresso grounds are very fine. Regular coffee grounds are medium grind. Half-way between course and fine.
The reason why espresso grounds are fine, is because of how espresso is made. Espresso is very fine grounds of coffee very tightly packed into a small filter. You add very hot and very pressurized water over the grounds to extract the coffee very quickly. Your regular house coffee uses medium grind, with not-as-hot or pressurized water, and takes a few minutes to brew. Espresso (usually) takes under a minute to brew. To get the coffee quicker, you need smaller particles of coffee beans, packed tightly together under very hot water and lots of pressure.
No Toilet Paper
In countries that don't use toilet paper, but instead offer you a bucket of water and a ladle ... are you ... supposed to use your hand to wipe, then you wash your hand off??
I don't know if it's "basic knowledge" but it is in those countries (I'm looking at you Asia/India) it must be.
If you're at the lower middle class to poor end of East Asian countries, then it's somewhat basic knowledge. And this is how you do it: position one hand on your bum, the other hand will hold the ladle which you should position behind your back, just a bit above your crack. Start wiping your butt with your hand and slowly pour the water out so that it streams down to the hand your using to wipe. Rinse and repeat until you feel sufficiently cleaned.
The other comment says bidets, but not every household has them so it's good to know how to do this if you're considering visiting East Asian countries.
Global Warming
Whats actually wrong with global warming? This is a genuine question because its never been explained to me. A warmer climate would mean a longer growing season. If it was warmer out, then the homeless would have an easier time making it through the winter.
- Rising sea levels means flooding and melting ice caps, which is a form of habitat destruction for polar bears, penguins, etc. And for people as well as water levels rise and some islands and coastal cities are lost.
- More drought s= more food shortages for growing population.
- If the air is hot and dry it becomes easy for bushfires and forest fires to start and get out of hand.
- A warmer climate means more tornadoes, cyclones, hurricanes etc. And thunderstorms too.
- The gases that cause global warming are pretty toxic and harmful to living beings. Carbon monoxide, etc etc can damage the human body on prolonged exposure.
- Greenhouse gases that cause GW dont stop the sun's uv rays from reaching us tho, unlike ozone which is being depleted in our atmosphere. This can lead to skin cancers and sunburns
Hope this helped.
But Which Train?
How to ride a train. I've been on one but never knew how to decide which train to get on. I'm always with someone else that does.
Usually just use Google maps with the public transport option and it tells you what to take. Usually trains have some kind of tracking board at the platform so you know what train is coming (or sometimes on the front of the train.)
Oasis in the desert? No thank you.
"Dubai."
"Why and whats special about it?"
"Its a modern city in a desert."- Maximum_Calendar_791.
"Dubai."
"A fake city with fake people, no human rights, where the world's tallest buildings hide corruption and slavery in their shadows."
"It's like someone decided to take every problem of mankind and concentrate it in one spot."- PayNoNoticeOfMe.
"Dubai one i think it is ugly two I would die in two minutes of me being there I can't stand anything above 40 c°."- BookWormPerson.
One of the seven wonders is one too many for me.
"The pyramids. "
"Too many horror stories of Egypt."- Aemiom.
Landlocked.
"Not really a destination, but taking a cruise."- Shortbus_Playboy.
cruise ship vacation GIF by Hallmark ChannelGiphyMountains aren't really my thing.
"Everest."
"Just why."
"You use a bunch of money to get in there them come down."
"And trash your whole way there. It's literally a corner in the Earth insufferable for humans and we still made a way to go there to trash it."- ACLullaby.
It's in my own backyard... but still not interested.
"I have lived about 15km away from the Burj Khalifa ever since it was made."
"I could not care any less besides the occasional pointing out the 'shiny tall building' to my nieces.- legolosss.
The pictures are enough for me.
"Mount Rushmore."
"Friends who've made the journey to Mount Rushmore mostly say it was no big deal and not worth the effort or expense to travel there."- Back2Bach.
States Selfie GIF by Ethan BarnowskyGiphyHustle and Bustle? No thanks.
"Anything busy.'
"Whether it's cities, structures, I don't care."
"I'd rather go to a boring empty quiet place than a place full of people."- TheSmeep.
They're watching us.
"That creepy a** place in Japan with all the realistic dolls."
"No thank you."
dolly dearest horror GIF by absurdnoiseGiphySome dream of paying a visit to these places.
Others hope they never have to set foot there, and will choose to leave it to the other millions of tourists.
To each, their own.
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And while a candidate is fit to lead remains to be seen, we rely on our instinct to choose someone with whom we can relate.
But sometimes, our options are limited and we inevitably go with someone who is the lesser of two evils.
Curious to hear from strangers online about a hypothetical, Redditor Cashmeresquid2309 asked:
"Americans of Reddit, would you vote for an openly Atheist presidential candidate? Why or why not?"
Redditors were quick to point out the answer was a no-brainer.
We Already Know The Answer
"Asking Reddit if they'd vote for an atheist..."
"I feel like the answer would be obvious."
– sarahmagoo
Sci-Fi Analogy
"Americans of Reddit, would you vote for a Star Wars fan who heckin loves doggos?"
– WitnessChemical
For The Atheists In The Crowd
"Atheists of atheistville, would you vote for an open atheist?"
– nixcamic
Others weighed in with a range of opinions.
About 45
"What's funny is how many of them would probably say no, even though they voted for Trump and would do so again. Say whatever else you want about him, but I seriously can't understand how anyone could genuinely believe Trump is a Christian. He's so obviously faking it and is undoubtedly the most atheistic president we've ever had or are likely to have for a long time."
"This is a guy who's never even so much as read the Bible or attended church, who told a conservative radio host his favorite Bible verse was 'an eye for an eye', who told evangelical interviewers that he's never asked God for forgiveness because he's never done anything wrong, and who routinely commits all 7 deadly sins (pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth) without remorse."
– empfindsamkeit
From A Different Perspective
"Not an american but interestingly according to this survey on 1006 people from 2007, being atheist was the worst thing you could be as a candidate (of the things asked) with only 45 % of people saying they'd vote for one."
– ilovecatfish
An atheist candidate isn't necessarily a big strike.
Double Negative
"I wouldn’t not vote for someone just because they were atheist."
– HabitualEnthusiast
Credibility First
"This is it. If they’re running on platforms I support with a history to back up those campaign promises, I don’t care if they belong to the church of the flying spaghetti monster. They could literally be a member of the satanic temple and I, an actual practicing Christian, would give less shi*s than a constipated sloth."
"Edit: yes, I realize the Satanic Temple does not actually worship satan. I used it for that purpose. The Church of Satan has some…problematic views and I probably would not vote for someone who literally holds a platform of eugenics."
– Phoenix_of_Asclepius
Some view the role of religion in politics as important.
It Depends
"Religion can be relevant: I would have strong reservations about voting for a Scientologist, even if I agreed with the policies they proposed. I would have strong reservations voting for a member of an apocalyptic cult or, possibly worse, a follower of the (highly heretical) 'prosperity gospel,' which unfortunately includes more and more so-called 'evangelicals' — I didn't vote for George W. Bush, but it's not because he was an evangelical."
"It depends on the role: I'd probably be more flexible with a legislator than an executive (mayor, governor, president), as their character is IMO more important than for a legislator and their policy stances somewhat less important relative to a legislator."
"Satanic temple — well, that's just an organized group of atheists and humanists with an intentionally inflammatory choice of name. They're generally fine people."
– alyssasaccount
A Bad Rap
"The Satanic Temple is an excellent organization that every decent person should be able to respect. A Church of Satan member, not so much."
"There's a huge difference between them!"
– StarsEatArtBooks
And Redditor boganvegan said it best.
"Better an open atheist than a fake Christian."
It all boils down to trustworthiness. Without full transparency, how could anyone put their faith in a candidate who spews nothing but lies?
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I'm always freaked out when I'm home alone. Lights on. Yeah, my electric bill is high.
Dorothy?
Wind Conan Obrien GIF by Team CocoGiphy"I dreamed the front door blew open at the exact time the house alarm went off... I hopped up and sure enough, the front door was open. No intruder."
fatowl
I See You
"Not home alone but only one in right side of the house. Went to my mom's bathroom to wash my hands and saw a pair of feet behind the half open door. Laughed and said 'very funny Ma, I see you.' then finished up and left. Bumped into my mother in the kitchen unpacking, nobody else was in the house. I'm glad whatever was behind the door didn't peek out."
SatanWithFur
“It’s Doug!”
"One night I had forgotten to lock my apartment door and woke up in the middle of the night. My bedroom door was about 2 feet from my front door, as you walked into the apartment. First a big dog ran by, then a person. Holy crap I was so scared and I screeched 'Who is it?!?!!'"
"A man said 'It’s Doug!' As I was thinking to myself, who the f**k is Doug, he said 'oh, crap.' He turned around to go back out the front door saying 'Sorry.' I asked 'Didn’t you have a dog with you?' He said 'Oh, yeah. Hey, c’mon!.' He left, his dog ran out after him and I locked my front door."
"Edit: glad you all thought this was funny, because I did too, once my heart quit trying to beat right out of my chest! The next day the girls at work thought I was crazy for not being upset, but eh, done is done. Peace!"
scarletohairy
Confused...
"My sister and I were home alone and we heard someone big running up the stairs. The stairs make lots of noise with slight pressure so when there’s someone big on them you can tell. I went out of my room to check but saw no one anywhere and my sister also came out of her room and she asked if that was me I said no and we both looked around to see if there was anyone but found no one in the whole house. We were confused and called our parents and just waited until they got back and that was that."
JtSudbury04
I See You
Staring I See You GIF by QuikTripGiphy"I very clearly saw a guy walk into my room. But when I went after him there was nobody there. I checked in the closet, under my bed, everywhere one could hide in my room."
HighlyOffensive10
This is why home video surveillance is key.
"NO"
Season 5 No GIF by The OfficeGiphy"My parents were on a road trip, just left, and I sat down at my desk. I thought 'Weekend alone by myself' and a voice yelled into my right ear 'NO' so loud it hurt."
Th4ab
Wild
"I managed to lock myself out of my house on my birthday during a tornado while trying to bring my cats to the basement for safety. I later found out that the tornado was approximately a couple miles or less from me at that exact time. The sky was green and it got weirdly calm and then I could hear what sounded like a train coming before I found an unlocked window to climb through. Wild times."
SilverGnarwhal
Saturday morning in the 80s...
"I wasn't home alone but I was awake by myself one Saturday morning in the 80s when I was around 7 or so. I believe my mom was the only one home because my dad went to the lake to go fishing that weekend, and I'm not sure where my older brothers were, maybe they went with him, idk."
"Anyways, my mom's sleeping in, and I'm in the living room by myself, watching Saturday morning cartoons and making a fort out of sheets and cushions. Something made me turn around and I saw my dad in his pajamas standing in the hallway entrance with his hands on his hips, looking the mess I was making and shaking his head."
"He then turned around and walked into my room, which was just off the hallway entrance. Dude. I didn't even look, I just booked it to my parents room and woke my mom up. I don't remember what happened after that, this was around 35 years ago. And yes, my dad was fine, nothing had happened to him."
smriversong
Get the Bat...
"I was at home by myself on a call with some friends when all of a sudden my dog begins to bark like crazy, which was odd since it was the middle of the night and he's usually sleep. I go downstairs to check on him and find him barking at our hall closet, terrified I grabbed my bat that I keep in my room just in case and open the door. There was nothing out of usual at first at then I look down and notice a familiar looking object at the bottom of the closet."
"It was my mom's necklace she had lost when I was 9, (i'm 15 now just to put in perspective how long it's been). I showed it to my mom at breakfast and she was just as shocked as I was. I still have no clue how it got there or how my dog knew it was in there, definitely one of the oddest occurrences of my life."
SomeRandomIdiot14
Meow
Happy Cat GIF by ChubbiverseGiphy"Many years ago, I was 14 or so, my first night alone in the house when my parents were out. Lying on the living room floor reading, my cat sleeping next to me."
"Suddenly, cat wakes up, stares intently into the dark corner of the room behind me, hair on end, growls and then bolts out of the room and upstairs. I look behind me and see nothing, but follow cat upstairs and hide under the covers. Freaked me out."
LairdofWingHaven
Thank God for alarms. I hate being home alone.
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The body freaks me out. But it's all I've got. So teach me some things.
Minutes...
death GIFGiphy"The fastest killing virus takes around 4 days to kill you. That would be Ebola. Your immune system can kill you in 15 minutes."
will477
'locked-in'
"If your brainstem (the part of the brain that mediates most motor control for all of the body) is damaged, you can get 'locked-in' syndrome. That means you're fully conscious and aware of your surroundings but unable to move or speak. The only muscles that remain unaffected in most people are the muscles that move they eyes and the eyelids."
"You're essentially trapped within your own body with your only way of communication being blinking or moving your eyes It can be caused by toxins, blockage of the basilar artery which is the main artery of the brainstem, or other brainstem damage."
4oodler
Explosions
"Some people suffer from Exploding Head Syndrome, which causes them to hear a loud bang when they wake up."
ToraMix19
"When I was younger I believe I experienced this a few times. Sounds I heard were: about a million people talking and laughing all at once, a train that irl would've been about a foot away from me based on the volume of the sound, and a door slamming loudly."
aliaisacreature
Pain
"Not sure if this is by design, but I totaled my car once, almost completely uninjured somehow. Then I looked down to my right hand which I remember jabbing into my dashboard at 55mph. Luckily (unluckily?) only my pinky took the blow. But instead of a floppy-udder full of bone-sand, my pinky was 0.5 inches long."
"Broke no bones, but instead perfectly stacked my phalanges, or finger bones, INTO my hand. This is fixed by a muscular Russian murse grabbing your pinky with both hands and pulling very hard. God I wish they gave me more lidocaine."
TelevisionOlympics
Functions
animation art GIFGiphy"If you have a surgery where they need to move your organs around they might not function for a day as the body assumes that they are dead."
tonythebutcher13
Move things around? You mean that's not fake when it happens on "Grey's Anatomy?"
Basketball Wives Ugh GIF by VH1"The only reason you are not aware of it is because the ambient noise kind of drowns it out because your ears focus on it. If you go to one of those super-silent rooms that absorb all sorts of sounds, it is a really weird way to reacquaint yourself with your body."
Black_Handkerchief
The Mouth
"Idk about the most disturbing but how bad human teeth are. We’d think it’s our sugary and processed diets these days that cause it, but even Otzi the iceman discovered in Italy was found to have terrible teeth, mouth diseases and cavities. It’s odd that even with the most basic of diets our teeth are so bad."
Dorianisconfused
In the bowels...
"I noticed this after my abdominal surgery. When I turned over in bed my guts seemed to fall from one side to the other. Mentioned to my doc and she confirmed it was my bowels rearranging themselves."
squatter_
"Apparently the doctor just throws your intestines back in there higgeldy-piggeldy because there isn't a correct way to pack them neatly."
LostDesigner9
A Quick Burst
"There are a vast number of ways that your body can malfunction and kill you with little or no warning. An aneurysm can go undetected until it bursts and kills you. Getting hit in the chest just the right way can stop your heart. You can encounter an allergen that never previously provoked an immune response that freaks out your body so badly that you die. You literally just never know if your body will just... die."
Unsolicited_Spiders
The body is such a conundrum. Sexy and gross all at once.
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