You'd be surprised don't know how to do what the majority of us consider basic survival skills. For example, before the age of 10, I knew how to cook basic meals and knew how to scrub a bathroom until it shone. I've done my mother proud since then. (Yes, I might also fear her judgment if I don't maintain good habits, lol).
After Redditor Currynrice asked the online community, "What is a useful skill everyone should know?" people chimed in with their suggestions. Take note: You might learn something.
"When I was in high school..."
When I was in high school and failed to get a summer job, my dad made me cook every meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) for the family, every day, for the whole summer, as "punishment". On top of that, I wasn't allowed to ever repeat a dish. Worked my way through a whole cookbook, and then some.
It ended up being inadvertently the most valuable "lesson" he ever taught me. Being able to cook a wide variety of really good meals is a constant source of simple joy in my life... not to mention, it's a massive advantage in the dating scene.
"Learn to identify..."
Learn to identify scam messages:
No, your computer is not infected with flashing multicolor ViRuSeS.
No, hot singles are not waiting to meet you.
No, you didn't win a contest you didn't enter.
No, Nigerian Princes are not sharing their fortunes.
No, the IRS is not calling you to ask for your personal info or for gift cards.
"A lot of people..."
How to listen. A lot of people currently tend to lack the ability to actually listen. It's not about shouting points at each other, it's about shutting up and actually listening to what the other person is saying.
"First aid..."
Giphy
First aid and CPR should be a school requirement with certification before kids turn 15.
"Seriously, too many people..."
How to write an email. Seriously, too many people go out into the wide world with no idea how to write a professional-level email. Writing one the same way you text won't cut it when you are looking for a job.
"How to break out..."
How to break out of someone's grip. I've taught my wife, my daughter, many of my female friends, and back in the day when I was a daycare teacher, all of my students. We had someone try to kidnap one of our older kids once, and that was it, that very day I taught all of the kids and drilled it with them over the next couple of weeks. Even had a Grandmother come in to pick up her Granddaughter and ask for me specifically so that she could thank me for showing her granddaughter how to do that.
Thing to remember, do not try to pull against their fingers, you can hold your body weight by your fingers (think of hanging from the monkey bars by your fingers). Instead pull towards their thumb. The thumb is weak in comparison to the fingers. Also scream "Fire!!", Not help. People react faster to "Fire!!" Then they do for "Help!!" I hope this helps. Many basic self-defense classes will go over this and more. Remember You don't need to be an MMA fighter to get yourself out of a bad situation.
"Everyone should be able..."
Basic car care. Everyone should be able to change their own oil and rotate their tires, at a minimum. Both are super simple and require only a few tools but can save you a lot of money.
"Basic butchering..."
Basic butchering (vegans are exempt). Filleting fish, breaking down poultry things like that. You never know when you will be able to buy whole chicken but not boneless skinless chicken tenders.
It seems..."
How to study correctly. It seems like a small thing but the majority of my school life I didn't have to study at all and I did well anyway. But later on it gets so much harder just to retain information. Learning to study good and well is a skill everyone should learn.
"This skill alone..."
How to negotiate. This skill alone has improved my and my family's life manyfold.
"Anyone can be a boss..."
How to lead effectively. Anyone can be a boss but it takes a special frame of mind to be a good leader.
"The ability to shut up..."
The ability to shut up sometimes and acknowledging that some things might be your fault.
"You can make..."
Sewing. It's extremely useful. You can make/ patch up your own clothes, learn to tie different knots, etc. My mother owns an online embroidery business so one of the first things she started to teach me was how to sew.
This is her business website btw, if you need personalized clothes or masks or something:
"I have fond memories..."
Cooking. My dad would cook everyday for us growing up. I have fond memories as a kid standing by the stove watching him whip up amazing home cooked meals for us. Knowing how to cook full meals as a teenager impressed a lot of girls and their parents. Knowing how to cook good food as an adult provides me with a really high quality of health. Healthy cooking is something everyone needs to know how to do!
"Not only would it prevent..."
How to fight.
Not only would it prevent you from being bullied, but it will prevent you from being a bully. People vastly underestimate how regular fight training - jiu jitsu, boxing, wrestling, and Muay Thai - makes actual physical confrontations relatively distasteful. (Side benefit - getting your ass kicked is a healthy dose of humility that every human should experience at least once.)
"So many people..."
How to see things differently. So many people especially here on Reddit are so caught up in their own views or opinions that they only think how to prove their own views correct, and absolutely refuse to try and view things from a different perspective because they want to be right. Mention anything here on reddit regarding Trump in a non-critical point of view and you will get hammered by downvotes for simply mentioning the orange man in a positive light.
Speaking of which the upvote/downvote system doesnt help this either as it will just domino because of peoples self confirmation/confirmation bias as soon as they see 0 or negative points beside a post or comment.
Being able to actually sit down with someone you disagree with and have a respectable discussion rather than an argument is what actually makes changes happen. Some people still dont get that getting angry or demonizing someone for their views on a subject only pushes them further into where their opinion lies rather than pulling them away from it, after all if you are demonizing them for having different views than your own, why would they want to join sides with you?
"So many tasks revolve..."
Writing is so important, especially when you get into the working world. I find a lot of my training of new workers (customer service) is just getting them to write an acceptable professional email. So many tasks revolve around clear written communication.
"Getting angry..."
How to rationalize things that happen so you don't get angry. This helps in all aspects of life. Getting angry is always the worst thing to do in most situations even when it's the normal response.
"No."
How to accept the answer "no" and be resilient. "No" can send you a different direction but perhaps gain more valuable experience and a better outcome. It can also plain out suck. Bounce back.
"Close your mouth."
Basic manners. Close your mouth when chewing. Blow your nose, don't snort and sniff endlessly. Open doors for people, look behind you so as not to slam doors in faces. Wait for people to exit the elevate/subway, giving them room.... Basic stuff. Be generally polite.
"Learning to look..."
Learning to look at all news stories with a critical eye.
Narratives are on all sides, we need to all learn to develop our own opinions and not blindly listen to others.
"Your brain is biased..."
Critical thinking. Your brain is biased and trying to trick you. Question it always.
"A very simple thing..."
Meditation. A very simple thing but will change your whole life for good. Just 5 minutes with you and your thoughts in a quiet place with simple but deep breathings. Did this for 5 minutes a day for a month and boom, no depression no loneliness.
"Even in a small space..."
Gardening. Even in a small space, a small container, you can grow something.
"How to take things apart..."
Learn some mechanical stuff. How to take things apart and put them back together.
"If you drive..."
If you drive, basic auto maintenance. Just being able to change a battery or a tire can make a huge difference.
While autos have become increasingly hard to maintain there are still plenty of things you can do yourself.
"Probably..."
Touch typing. Probably one of the most useful day to day skills i know and is invaluable for work. Should be one of the basic skills they teach you at school.
"It's easy to learn..."
Learning another language. sign language included. It's easy to learn, can be great if you need communication with someone deaf or mute, and can be put on a resume for being fluent in another language, especially for retail jobs.
"At least one person..."
How to sew. Who do you want on your side long term in the apocalypse? At least one person who can mend and make clothes. I'm not very good at this but I'm learning. And you don't need to be super super good at it. Just good enough at it that you're not exposing yourself to the elements.
Also being able to fix clothes is convenient and being able to make clothes is fun.
"If you ever forgot your keys..."
Lockpicking. If you ever forgot your keys this is probably the best alternative.
It's legal, but only if you lock pick locks YOU own.
"This will get you anywhere."
Being polite and showing respect and gratitude.
This will get you anywhere.
"How to deal..."
How to deal with emotional pain in a healthy way. Pain is inevitable.
"Establish..."
Establish who is really benefitting from what you're supposed to do. I think this is why people are supposed to hate the objectivists. Everything you're supposed to believe is bad for you.
"How to tell when you are..."
How to tell when you are on a downward spiral, what you can do to stop it going downward, and how to help step yourself back up to being okay; and most importantly, how to forgive yourself for spiraling down.
If you can start learning early warning signs; cravings, self-talk, and such, you can learn to catch it earlier and it's not as much work to get back to okay.
Side note: it's okay to not be okay. Definitely. But working towards okay is easier if you can catch earlier your signs and movement towards a downward spiral. You're doing great!!
"When I was around 12..."
When I was a kid, I was that fat guy with the glasses, so things where not always easy back then.
When I was around 12 years old, I got invited to a Kyokushin karate lesson and stuck with it for 15 years. It wasn't about learning to fight others. It was about overcoming your fears, limits, and not giving up when things get hard. I gained confidence and character from these lessons.
This still affects my life on a daily basis in a very positive way and I am still grateful for everything I've learned during this time. I believe it will make any human being a stronger (I mean mentally) person, and help you overcome every day obstacles in life.
"Most of the time..."
Time management. I live by my planner but I still leave room for flexibility. Most of the time I come across people who either are way too rigid or have no sense of responsibility with keeping a schedule at all. Too often people wait until the last second and I just can't imagine how someone does that multiple times and not lose their mind. Learn to multitask, prioritize and be conscientious and adulting is less intimidating.
"Learn how to..."
How to cook basic things. Roast a chicken, make a lasagna, things like that. Learn how to season well. Learn how to prep efficiently. There's are small things to know that can make anyone confident in the kitchen.
"Hopefully..."
Basic first aid and CPR. Hopefully, this is a skill that you never actually need to use, but if it is needed, you could literally save a life.
"I've repaired..."
Sewing. Not even necessarily how to use a sewing machine, at least just hand sewing. I've repaired so many clothing items, backpacks, blankets and even furniture. I just can't stress how useful it is.
"You would be surprised..."
Basic money management. You would be surprised how many people have no clue on how to manage their budgets.
Bonus points if you understand compound interest.
"Especially if you happen..."
Basic kitchen skills. You don't have to be a great cook, but knowing basic cooking practices (knife skills, roasting something in the oven, sautéing, etc.) is invaluable. Especially if you happen to develop any sort of dietary restrictions later on (whether from allergies, weight issues, other health problems, or by choice) where being able to make even the most simple meal in the kitchen might be a lifesaver.
"Learning to budget..."
Time management.
If you find yourself not having enough time, it's either you (a) are wasting time on things that aren't important in the long run, or (b) you are biting off more than you can chew by accepting too many responsibilities.
Time is a lot like money; you don't realize you're running out until it's usually too late. Learning to budget your time like you (hopefully) do your money goes a long way in making sure you have time to do what you need to do, as well as removing things that aren't important from your schedule.
"Where I live..."
Learn how to drive. Even if you can't afford/don't need a car then you have your license and that can't be taken away from you (unless you mess up bad enough).
So many people I know can't drive and it's a huge inconvenience and it means they're dependent on other people. Where I live doesn't have good public transport links so driving is basically essential here.
You never know when you may need to drive a car so it's best to just know how and to get your license.
Do you have something to confess to George? Text "Secrets" or "
- People Explain What The Smartest Person They Know Does For A ... ›
- People Explain Which Skills They've Picked Up In Quarantine ... ›
- People Explain Which Lessons They Learned Too Late In Life - George Takei ›
- People Describe The One Thing That Always Makes Them Think 'That Person Has No Manners' - George Takei ›
When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.
But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.
Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.
It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.
Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:
"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"
These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.
Bleeding Out
"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."
"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."
– DongLaiCha
Tragic News
"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."
– accountnameredacted
Bottom Of The Barrel
"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."
– Crotch-Monster
A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.
Like Father, Like Son
"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."
– psycospaz
Busted
"Flashing blue lights."
– FiddleOfGold
"This sobered me up just thinking about it."
– redmaple_syrup
Losing Sight
"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."
– MissHibernia
Quitting The Bottle
"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."
– omgtater
These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.
Unplanned House Guests
"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."
– Oneinsevenbillion75
Serious Health Warning
"Elevated liver enzymes."
"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."
"So I opted for recovery, instead."
"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."
– Far_Meal8674
The Joyride
"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."
– foxfood9116
The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?
How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.
But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.
Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.
We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.
Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.
These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.
From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.
Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"
"Tale As Old As Time..."
"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","
"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."
"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."
"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."
"Lol!"
"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom
"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."
"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."
"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."
"I think he was a germaphobe."
"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."
"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."
"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.
"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."
"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."
"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000
Money Burn GIF by nog
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Who Wore It Better?
"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."
"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."
"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."
"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'
"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"
"No."- mertsey627
Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...
"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."
"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."
"It was very low key."
"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."
"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."
"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."
"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."
"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa
south park wedding GIF
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See You In Court!
"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."
'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."
"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."
"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."
"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."
"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin
It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!
"I work in a public library."
"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."
"A popular book that just came out."
"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."
"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten
A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!
"My own."
"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"
"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."
"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"
"Unacceptable!"
"This shall not stand!"
"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."
"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."
"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."
"I got over it."- DeathGrover
homer simpson episode 23 GIF
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Holy Matrimony!
"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."
"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."
"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."
"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."
"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."
"It's just a party."
"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree
When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...
"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore
In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...
"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."
"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."
"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."
"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."
"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."
"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."
"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."
"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."
"We don’t offer wrapping services."
"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."
'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae
Customer Service Waiting GIF by Juno Calypso
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Happiest Place On Earth!
"I used to work for Disney."
"That in itself should tell you everything."
"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."
"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."
"Suddenly got worse huh?"
"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."
"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."
"I'm not kidding."
"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."
"My wife worked booking."
"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."
"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."
"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."
"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."
"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."
"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong
Disney World GIF
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The horror!
Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!
It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...
Said absolutely no one.