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People Share The Most Underrated Skills That Everyone Should Master

People Share The Most Underrated Skills That Everyone Should Master
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

It's important to keep your mind healthy as you age, learning new things and trying new activities out.


That being said, there might be some skills you missed growing up you'd be pressed to want to learn now.
After all, there's a chance learning one of these skills, even later on in life, might come in handy at an important, life-saving instance. Don't let the moment pass you by.

Reddit user, Working-Yam-1717, wanted to know what people should get to work learning when they asked:

What is an underrated skill that people should learn?

Start with the basics, learning things you'll definitely be using in your day-to-day life.

Just Get It All Done

"General fixing things around the house like hanging up frames or repairing basic things like holes in the drywall, painting etc, basic electrical work like light switches."

"Sewing/hemming"

"Cooking and cleaning"

rudebish

"Of course with learning basic electrical work, definitely learn about electrical safety. Safe practices are critical, as mistakes can be fatal."

"Source: am an electrical engineer and also work on home electrical."

trummell95

Learn Something New Every Time

"To Cook"

Bishab

"Before I learned to cook I was an incredibly picky eater. Cooking helps you get more comfortable with ingredients. The best part is it gives you full control over your flavours. You aren't stuck picking from a menu. You are only limited by your creativity, skill and accessibility to ingredients when you cook for yourself."

"It can be as complicated as cooking a beef Wellington, or jazzing up some packaged ramen noodles. The best part is you learn something new every time you cook."

Zhalorous

All The Fast and the Furious Folks Look So Cool When They Do It

"Driving a manual. No one will steal your car if it's a manual, because 98% of people don't know how to drive stick."

"Note: this might only apply in the US."

Playingpokerwithgod

Some of these activities are life-saving, in that they could save your life in the heat of a moment. While it might feel silly to practice something like, say, knot tying right now, these people make a good argument for mastering it for future reference.

Learn A Few. You Don't Have To Learn All Of Them.

"Knot tying and sewing"

archeous123

"+1 on knot tying especially. I never did Boy Scouts or anything like that, but I had an odd job in my 20s where I had to learn proper mooring technique: figure 8, sailor's knot etc."

"I wouldn't say it changed my life or anything. But I've never failed to secure anything since, and even just the practice of keeping consistent tautness while tying shoelaces has saved me time on many a run/soccer match etc."

Caruthers

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You Never Know When You'll Need It

"Swimming"

saladgardenfixens

"I finally learned how to swim this year at 26. It felt amazing just jumping in the deep end being able to swim comfortably."

bluebinds

Understand What You're Working With

"Handling and using a gun. Even if you don't own one know your way around one is valuable."

wake4coffee

Learning A Few Phrases In Any Language Can Help You

"Sign language"

itbemythrowaway

"I totally agree. I learned some sign language as a kid after taking classes one summer and I'm glad I did."

"I remember a few years ago when I was in a foreign country a young woman was with her little brother and panhandling (people were treating them like garbage) and I had some change and gave it to them. She started signing "thank you" and signed that I was pretty (which was sweet of her). She was shocked when I signed back to her a simple "you're welcome" and it seemed to make her day."

BlondeBobaFett

"Morse Code. I'm currently learning it. It's really not too difficult but is absolutely useful in a survival situation. Either way, it's just kind of fun. I also learned Sign Language (ASL). My Uncle is deaf and I wanted to learn it."

Extrasherman

Keep The Lights On

"How to check and replace your outlets in your house. Especially in houses that where either cheaply made or are old."

"Our house is about 110 years old, and we checked the outlets about a year in. There were some with knob and tube, some that were severely cracked inside and some that were a fire waiting to happen."

"You can legitimately prevent electrical fires for quite cheap. Just get an electrical receptor tester from Lowes, Harbor Freight, etc (in the US; you can probably get one on Amazon or your local tool shop in other countries). Read the instructions, test ALL of the outlets."

"Then, turn off the electricity going to the area being checked (and ensure it's off), unscrew the outer covering to check the wiring. An easy Google search can help you through the differences of wiring and what is potentially dangerous."

OwlOnASill

And then there's these, skills which, on the surface, may not feel like they matter a whole lot. To get by in this day and age, however, they may be the most critical skills of all. ​

Recall What They're Saying

"Listening. Not just paying attention, but learning to figure out what the end goal is for someone because sometimes they can't articulate what it is they actually need/want."

FrustratedTwenty21

Go A Step Further

"How to separate fact from fiction - fake from true - especially with regard to news."

Back2Bach

"The number of people who don't know the difference between a journalist and a pundit is a lot. It's not necessarily "news" just because you get it from a purported news channel."

SouthOfOz

What Does Make All The Computer Magic Work?

"Programming."

"I'm an entrepreneur with a bunch of tech business ideas. Only problem was, I didn't know how to code. So, I've been learning how for the past few weeks and it really does make you feel like a wizard."

RED_DEAD_REVENANT

Learn To Recognize Them, Not How To Name Them

"Logical fallacies. It would help with knowing when someone's misleading you in an argument and will also help you communicate your thoughts more clearly"

addicuss

"Just don't literally name-drop the logical fallacy during the argument. Not particularly persuasive. Guaranteed to roll some eyes. Explain it in plain English instead. Use an example to show how it's a problem."

spankymuffin

Know Where The Money Comes From

"Accounting. If you want to run a successful business, you really should do an accounting course. Not so that you can do your own accounting. But so that you can understand what others are telling you."

arkofjoy

"Agreed. My granddad always said "watch the pennies and the dollars will watch themselves". Understanding accounting is a must for anyone in business."

ncurry18

Get out there and try something new. You never know when the thing you learn will come in handy. After all, better to know something and not need it than needing something and not know how to swim.

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Red Flags That Signal Someone Wasn't Raised Right

"Reddit user spirallinggg asked: 'What immediately tells you that a person wasn't raised right?'"

Two young boys are having a pillow fight
Photo by Allen Taylor

Parents are meant to teach offspring how to survive in this world.

They're meant to guide us on how to be a good member of society.

But either some parents fail, or too many adults don't get the message.

And all that can lead to a mighty dysfunctional adult.

Redditor spirallinggg wanted to hear about the ways we can decipher if others have bad parenting, so they asked:

"What immediately tells you that a person wasn't raised right?"

Basic human decency is a sign of a good upbringing.

Garbage

"They throw trash out a car window."

shershae

"I live on a busy road and I’m so sick of people throwing their trash in front of my house. Some guy tosses out a tall boy beer nearly every workday. I can’t wait to move. Also- so many cigarette butts! We live in a high fire hazard area so I’m worried one of these days they’ll start a fire. I try to go pick up litter twice a month."

Pinkmongoose

Random Aisles

"People who dump refrigerated grocery products on random aisles."

glockops

"I work in a grocery store. The best one I saw was someone who ordered a hot pizza from our pizza station, which is made-to-order. Then abandoned it in the cooler with the refrigerated take-and-bake pizzas we have."

"I get finding stuff from our service case abandoned, it's already cold and our prices are much higher than some people think (the last abandoned item I found was a $20 container of our fresh fruit salad [which comes in pre-cut]), but the pizza station has set menu prices, they should have known what they were getting into before they ordered."

weedtrek

Be Responsible

"Lack of personal accountability. they can never admit wrongdoing on their part. it's always someone else's fault."

Sona-kin

I always told my kids that a mistake doesn't define who you are... but what you do AFTER the mistake DOES. We're human. We're gonna screw up throughout our lives. It's unavoidable. What we can control, however, is choosing to apologize, fix the situation, make amends, etc."

nakedwithoutmyhoodie

Rude

Mean Girls Gossip GIF by Paramount MoviesGiphy

"When they talk badly about someone who hasn’t done anything wrong behind their back."

flowerzforthedead

THIS. I've seen coworkers talking behind the backs of new employees and drawing conclusions about every aspect of their lives. Like, you've seen that person for three days, you MF.

Cold-Load-4388

If you can't say it to their face, then don't say it.

Why do people have to crap talk?

Check Please

Escalate Customer Service GIF by FILMRISEGiphy

"Being super rude to people in any service profession. There is a time and place for actual, appropriate complaints but I see people constantly abuse service staff for no damn reason. Hell, even using 'please' and 'thank you' seems beyond some people. Bums me out."

CaptainLawyerDude

Others

"Lack of consideration for others."

NewVAinvestor1

"A lot of people do not fundamentally understand other people exist. They understand things exist. They understand those things should be referred to as people. But they do not understand those things have an entire existence and experience all their own exactly like them."

Sh3lls

No!

"When they can't take no for an answer."

NerdyPlaneResident

"I'm going to step up and admit to being guilty of this. For the longest time, I had it in my head that persistence pays off. Some of that was pop culture, some of that was tenacity in other areas of my life being rewarded, and then applying that to interpersonal relationships. Older and wiser me, though is more along the lines of learning to let go. It's still a struggle though, working against that original conditioning."

SergeantPsycho

Professions

"When someone looks down at others based on what they do. That just clearly shows that they've learned the same thing from their caregivers."

Leekayleigh_

"Oh yes. My husband took on a second job doing pizza deliveries. A few people laughed at him doing that at his age. They don't laugh when he explains his main job is simple and, deliveries are just driving blasting tunes and adds $900 a month after tax to our income. Then they see all the travel. Usually shuts them up."

CurvePuzzleheaded361

Offensive

For Real Wow GIF by DeStormGiphy

"Zero manners."'

Fuzzteam7

"I took a guy to a family beach condo because he says he never goes to the beach. Let him tag along with our group. Never said thank you one time. I dropped him back off at his house, and I said can you at least say thanks, he was so offended I asked or was trying to force a thank you."

berrey7

"BUT"

"When someone apologizes, and then adds a but onto it. For example, my boss held a meeting among the kitchen staff where he apologized for his attitude, and then added 'But you guys need to understand that I'm a no-bulls**t kind of person.' No sir, that's not how apologies work."

GimmickInfringement1

I hate a BUT.

Either you mean what you offer or don't say it.

man and woman together with boy and girl looking at green trees during day

Ioann-Mark Kuznietsov on Unsplash

Parenting isn't a simple job.

The health, safety and well-being of another human being is on the line. Eventually that human will enter society with all the lessons or traumas of their childhood shaping them.

That's a lot of responsibility.

But even the most well-meaning parents can mess up.

Keep reading...Show less
People on a date
Photo by René Ranisch on Unsplash

Though we mean nothing by it, there's no denying the fact that there are some characteristics, personality types, and behaviors that we find to be a total turn-off when it comes to dating.

The difficult part, though, is that what we find to be unattractive might be an unusual or unexpected thing to point out to someone else. To each their own, right?

Curious about what others' expectations were, Redditor DawnOfLegion1 asked:

"What's the weirdest dating requirement you have?"

Similar Intelligence

"He should be as smart as or smarter than me."

"There's no bigger turnoff than a guy who is noticeably dumber and there's nothing hotter than a guy who is particularly intelligent."

- _hootyowlscissors

"I'll second this. If he's slightly less intelligent, I can deal with it (although it IS a turnoff), but I've had friends date hot dumb guys, and I never got the appeal. At all. Even if the guy was sweet, I just kept thinking I would feel like I was messing with the village id**t. Not my thing at all."

- LeRuseRenard

Completely Available

"I require my date to be single. Not 'we have an understanding', not 'she doesn't understand me', and not 'we're separated and neither of us can afford an apartment on our own.' SINGLE. Not married."

"The last time a guy told me that his wife was okay with it, I told him that I wanted to hear those words from his wife. Never talked to him again."

- INobodyisme

Mind the Rules

"No getting up at 6:00 AM to do CrossFit."

"No drinking and driving."

"No crazy ex that seems to hang around with them a lot."

- Haelifae

One Word: Reciprocity

"Not a requirement, but if I paid for dinner, you paying for two ice creams or coffees isn’t all that bad."

- Soup_and_Rice

"Reciprocity."

"The older I get, the more I realize how important it is that they put in as much effort as I am."

"It doesn't have to be the same thing, have your own style; but I can't be doing all the work, all the time."

"This is with money (buy me dinner sometimes, offer to get my drink), sex (I can be a little more dominant, but you have to initiate sometimes, you have to be into it, I can't do all the work), romance or intimacy (reach out and grab my hand to walk, touch my back sometimes), or communication (text me first just to check in, for once)."

- TheLateThagSimmons

Weird Requirement: Weird

"She must be weird. And I mean truly, the kind of weird that makes other men run away."

- Vamluck

Just Equally Weird

"They have to be a little bit pervy and a little bit weird."

- CherryApple89

"When I was younger, if I was at the bar and there was a guy I thought might be fun to talk to, I would walk up and in the sexiest voice, I would tell them they have the hottest knees I have ever seen on a man."

"10 seconds flat, I would know whether they were someone I wanted to get to know. So I think I have the weird thing down."

- Dull-Geologist-8204

The Importance of Quiet Time

"I wanna be able to just chill with them doing nothing. I've been with someone who always had to be doing something and it got exhausting really fast."

- Shatteredfart

Seems Fair

"Not currently recovering from something."

"All tattoos must be spelled correctly."

"Employed."

"Four-tooth minimum."

- Mohawk60

Staying on Equal Footing

"Not sure how weird it is, but my rule is that I pay for myself every step of the way until we decide to become a couple."

"After that, we can split the bills, or take turns treating each other, etc., if that is what we both choose."

"Too many times I let a guy buy me dinner, and it is somehow implied that I now owe him something. Nope. All done with that."

- One-Internet-1982

"As a man, I have a lot of respect for that. I don't mind paying for dates and such, but I always get a bit of an icky feeling when the woman expects or demands it."

"I prefer more of an equal partnership rather than old-school gender roles, and stuff as basic as, 'Hey, you paid for the last date, let me get this one,' goes such a long way, and I feel like it also shows genuine interest from the other person."

- CaptainFresh27

Willing to Try New Things

"No picky eaters. It’s okay if you’re not a foodie, but I like to cook, and if you won’t give my food a chance, it’s not gonna work out."

- Pandaburn

A Lover of Drama

"If your profile says, 'No drama, please,' I immediately assume you are the drama or are too immature to handle life’s normal ups and downs and consider that to be drama."

- WillowWispWhipped

Intense Passion

"I love it when they have a hyper fixation."

- Unlikely-Base-4989

"The ADD/ADHD community loves you back."

- YakitoriChicken93

Knowing Your Own Limits

"No horse girls."

"I've got nothing against it, but it’s always very important to them and I’m too terrified of horses to be properly supportive, lol (laughing out loud)."

- Former-Finish4653

What's in a Name?

"They cannot have the same name as my sister or my mom."

"Alternatively, my name is unisex and a girl with my name is a turn on."

- Smellymyhand

Quite the Commitment

"I've decided that anybody I plan to spend my life with has to be willing to buy and ride a tandem bike with me."

- Sheepherder_7648

Despite the prompt being "weird requirements," some of these make a lot of sense, and more people might be adding these to their list of requirements after reading this.

But others are slightly more unexpected and likely fall under the "to each their own" category.

People on a busy street
Photo by Jason Wong on Unsplash

We all find ourselves having an unexpected run-in with someone we know on the street every now and then.

In some cases, it's a pleasant surprise and plans are immediately made to catch up.

In other cases, you dig out the first excuse you can to keep on moving, as this particular individual was not someone you hoped would re-enter your life.

Then, of course, there are the times you run into an ex.

Whether you ended things amicably or acrimoniously, it's always going to be an awkward encounter.

Just how awkward it will be, however, depends on your reaction.

Redditor rageondad was curious to hear how people would react if they unexpectedly saw their ex on the street, leading them to ask:

"You see your first ex on the street, what do you do?"

Nothing But Happy Memories...

"1st ex: say hi, nice conversation."

"All good."

"2nd ex: hide from her again, like I did that one time at the gas station."- jfg1435

Who?

"Ignore him because he’s not worth saying hi to."

"And I wouldn’t care about him at all."- Big-Elevator2491

One Way To Handle It...

"Start taking a sh*t on the side walk immediately."- ceiling_fanzz

Excuse Me What GIF by BounceGiphy

No Harm, No Foul

"Say hi."- hot-breadfruit_poop

"And ask how they are doing."

"I'm a curious creature, what can I say?"- Lamacorn

Nothing But Excitement

"Give each other a huge hug."

"We're going to see each other next week for the first time in 25 years."

"It'll be good."

"We've remained friends this whole time, so we're both looking forward to it."- riceme0112358

"Say hi, give him a hug, ask him what he's doing in town."- m00nf1r3

Couple Love GIF by PantayaGiphy

Ouch!

"Didn't you die?" -Reddit

"Wonder who dug her up."- 8urfiat

"Walk On By..."

"Just keep walking."- MythicalMicrowave

Walking By Moe Szyslak GIF by Football AustraliaGiphy

Even If It Means J-Walking

"Cross the street."- no_days_grace

Avoiding Your Ex In Five D's...

"Dodge, dip, duck, dive, and dodge."- catinatank·

The Passage Of Time

"I would wish her well if I recognized her."

"It’s been over 20 years since I’ve seen her."

"It’s not like we parted on bad terms or anything."- Fangsong_37

Lana Parrilla GIF by Paramount+Giphy

Go For The Jugular

"You've sure gotten old."- drpepper1992

About Face

"Run."- saus_blu

Remain Amicable

"Have a chat."

"We are still friends."- Mentalfloss1

Meg Ryan Comedy GIF by Coolidge Corner TheatreGiphy

Of course, the worst element of surprise is having no idea how we might react.

Try as we might to plan just what we'd do should we ever run into an ex, we can't possibly know what will actually happen should that moment arrive.

Though, hopefully it won't ever lead to defecating on the street.