Knowledge gaps happen to the best of us - and it's okay to admit when you don't know something.
Cognitively, we all "know" that, but it's easy to admit you're not an expert in nuclear thermodynamics (is that even a thing?) or some other complicated-sounding subject. It's not so easy to admit when you don't know or can't do something others deem easy or common knowledge.
Reddit user YungDaVinci asked:
What are you too afraid to admit you don't know?
But listen, let's just throw off the shackles of shame and embrace our collective brainfarts. I can't roller skate to save my life. Like at all. I'm also terrible at riding a bike and my run is the textbook definition of awkward. Physical coordination was never my gift - but that doesn't mean I'm all brains either.
I know practically nothing about how the political system is supposed to function. That's something I've had to go out of my way to learn as an adult - along with a whole lot of other stuff that apparently I should have been taught in high school, but wasn't because I happened to go to high school in the first year where standardized testing took over our state.
Consider me living proof that teaching to the test leads to a thoroughly unprepared barely functional adult. May my blank stares be a warning to you all...
Here are some other people bravely admitting to stuff they just don't know...
Food?
How to eat healthy. Grew up poor where we had a lot of frozen dinners or grilled cheeses and ramen noodles. Now I have no idea how to cook. I try and usually things like simple chicken tenderloins come out fine but I always think I'm going to kill people with salmonella. If I ever cook for you expect it to be cut in half...
All that makes me so afraid so I just end up getting fast food or gas station stuff.
Straight Edge Alaska
GiphyGeography. I'm American and couldn't tell you where most States are, aside from the big ones like California, New York and Florida. Don't even ask me about places beyond the states. It's embarrassing. Until recently, I thought Alaska was an island because on maps its off to the side with Hawaii. I never even thought about how an island could have a straight edge...
Emotions
I don't know how to handle my own feelings.
I grew up with my parents dismissing them all the time, and they never showed emotinal affection to me, so I am very out of touch with my own feelings, especially anger and love since these were the ones that were frowned upon (anger) or never showed in the first place so I could not learn it (love).
I have never talked to anyone about it.
"You Jealous?"
How to ride a bike, told a friend that and every time we were on the bus and he saw a dude riding their bike he'd go: "You jealous?"
- ironwolf
Help or Hurt?
If what I'm doing is going to help or hurt my children. I have so many ideas about how I intend to raise them, but so did my parents and they...failed at times, to put it lightly.
Really wish there was a way to peek into the future to know if what you're doing is screwing them up.
The Art Of Friendship
How the hell you make friends. The only people I know are the 3 or so I grew up with and that's it. I'm clinging to them even though they're going their own directions. I never learned how to make new friends and always got out of learning.
Now I'm a grown man with social anxiety and depression.
Like, I know how you make friends in theory. Talk about similar interests / do similar things together, etc. But nothing ever clicks. Maybe it's because I'm not the most attractive and likable person? Or because I'm boring as hell? Either way, I'm lost. I feel like I never grew up and I'm being left behind.
What Is Love?
Do I actually feel love for anything or am I just masquerading all that I am to avoid allowing depression suck me back into the abyss?
Say What?
How to pronounce a lot of words as I read lots when it comes to pronunciation I may as well die.
30 Days Have September...
How many days are in each month. At 34 years old I really should know by now.
Who?
My downstairs neighbor and her son's names. We've lived in our above them for years now and see/chat them all the time, but for the life of us, cannot remember their names. And now we're too afraid to ask.
Jump!
How to jump a car...
I was walking up to my apartment the other day. Heard some girls in the parking lot talking about how her car wouldn't start. I thought "Hey, my winter kit came with jumper cables, I could help them!"
Then I realized I didn't know how to use them, so I just walked inside rather than have the awkward conversation.... I'm not a good person.
The Words
I don't know the words to the Pledge of Allegiance or the National Anthem. I was a Jehovah's Witness as a kid (they are against "worshiping" the flag and country), and I never went to public school. People always act like I'm weird for not knowing the words, so I just don't mention it.
- erebus0
All Tied Up
GiphyHow to tie my own shoes. I was never taught as a small child and maybe my Asperger's has something to do with it, but for some reason I just can't grasp how to do it or remember how to do it once I manage to do it. I'm not entirely stupid either, as I've been IQ tested and my IQ is above average. I don't know why this is.