Smart People Share Their Top Secret, Extremely Useful Skills In Life

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Simple pieces of advice are the easiest to miss, and sometimes they're the most that need teaching. Thankfully, Reddit user RapidActionBattalion posed the following question, and received many great responses and answers for readers to ponder:

"What life skills are rarely taught but extremely useful?"

Who Will Stand For You When No One Else Does?

Being your own confidence boost when nobody else is there for you. odkaSoakedTaffy

A New iPhone Every Year?

The ability to care for equipment and maintain the condition of literally anything. Too many things are seen as I can just get another one 'disposable' nowadays when really if people just cared a little more about upkeep we would be so much more sustainable. McSleep

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First Aid...

First aid. Viowar

No, Really, First Aid

Seriously, this. When I was in EMS some of the DIY first aid I'd roll up on was mind-bogglingly dumb. I remember one incident where a woman had essentially burned her entire left hand in a fryer. Her husband had read some click-baity first aid hack post that said that toothpaste was good for alleviating minor burns, so they slathered f***ing TOOTHPASTE all over her raw oozing burns. Don't do that.

Also worth mentioning would be the dozens of overdoses where people had just sloshed beer/water/ice all over the patient's face/body/groin, tourniquets on minor finger wounds, CPR on someone screaming at them to stop... just take the damn class, most Fire Departments and libraries offer them for free. ur_tears_r_tasty

Look At Your Finances

I worked in banking for 6 years. I can safely say that 90% of my job was teaching people about budgeting. Small things I picked up: If you are acquiring monthly maintenance fees, you should probably switch to a Credit Union with less requirements (some of them only need you to have "E-statements" and not a minimum balance or direct deposit), major banks steal money from day laborers and people in the service industry because they don't have direct deposit or the required minimum balance, it's a simple fix. 

2. If you are constantly getting over-draft fees, you might be living a lifestyle that your income doesn't support (I understand unemployment, trying to acclimate after a jail stint, or other things are absolutely unavoidable and you have to eat s*** until you get back on top) But most people I dealt with, were spending $500 at a night club after getting a $900 paycheck and they wonder why they're living paycheck to paycheck and will never be able to own a home or get a new car. 

3. WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING you buy throughout the day. EVERYTHING, it'll put it into perspective when you look at it at the end of the week. These days it's super easy to just swipe your card and not think about it until you get a "low balance" notice (I'm guilty of this myself). But seeing a physical document in front of you with the amount of $4-$5 coffee's, $10-$15 lunches, it'll kill you. I could go on but this is a safe place to start. TheIgnoredWriter

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Hit All The Bases

Specifically, 

Never climb higher than you're willing to fall.

Hold the door open for people.

Say excuse me, sorry, and I love you when the time is right

Taste your food before salting/seasoning it.

Eat slowly.

Don't masturbate in public. Doc-in-a-box

Wait, What?

-Why eat slowly? callmeziplock

-Great question!

When we eat quickly, we surpass our full signal. Think about, say, Thanksgiving. Recall the moment you stop eating for a second and take in a deep breath and sigh. That sigh is a signal that you are full--stop eating! We typically ignore that and refill our plate.

When you eat slowly, your body will be more attuned to when it has had enough. That way, you are less likely to over-consume and you will keep your weight at a more steady level. Doc-in-a-box

What's The Stitch?

Basic sewing (how to sew a button back on, mend a tear, and hem pants). It's amazing that people throw away perfectly good quality clothing because a button fell off or there's a tiny rip in the seam. This especially extends the life of dress pants, which are pricey and not fun to shop for. TooFondly

Pay Attention To Your Fellow Driver

Road etiquette. The rules and laws are taught but there are some courtesies that if taught, would make driving a lot better for everyone. Eg, thank you wave, the fast lane policy, how to merge properly etc. iwantyoursext

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Let's Bring It Down

--Conflict deescalation. Not only does this help you at work, at home, but it also just improves the quality of life. My dad has no idea what this means and neither did I until I was about 25 years old. It changed my life in terms of my relationship with my dad, it prevents fights with my wife and has been the reason I credit never, ever having an argument within our household in the last 11 years. It has helped me make very good money in my career. 37tr3n5k

Ever Thought About Where Your Food Comes From?

Cooking. I grew up in a culture where it was a badge of honor to learn how to cook at an early age. And even though I don't hunt for my food or raise my own livestock now, my family did and taught me how to appreciate where your food comes from and how it comes to your plate. I now host kick-ass dinner parties and cook-outs as an adult. BioFuD

Empathy Is Power

Just simply being considerate of others in general.... seems as if its a lost art nowadays... KingofSpades99

Don't Take It Too Far

Knowing how to tell a joke, when it is appropriate, and when to stop. opus_4_vp

Ask: Are You Really Enjoying This?

I don't know if it's a thing, I just noticed it one day when eating a snickers bar. Teenage me read some terrible diet advice about how "French woman are all skinny because they cut all their food into tiny bites and then chew each bite 30 times!!!" So I attempted it by using a knife to cut tiny slivers off my snickers lol. That first bite of a sweet treat is incredible because it's all new on your palette. So are the next few when you're doing small bites. But if you keep eating eventually there's no more newness, I guess? It's like the difference between chugging a soda or sipping it slowly. One you don't enjoy or really taste. The other you can but after a certain point your body will be like "man that was tasty but eh. I'm good now"

It's super subtle and about the same as that signal your body gives you when you're full. Easy as hell to push past and miss it but if you're paying attention it's there. Quicily

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4, 7, 8 Rule

How to control your breathing.

Most people will encounter some type of situation in their lives that causes them to panic, whether it's fear, anxiety, physical pain etcetera.

If you can keep yourself calm, you can handle almost any situation. Vociferous_Logophile

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Which One Is The Salad Fork?

Dining etiquette. It's sort of strange eating with a buddies' parents and they all eat "nicer" than you do. iBeany

Hold That Eye Contact

How to hold a conversation.

I keep hearing that you just need to ask questions. But that isn't a conversation. That's an interrogation. I wish I'd been taught to hold up my own side of a conversation. mpole

It's Not Personal

How to handle criticism. People take things personally and get upset when often it's just a procedural correction or a minor error. Listen and learn without assuming someone is 'out to get you' or 'being an a**hole' just because they need something done differently. butthatisjustme

Below, Not Above

Living below your means. Being low income is bad enough. Being low income and in debt is torture. Living at home, having housemates, shopping secondhand, not eating out are all things you have to stick to until your situation improves. pecklepuff

Elevator Pitch, Go!

Public speaking is pretty important. You never know when you might need to pitch an idea to someone that could make the next 30 years of your life very comfortable. FrontDeskGuy95

You'd Be Surprised What You Can Do

People should learn rudimentary handyman skills -- how to change a tire or a lightbulb, how to work with various simple tools, how to identify a tripped breaker, how to use a crowbar, etc. f***ing amazing how many people can't do this or act like it's witchcraft. cubs_070816

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And Finally, Knowing You Have A Choice...

Choosing your perspective, as opposed to letting every little thing affect your mood.

To put it another way, you can choose happiness instead of waiting for it. Delica

H/T: Reddit