
All knowledge is good knowledge.
Book knowledge and "proper" education are not all the knowledge we need to know.
Street smarts, trusting your gut, understanding human basics... that is all knowledge, that is all power.
Every simple fact can be a powerful tool. Time to start thinking outside the book.
RedditorJamestusk007wanted to hear all about everything it takes to keep going in life, they asked:
"People with street smarts what is your most street tip?"
Street smarts aren't about fighting and hustling, it's about the day to day survival. Lessons sorely lacking in our school systems.
Looks
"If you're in an argument with somebody and they get in your face and then look away, there's a good chance they're about to try and knock your head off." ~ personpickerupper
"mark"
"I'm my experience the first 60 or so seconds of this clip from Atlanta are the most realistic media depiction I've seen of how a real life mugging goes down: https://youtu.be/u18_b2KjIvI. The distraction throw is something I've seen irl. Most muggings I've seen the mugger will hit you in the face with as little warning as possible to throw you off balance and make you compliant."
"The rules of the road are 'friendly conversation to enter their personal space, then an explosion of unexpected violence, then take their stuff.' If you've never been mugged you should know there's not usually people going around telling people 'I'm mugging you, give me all your stuff or get hurt.' They're going to hurt you first and then take all your stuff."
"If you are walking alone and someone says something to you you its a good idea to respond politely but do not stop walking. Allowing a stranger to control your actions with only a word is as good as painting 'mark' right on your forehead. If you stop you're vastly increasing the likelihood of getting mugged or worse. If they follow you, start running. Don't worry about your pride, run." ~ 5Volt
Eyes Open
"Keep an eye on their hands. This might sound obvious. But they start telegraphing their intentions way earlier than swinging an arm. Stretching their fingers or balling and unballing their hands are a not so subtle way of telling you they are planning to take a swing and not just talk crap."
"Edit: a couple of people pointed out that they do this behaviour regularly anyway. And yeah that's a thing, I've got a wicked case of PlayStation thumb from my youth and do it a bit too. Don't punch someone just cause you see them do this. It's really just an indicator that something might be up. Not something to act pre-emptively on." ~ Forward-Village1528
Music Problems...
"I was mugged when I was 18. I was stupid and walking around at like 3am with headphones blaring. All I remember is something hit me HARD in the back of the head and I went down. I was small too, about 100lbs. My headphones fell out and I felt these hands searching my torso, as well as someone on top of me."
"I immediately just started screaming at the top of my lungs and writhing and moving around as much as possible. We were in a residential area so someone would've heard me eventually, hopefully. I kept doing that and the person got up, and so did I. That is when I screamed at the guy and started to chase him down the street in flip flops... he ran."
"Probably not the smartest move. Scariest experience ever. I do not do that anymore and I never walk late unless I have too. I am always aware and never stop to talk to anyone either. I learned my lesson... he didn't manage to take anything though." ~ messyemotionalgirl
Money
"Never talk money on public transportation, and never count money in a parking lot." ~ Sn0wpooka
All I'm hearing is truth. Never count money publicly! Why would you even trust the world that way?
You Know
"Trust your gut. You see people acting normally your whole life. You know what it looks like. If you see something that makes you uncomfortable, there’s a reason, even if you don’t know what it is yet." ~ Grindler9
'there's no free lunch'
"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." ~ Galloping_Scallop
"I hate this saying and 'there's no free lunch.' it might be wise to distrust things that are being pushed on you as free (because why would they care about you using it if they don't get anything in return), but i feel like it's also abused by the very people trying to get something from you. they want you to use their 'free' thing over another thing that actually is free. like libre software vs proprietary freeware, or altruistic help vs a help service." ~ uuuuuuuhburger
These Actors Were Perfectly Cast In Their Roles | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Sometimes an actor comes along that is able to reach the audience on a deeper level. The actor that immediately comes to mind is Robin Williams. Although it ...Strides
"Act like you're in a hurry and less people will want to bother you." ~ Itsnotaboutthefiat
"Similarly, don't break your stride. If someone comes up to you, don't be rude or aggressive but don't stop walking. If they want to talk they will have to walk next to you. Its a hell of the lot harder to casually get in-front and in the face of someone who who wont stop moving. That said I give this advice as > 6 foot man with a naturally quick stride, so your experience may vary." ~ mad_cheese_hattwe
Scammers
"If you're walking around a big city and someone walks up to you and asks you your name or is anyway friendly, they're about to try to con you. I was just I'm NYC where the CD scam is prevalent (con artist asks you your name, they your name on their hip hop CD and when you accept the CD they intimidate you to pay for the CD). Just keep walking. Don't even smile at them." ~ TMdownton916
people
"You don't owe anybody anything, including conversation. People who want to take advantage of you will usually start by initiating unsolicited conversation." ~ apatheticnihilist
Look Forward
"The single most effective, simplest suggestion for staying safe on the street. Staring ahead is also good because your peripheral vision sees movement better. You don't catch all the details, but you're ready for everything. Staring ahead also gives you a kind of driven, restless b*tch face that people don't want to mess with. People move out of your way instinctively as well so they're not even mad/don't notice that they acquiesced to you." ~ gray527
Use your Hands
"Also in a really dense crowd, use your hands like knifes and point in the direction you plan to go, it helped immensely when I worked at Disney and had to get through peak day crowds. It gave a good visual queue to anyone around me that I intended to go a specific way. Not too helpful and also awkward feeling to do so in a less crowded place, like a busy-ish store though lol." ~ miuaiga_infinite
Or even just run...
"I dunno if this is street smarts but so many people lack situational awareness. By that I mean they are not being fully aware of their surroundings. Which has been made even worse with phones and headphones.If you sense anything dodgy trust that instinct and do something about it. I’d rather cross the street and look paranoid that get mugged."
"Or even just run. This group of guys were following close behind me when I was walking home from the pub alone. They could have just been walking the same way but as soon as I hit a corner I sprinted a hundred metres or so and didn’t see them again. I don’t care how strong you are you are losing 99% of the time versus 3 people." ~ qt-uwu
Crossroads
"Look both ways crossing a one way street... there may always be one idiot." ~ Sanooksboss
"My driving teacher stressed it so much, I still think about him from time to time. I've saved myself at least two major accidents by doing this." ~ Hedgehog_Owl
Be on guard...
"Never underestimate anybody, and I mean both ways, good and bad." ~ Reddit
"It doesn’t matter how big or small they are: crazy is a powerful thing stronger than any muscles. You never mess with crazy and it’s often invisible." ~ Noggin-a-Floggin
One Place
"Never go to a secondary location." ~ Amedeo_Avocadro
"Women especially, if you are grabbed and he says he has a gun or knife, take the chance right there. If you are taken to another place you may be tortured and slowly die anyway." ~ zoomiepaws
"This goes for any time someone tries to force you into a car, building or whatever. If you go where they want the odds of you coming back freaking plummet." ~ MrC99
Decoys
"Decoy wallet, fam." ~ ZeroKidsThreeMoney
"People were amazed that I had that. I bought a new wallet and kept the old one in my purse. They were different sizes and material so I could easily tell which was which when reaching into my bag. Leave a few dummy credit cards in there (the fake ones they send with applications that have a bogus name on them) and maybe a dollar and coupons."
"Someone tries to mug you and they won't even know there is nothing in there until you are long gone. I worked and went to school in NYC. So I had money stashed on myself in different locations just in case. If my whole purse got stolen at least I have money to get home."
"I'm talking pockets, bra, socks, shoes. Anywhere you can stash enough money to guarantee safe passage home best to put it there. They even sell money belts with a zipper so you can hide money." ~ bunnyrut
Where are You?
"Act like you live wherever you are -- like you know the place. Like you know exactly where you are going. I use a wheelchair and do this whenever I travel. I figure out where I am going before I venture out. If I am lost, I duck into a store or restaurant in order to look at my phone or ask directions. Be focused on the direction you are going and don't act like a freaking tourist."
"Ironically I feel much safer by myself when I can act like this instead of when I'm traveling with some clueless friend or relative who has to stop for pictures every 20 feet. I rarely, if ever, get approached for money or anything when I am by myself. But throw in my dumb aunt Susan and we're brushing off weirdos all day long." ~ on-the-h
Be smart. All kinds of smart. Street smart is essential.
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No one can deny that the first year or so of the global pandemic was a difficult time for everyone.
In addition to the fact that people had to remain home, and limit all communication with friends and family through phone and video chat, people had to adjust to working or studying from home, and be on their guard when out and about in public.
But now, just over two years later and as things seem to be easing back to normal, one can now look back on these difficult years and realize the many lessons we as a society have learned.
Some might fill our hearts with hope and optimism and others which might infuriate us for the rest of our lives.
Redditor Affectionate-Ad1060 was curious to hear all the lessons, the good and the bad, people otherwise might not have learned were it not for the pandemic, leading them to ask:
"What is the most important lesson learnt from Covid-19?"
Healthcare needs fixing.
"Healthcare needs an overhaul."- Toxic_Politician
We could have been better prepared
"When the sh*t really hits the fan, we're f*cked."- idkijustlikememesetc
We overestimated people's concepts of basic decency.
"That it wouldn’t take much for civilized people to turn on each other."- hindmaja
"Most grown adults are nasty and have to be reminded to wash their hands."- shantyirish13
"People are sh*ttier than I expected."- WhitePhatAss
Cherish every moment
"You should take the time to spend with those you love."- idontworktomorrow
Nothing wrong with a little alone time every now and then.
"How comfortable I seriously am with just myself."- equidistant_life
Nothing.
"Bold of you to assume we’ve learned anything."- Airsoft07
Don't give in to vices.
"Alcohol doesn’t improve my life."
" t just feels good for a moment."
"9 months sober!"- bugaboo2013·
Major differences between city life and country life.
"The biggest take away I can come up with is how under serviced rural areas are."
"The local grocery store can’t offer curb side pick up, door dash doesn’t exist here, all the answers for what we should do in a pandemic aren’t feasible where there’s only 500 people."- medicff
It's necessary now and then to stop and reflect, something we all had plenty of time to do in the early months of the pandemic.
And though some major problems became more apparent, which we still need to continue working on, one can also appreciate that maybe the pandemic was the great big reset button the world needed to improve the many things which were otherwise being overlooked.
Here's hoping we remain proactive in continuing to make the world a better place.
OnlyFans was a groundbreaking step in content creation, allowing content creators to earn funds and tips directly from their subscribers.
And though not created expressly with this intention, it has proven hugely popular among both professional and amateur sex workers and porn performers.
So much so, that a threat to ban all adult entertainment from OnlyFans in August of 2021 was immediately squashed six days later.
Not having to be a professional has resulted in countless people creating and OnlyFans page as a side hustle, no doubt also taking it as an opportunity to explore a part of themselves they otherwise might not be brave enough to.
Others, however, are far too intimidated to even think about creating an OnlyFans page.
Curious to hear what might be stopping them, Redditor Sense_Conscious took the opportunity to find out by taking to Reddit to ask:
"What’s stopping you from having an OnlyFans?"
One of the hardest things to do in life is to stick to a budget. No matter how well you plan and how determined you are, you always seem to overspend a little.
Usually, this is a result of certain items being overpriced. Between run-of-the-mill inflation and shortage of goods, and the addition of pandemic-related inflation and shortage of goods, several items have been marked up.
In addition to goods, events and services are costing more as well.
The worst part is a lot of the stuff that is overpriced are actually items that people can't stop buying. People can't stop overspending if they aren't able to stop buying.
Curious about what overpriced items people keep buying, Redditor Sxzym asked:
"What's something that's way too overpriced, but people still keep buying?"
An Awful Business That's Always Needed
"Funerals"
– sparklingshanaya
"Just throw me in the trash."
– snyder005
"I’m thinking about starting a business as a funeral planner. I know it sounds like a stand up bit, but I’m serious."
"It’s not like the average person understands the business, the rules and regulations, and the prices."
"So essentially, you’re making thousands of dollars worth of decisions while you’re an emotional wreck. Plus everyone is trying to squeeze extra money out of you by gaslighting you into thinking you’re a cheapskate that doesn’t care about your dead loved one."
"I go in not knowing the family nor the deceased and I certainly don’t give two sh*ts if a funeral director thinks I’m being cheap."
"The only thing that sucks is I would have to get paid too, so that would kind of ruin the whole point. So part of me just wants to volunteer my efforts."
"I just really hate when people get bent over and put in debt after losing someone. It’s so disgusting."
– Deleted User
Addicting Goods
"Cigarettes"
– Poopikenz
"This one hits home. Everytime my mother buys a pack of ciggies and bitches about the rising costs but absolutely refuses to try the MUCH cheaper alternative which is vaping, the same device she seen me quit cigs on lol."
– ItsAnAvocadooThanks
"I feel this lol"
"I’ve had issues with other addictions in the past and managed to kick the bad ones but haven’t been able to quit smoking."
"At 2 packs a day with the price being between 6-8$, that we will call 7 is about 5k a year and I’m about a decade into this so I’ve depend around 50k on cigarettes in my life."
– GenericUsername19892
Fast Food
"Fast food. Gone are the days of the dollar menu"
– Bending_toast
"F*ckin fast food man, McD’s is expensive as sh*t now a days."
– iaintlyon
"Fast food. I see lines of cars in just about every joint I drive past. Spending who knows how much money on one meal that has no nutrients. I spend the same amount on food that will provide me three meals, with nutrients that will help me through my week."
– HeartPalpitations46
Medical Supplies
"Insulin. It's like they need it to live or something. Lol."
– uwumcuwu
"Inhalers too. So ridiculous it's not like I'm choosing to not breathe"
– adnoh1799
Apple Products
"Not to start a phone war, but i myself think that Apple products in general are way too expensive."
– Lo0tzz
"I might be wrong on this but it seems like every time they come out with a new iPhone all they add is a bit more battery life and a few better camera features when they’ve already had an excellent camera since iPhone X and 11 because that was the whole gimmick of those devices but they keep adding more camera stuff and then slap on a hundred more to the price."
– zRudy_Jimmy
The Essentials Of Eating
"Grubhub/Uber eats/door dash, etc"
– MonkeyDDeclan
"And when you have small children at home, thus making you unable or unwilling (depending on the circumstance) to just run out and pick up the food yourself, you wind up using then FAR more often than you should."
– dkonigs
The Completely Necessary
"Health care."
– dangoins
"Insurance I mean, it's necessary, but still..."
– asianchopsticks__
"Women's hygiene products."
"It should be dirt cheap, if not free."
– Marmite_Badger
Hydration
"Water. Should never have to pay for it."
– mattekus
"Bottled water - obviously only where safe, clean drinking water is available from the tap."
– McStabbityStabStab
"Our tap water at our apartment tastes like dirt so we usually get a 24 pack and go through it in about 2 weeks. We always get the store brand, though. Never name brand."
– captainbuckybarnes
Fulfilling The Food Groups
"pre-sliced fruits and veggies at the store. The markup is insane on those things lol"
– -MACHO-MAN-
"In Tennessee a whole watermelon is $4.99. Also, 1/4 of a watermelon is $4.99."
– usedTP
"I hate myself a little every time I buy pre chopped veggies but damn it if they aren't worth it when my arthritis flares."
– thatspookybitch
Learn A Lot
"College education after associates."
– Cozycouchandtv
"University or college education"
– ThirdSpectator
Sadness
"The American Dream."
– Thundersiege_Tank
"happy endings"
– revpar35
Ouch. That's a harsh reality!
There are so many life lessons we learn way too late.
One of the biggest is that life itself is not as difficult as we chose to make it.
Humans always seem to take the long road.
Maybe that's just life.
Maybe it's meant to be arduous until we learn to think smarter not harder.
Redditor rectangularbearwanted to have a chat about the aspects of life we all wish we could've experienced a little easier.
"What's a life lesson you learned the hard way?"
I have nothing to add. I only know how to make anything and everything hard.
Slow Down
"Don't fall too fast for someone."
liftoffsavage
"That's why it's called falling."
ShoppingOutrageous87
Too Much
"High expectations are prone to leading to disappointment. This applies to all things, but personally, I find that it applies to people the most."
Artistic_Bug630
"I messed up with this big time. Talked me ex fiancé up like she was an angel straight for heaven. Turned out to be the Devil wearing Prada. Had to walk into church by myself looking straight busted when everyone found out my 'angel' dumped me."
RealTalk1250
The Smile
"Go to the dentist. Teeth don't heal, they only get worse."
Present-Skill-4114
"I know a guy who can’t understand why he can’t get a girlfriend. All of his teeth are rotted and discolored except one. Idk about anyone else, but to me that’s worse than just having no teeth at all. Idk if he realizes how much worse bad teeth can make you look."
Shadowweavers
Bad Blood
"Just because someone is family doesn't mean they will not screw you over."
Great-Panic-9504
"I too am among some of the many who have learned this the hard way. Foolish me experienced this time and time again before I finally realized that I have friends who have made better family than any of the blood related members of my life."
Mystrrrscat2901
"I really hate the 'Family is everything' mentality some people espouse, as if the accident of blood relation excuses or entitles someone to abusive, manipulative behavior."
Dahhhkness
Single is Happy
"Don’t settle, and if you get the vibe someone is settling for you, end it. Loneliness isn’t half as bad when compared to heartbreak."
TheStinkBoy
"Regretting that single Tinder swipe after dating a paranoid for 11 months now, scared as hell for what could go wrong if I dump her."
bright-son
Love is one of the most difficult things ever. Why so?
Seriously?!
"That when my Uncle says 'I won't bail you out of jail' what he actually means is 'I won't bail you out of jail.' Who'd have thought."
blaze980
You got You!
"Nobody is gonna watch out for you, like you."
1980pzx
"I saw something the other day written by another foster parent that said 'I became the kind of person I wish would've saved me when I was a kid.' Punched me right in the feels because it's absolutely true, for me anyway."
MissSassifras1977
The Heat
"Don't set yourself on fire to keep other people warm."
realistic_b**tard
"Woah. This is all I've needed. I will never be the same. I will never think the same. I swear my life will only get better from here on. Such a simple sentence. Didn't think a reddit comment had the capacity to change my life so much. Obviously you haven't invented the phrase, but thank you for your comment."
fairycxt
Keep Trying
"Don't give up on something without even trying. Even if you are convinced you will fail. In life, no one will do it for you, you have to do it yourself."
Automatic-Cat-7777
"Yes. And don’t gauge your potential on your self-confidence. Even if you feel there’s no way you can do something, and even if you fail miserably on your first try, keep trying. You’d be amazed at how many people who got good at something but started out as the worst at it."
vanityislobotomy
Say Bye
"Trust your gut when friends do bad things. It’s ok to leave relationships."
Myrtle_The_Tortoise
Life doesn't have to be so hard. Why do we make it so?