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..."
GiphyFirst 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.
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