I can do many things. Things that are astonishing and mean nothing. Like so many of us we all harbor skills and abilities that others wish to be experts in but... they're mostly useless.
I can balance and catch ten quarters off of my elbow and then catch them when I throw my arm down. Someone call Guinness, and not the beer.
I promise there is no reason to put that on a resume. But don't ignore special skills, because they are perfect to be the life of the party. And being the life of the party is a skill.
Redditoru/dawnsic wanted to hear about everybody's hidden talents that may (but probably won't) change the world, by asking:
What useless thing do you excel at?
Let's find ways to excel. We need that, especially now. No matter how insignificant, tell us all about it. Anything can be a conversation starter.
Bumps
Drew Barrymore Goosebumps GIF by CBSGiphy"I can control my goosebumps. Science says I shouldn't be able to control an autonomic response. But here I am, killing it."
I recognize...
"I can recall and recognize to this day people that I was in preschool with or have seen very briefly. When I was dating my ex I would see someone that I recognized and would walk up to them and do the whole "aren't you so and so from blank?" It gave them (my partner) extreme anxiety because strangers and what if I was wrong but I am always right, every time."
Top Marks
"I was the top Latin student in my high school and always got top marks on the national Latin exam. Too bad I had no interest in studying classics, but I'm holding out hope that I'll be able to time travel to Ancient Rome before I die."
- anderjp1
"Chances are you wouldn't be understandable anyway since it would be hard to know how any commoners spoke."
CLICK
"I can click my tongue REALLY loudly."
"My friend's daughter is like this! It was a natural talent practically from birth (she's only 7 now). I chuckled that it feels like it has to be genetic because she was adopted as an infant but is ethnically Xhosa, which is one of the languages that uses clicks."
- arcinva
Make a Wish
Happy Birthday GIFGiphy"Remembering birthdays. I remember people's birthdays even if I haven't talked to them in over 5 years."
So far, I'm intrigued. I would love to control my goosebumps. And remembering birthdays is a gift. I've given up on trying. Tell me more...
I See You
Watching You Tina Fey GIF by Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtGiphy"Being able to perfectly recreate facial expressions of other people from memory that they do, that no one else really recognizes until I do an impersonation of them. It's a great party trick that gets lots of laughs especially if a few people know that person."
Tongues Out
"Touching my tongue to my nose, however this has gotten me a free drink at a bar."
"You know that game where you catch a stack of quarters off your elbow with the same hand? Apparently my dad used to go to bars with NO MONEY whatsoever and get his whole bar tab paid by doing this lol. Turns out it doesn't have to be so useless."
People Share Which Social Norms Absolutely Baffle Them | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Do You Hear?
"Vibrating my eardrums."
"HOLY FREAKING CRAP!!! I have tried to explain this to other people my ENTIRE LIFE and no one understands what the hell I'm talking about. And now I find out that not only do other know about this, but there's a name for the body part responsible for it. I freaking love you beautiful reddit people!"
LETTERS
"Word searches."
"I used to be a word search demon in elementary school, especially if prizes were involved. Especially if they have those word searches that give you backwards diagonal words, you know it's going to be a banger."
Memory Loss
Will Smith Memory GIF by STARZGiphy"I am amazing at keeping secrets because I forget them immediately."
Hidden Talent
"I am fantastic at folding a standard piece of paper into thirds, brochure style."
"Maybe you could do a Twitch channel (asmr category). Maybe spa music and pleasant paper folding. If it is profitable, think of deducting the paper as a business expense and potentially launching a cute brochure template on Etsy."
I Know Them
"So I have photographic memory with actors in films. It's like a photographic recalling of what film they were in and what role they played. Even if I saw the film years and years ago. I remember their voice and body language; it's usually a particular line they say which I try to use as an anchor for placing them. It's odd because I'd say I'm very tuned in to people's body language and general mood which may have something to do with it."
northern ireland football GIFThe Notes
"Memorizing songs after just listen to them once."
"Ah that's what I was gonna say, my boyfriend will show me a song for the first time and I can sing along to the second chorus. The only way this would be useful is if we were in theatre or something?"
- mellb00
"I hate this. I listen to songs a few times, I remember everything, and then I sing them in my head for the whole day, then that song becomes boring, and i start hating that song. it's completely useless and it's just taking space in my head, but i can't stop it from happening."
9 to 5
"I thrive at looking busy at work while doing absolutely nothing."
- Jjay_11
"I would argue this is not a useless skill especially since most jobs I have had in my life I am given 10-20 hours of work to do in a week and I am expected to be there for 40. This is why I am loving working from home."
Info Wars
"Retaining loads of absolutely useless information. It's my true talent but a waste of brainpower."
- gooqie
"You must be my long lost sibling, I too, am full of useless information. Information that I drop on unsuspecting people every chance I get."
Look Close
Cat Staring Contest GIFGiphy"I can win a staring contest against anyone. I consecutively beat 6 people without a break. I've held my eyes open for about 10 minutes without blinking, I've made people uncomfortable in every sense of the word."
Classic Moves
"Remembering useless and obscure information from video games I've played over twenty years ago."
"I was playing Zelda II on an emulator when I was 18 or so, so like 2004. My dad walks by, looks over my shoulder, and says "move five blocks right and one up." And there's the secret hut! We hadn't had the NES even set up in MANY years."
"This ability for me at least has also migrated to TV Shows and films. Haven't seen a TV show in a few years, catch literally a few seconds of the show and I instantly know what series and episode it is."
Face Off
"Facial recognition. Some profs from the UK developed a test to study it. I'm in the top 0.1% apparently. I've recognized people i stood in line at a Starbucks beside years later while they were zipping by in a car. I have not found a use for this. Greenwich University is where the study was done."
Virtuoso
Season 2 Dancing GIF by The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirGiphy"Learning something fast, but not good enough to excel in it. I've learned basic guitar, piano, cooking, drawing, basketball, shooting, video games on my own. I never get really good at it, but I can do it. Except maybe dancing. I just look bad when I dance."
Be great at all the things you can be, no matter what. Even if your skills won't change the world. You never know if ten quarters on an elbow could entertain the Queen. There is a game changer.
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