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43 Pieces Of Common Knowledge People Admit To Learning Embarrassingly Late In Life
We tend to have an idea of the various things we should know about, taxes, death, and simple math, but we are burdened with the knowledge that we are supposed to know it by a certain age. Out of embarrassment, we just don’t let on that we aren’t sure about something, as at that point we are too afraid to ask.
One internet user wanted to learn what others only realized way too late in life. The lessons ranged from practical to juvenile to poignant, so make sure to upvote your favorites and comment your own experiences as you scroll through. And take notes in case some of these are relevant to your own life.
More info: Reddit
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#2
There's no such thing as "feeling like an adult" I'm 34 and still forget I'm an adult sometimes lol
#3
That my height shapes how people perceive what I say. I'm a 6'4 male with a deep voice. I learned it at 40 when I had a boss who was 6'6. I was suddenly aware of my own height and the power position, looking up to him. I realized pretty much everyone is looking up at me, and I began smiling more and asking people questions about themselves to reduce the power implications of my height.
#4
That we should shake the CEO's hand with the exact same enthusiasm and firmness as the janitors hand.
#6
My grandmother had a clock that would break if anyone touched or tried to move it. I always found that curious. Then some time in my 30s my wife and I were talking and it came up. I was wondering how they moved it out of their house after they passed. As I was explaining “… I think it must have had some delicately balanced mechanism or something that would be disrupted if moved…” my wife’s face made me quickly realize it was just a lie told to young me to keep my dirty clumsy hands off of it. Also, I’m an engineer.
#9
you know metal? that genre of music that's loud and yelly? it's called metal because it's harder than rock
#10
That I'm an introvert and shouldn't try to replicate the lives of the extroverts around me. Also, I'm nowhere near as booksmart as I thought I was.
#13
I got a good one! I grew up and Brooklyn, New York. Believe it or not I never knew j walking was a thing. So when I was in my 20’s I ended up in Hawaii thanks to the military. I was crossing Kalākaua Ave in the middle of the street and two cops started yelling at me. They were yelling at me about j walking and I thought they were messing with me. I started laughing and told them that not real. One of them got real mad and wanted to detain me but his partner was like “ where you from? “ I told them Brooklyn and they both started laughing and explained to me that the rest of the U.S. has this thing called j walking. 😂😂 I felt pretty silly afterwards not knowing a pretty common law.
#14
The adults in my life never had it figured out either, they just made it seem like that to a kid.
#17
That the housework can wait awhile. To sit and enjoy the dinner I just cooked with my family. The dishes will still be there when I get to them, they ain't going anywhere lol
#18
That there are no guarantees, you may never find love, tragedy may befall you, you may not win, you may die alone.
#19
Insurance and credit cards. Trying to figure out basic adult finance stuff without any guidance or help will force you to feel like an idiot for a long time.
#20
That cows had to have had a calf to make milk. They don’t just make milk. I had to be a mom myself and nurse my kid when it dawned on me.
#23
It never made sense to me that we would go under tables during an earthquake, because wouldnt the ground crack open? The table wouldnt do anything then?
Wasnt until last year I realised that it was to stop debris from falling on us. Smh
#24
Life is too short. Take the time to stop and smell the roses. RIP Myles grandpa loves and misses you
#25
That not everyone has a storyline ongoing inside their heads. I used to be inside my own and would laugh at things happening in my story, and everyone would look at me funny; so glad that I wear a mask now.
#26
Why girls in high school often didn't participate during sports class.
"You don't feel well? Why don't you go home if your sick?"
10 years later: aaaaaaahhh...
#29
“Queue” is not pronounced like “kwee wee”. I learned this in a meeting at work when I mispronounced it.
#30
Actual hygiene. It wasn’t until I was 12 and went to summer camp for the first time that I realized when you shower you’re suppose to wash yourself with soap. I would just wash my hair and hangout for while because I liked the hot water, THANK GOD I DIDN’T SWEAT A LOT.
#33
I learnt that we're supposed to brush both sides of our teeth . The inner side needs to be brushed as well.
I saw all of the commercials just showing them brushing the outer portion so i assumed that this is the way
#40
My whole life is an embarrassment if that counts. I'm in my thirties and I still struggle with basics.
#42
How to brush my teeth. I was super neglected as a child so that is something I've always struggled with and even after going to a dentist for 2 years and having exams every 4 months I only learned last month that you need to brush your gums 🤷🏻
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