As a child, whenever you had a problem, you most likely went to your parents or some other adult to solve it. But as you grew up, you learned how to do things on your own. Part of being an adult is having a grasp on certain basic life skills - however, as it turns out, not every life lesson is as basic to one person as it is to the next.
The New York Times editor Jenee Desmond-Harris recently shared on Twitter her landlord's unexpected know-how blindspot, and then asked the internet to share their own. People delivered all sorts of hilarious answers, and some of them you might be able to relate to - from social skills such a the dreaded small talk to vital work skills. Scroll down to check out some of the best responses, and don't forget to upvote your faves! And don't forget to let us know in the comments, which seemingly simple things you've missed along the way.

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why is everyone getting down votes for saying me too??
I agree people do not deserve downvotes for that, but really it's the wording that assumes "everyone does that" and bla bla bla. Anyway, you all get an upvote from me although I disagree with you all. ♥
Load More Replies...You don't deserve a downvote, so I'll upvote you back up, but no. Not everyone does that. Only once in my life I had a bikini that had an unusual hook system that required me to do that, but otherwise it's easy to do it on my back directly without looking.
Load More Replies...wait, there are women who reach around and hook it in the back? weird.
Wait wait wait... you mean some women actually hook it at the back?? How the...
True. They're more expensive than the ones with rear hooks.
Load More Replies...i could hook it in the back if necessary but it's far easier and makes sense to do it this was (in front and move to back).
coming from a big immigrant italian family, i have the worst time scaling down recipes. everything was made to feed the whole clan. making food for like 2 people is insanely difficult for me.
How much weight should I aim for with 2 people eating 1 portion each? I have the same problem of cooking too much, never thought to weigh it. :)
Load More Replies...Cooked potatoes can be frozen. Then you just thaw them in the microwave.
Load More Replies...I just cook the whole jar of sauce and the whole box of noodles for me and my husband and we put whatever is left over in fridge for the next day. It reheats just fine
Throw some mozzarella and Parmesan on top, stick it in the oven on 350F, bake about 30 minutes, or til cheese is lightly browned. Mmmmm
Load More Replies...Whether it’s tying our shoes, correctly reading the face of a clock or learning to swim, we’ve all had a bit of trouble getting to grips with certain important (and elementary) life skills. Some people even find basic things like fixing the plumbing or driving a car to be — well — basic. But there’s plenty of us have a lot more trouble, because we might be afraid (a lot of us may have panicked the first time we went to a community pool) or we simply might have had no need for a particular skill (we may prefer getting around by bike rather than by car if we live in busy cities).
Everything that happened to me happened "when I was like 12".. I could have been 4 or 25... but when asked, it's always "when I was like 12".. that was a busy year apparently!
Oh I am notorious for this!!! Time is just one big blob... I like to live in the moment anyways, shesh!! lol
Thank goodness! Thought is was only my daughter and me! I've learned to heavily rely on notes, clocks, and calendars. My poor nine year old is worse; she'll say "Remember last week when we..." about something that happened the day before or even that very morning!
Gets worse as you get older 🙄 After all, the 1990’s were last decade, right?
I got married in my birthday because that's the only date I can remember..
Sometimes I think I've nailed this adulting lark and am now a fully formed member of the human race. Then I try talking to a stranger and realise all I've done is cocoon myself in friends who don't mind talking about D&D 24/7
i HATE small talk. it's just boring nonsense for me. this is why i hate talking to people
Are you from northern Europe by any chance? I can't do small talk either, we don't do it, and it's just useless
Load More Replies...This is one of the reasons God invented weather, so we have something to talk about.
And one of the reasons everyone talks about the weather. It is the one and only thing we all have in common.
Load More Replies...I always answer "not much, how about you?" If you wanna talk, then YOU do the talk
"Did you read Trump's latest tweet?" should help in making small talk even if you never read any of 'em.
Yep - we are 'lucky' in that we can have all the seasons in one day sometimes! An example: left the house in brilliant sunshine today but didn't make it home before the thunderstorm terrified one of my dogs who jumps each time. No, it wasn't forecast for my part of the UK!
Load More Replies...We all know the adage that it takes about 10,000 hours to learn a new skill. However, that’s not entirely true. Josh Kaufman, known for his inspiring TED talk and author of the book ‘The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything… Fast!’, has a very different idea.
The + sign has a bump on it. The positive side of the battery is also the one with the bump. The - sign is flat. The negative end of a battery is flat as well. You're welcome!
I have the same problem with batteries. It's actually written on the battery. He, and I, will still have to check it.
Load More Replies...i always remember the flat end goes against the spring, unless it's not that kind of battery or doesn't have a spring.
The flat side of the battery always goes against the spring. Only way I can remember it lol
You mean on the batteries? There is usually a little outline of the battery in the slot showing what direction to put them in.
I once directed my friend in a car and we nearly ended up in another country....
That's me :D we always say I don't have a sense of direction, I have nonsense of direction
I'm that way, too. I have gotten lost in big parking more than once. My son is the opposite. When 6yo, after having visited his new school exactly twice (which was 35 minutes away in a big city), on the first day of school, the bus didn't come. He was at daycare and his teacher drove him, as he directed her. Got her there with no trouble. And interestingly, we had never driven to the school FROM THE DAYCARE. That still blows me mind. He must have been switched at birth.
According to Kaufman, the so-called 10,000 rule has been misinterpreted by the vast majority of people for quite some time now. He notes that 10,000 hours is the average it takes to become “an expert in an ultra competitive field”, which is far from the same thing as learning a new skill This is good news for most of us!
Me too!!! I feel so dumb some times. Living in South Africa I speak Afrikaans. I call kids "pampoen" which means pumpkin. Or "piesang" which means banana. I get away with it because the kids in my karate dojo thinks it is funny. don't think adults would thinks it's funny.
I strongly relate, at ;east you work with kids... imagine being in meeting and having to keep saying "this/that guy" or "this/that woman" really embarrassing to be honest and rude but I just cant help it.
Load More Replies...I can't remember people's names, but I remember their dog's names so easily.
Holy c**p, that is exactly what I'm like. I work in construction and every single customer that has a dog, I instantly remember it and never forget it. But the actual customers names, forget it. Takes me a few weeks usually. I always refer to the jobs by whatever their dogs names are.
Load More Replies...There's a good trick for remembering people's names. When you meet someone for the first time wait for them to say their name. Then repeat the name while introducing yourself. Hi (name to remember) I'm (own name) Or Hi, (name to remember) good to see you again. Repeating the name makes you remember it more easily.
I don't do names either. When someone introduces him-/herself to me, I'm usually too busy not making a fool of myself to actually listen to their name. Rude, yes, but I can't help it.
You aren't being rude. Everyone does that. We get nervous when we meet new people. Instead of listening, our minds are like "Is my shirt on backwards? Did I use mouthwash this morning? I hope my breath doesn't stink! Should I shake their hand? Oh, c**p, I think I missed the moment! Should I try again? What should I do with my hands? Is my posture correct? I should straighten my shirt. Would that be rude? My shirt is on the right way, isn't it? Oh, no, I think she just said something important. I wasn't paying attention. I should say something witty. Now she thinks I'm an idiot. I'm gonna go jump off a bridge now!"
Load More Replies...I have difficulties remembering names and faces too, unless it's a person I'm seeing often and that has been somehow part of my life (friends, colleagues, classmates etc.) Now I work in a big company and, while I do recognise their names and faces, I have trouble CONNECTING the name to the face. Like, we communicate with each other through messengers for work purposes, and small talk during breaks and enjoy each other's company and always greet them.... But don't ask me "who" this person is. Of course, that doesn't happen with my close team mates, I know who's who.
I forget people’s faces. Even if I saw them one second ago. Working in customer service for a long time it was very frustrating. I have to see someone repeatedly to be able to remember their faces.
I always have a snigger when I see in an American movie that a police officer is trying to decide if a driver is drunk or not and they ask them to recite the ABC backwards. I wouldn't be able to do that bone dry :) On the other hand I can totally touch my nose with my eyes closed with a 100% success rate, no matter how drunk I am, and 99% of the case I'd also be able to walk a straight line.
My ex-wife memorized the alphabet backwards just in care she was ever pulled over for a sobriety check. I had to break the bad news to her that the cops would never ask someone to do that .
Actually, they do. I don't know why, unless it's for their own entertainment, because they give the breathalyzer anyways. I saw a friend's transcript from when he was pulled over for drunk driving. I have to admit, it was quite entertaining to read. That boy was all over the place! COP: Sir, I want you to recite the alphabet backwards, starting at "z". DRIVER: z, a, b, c, d.... COP: No. Start at "z" and go backwards. DRIVER: z, y, w, m, p, o, n, m, m, l, r, p. I think that's all of them. COP: No. Not even close. DRIVER: If I admit to being drunk, will you just arrest me and stop all this? I'm too drunk to deal with this s**t right now! (They gave him the breathalyzer test AFTER they put him through all that nonsense. He was definitely above the legal limit.)
Load More Replies...Who the hell can say the alphabet backwards?!!! I don't think that's normal. I also have to sing it in my head/quietly.
I can only remember the alphabet backwards bc I had a hyperfixation a couple years ago…
My weird flex is that I could say the alphabet backwards at 4 (and still can). I have no idea why I decided to learn it, I’m guessing it had something to do with learning to count forwards and backwards so I decided to learn the alphabet that way too.
Kaufman states that to get from “knowing nothing to being pretty good” takes a far shorter amount of time: barely 20 hours. That’s more or less practicing something for 45 minutes every day for around a month. Doesn’t seem so scary, does it? Of course, you can’t multitask while trying to learn a new skill — you need to focus on it exclusively.
Ok. This is a dexterity one. The rest could be mastered by a couple minutes of bloody reading.
My husband and I have to "fire-drill" it for a parallel. He has no depth perception and I park like a boss. 👍🤑🤷♀️
I learned to parallel park by navigating busy grocery stores in my wheelchair! I need to know if there's other silly ways people learned how to parallel park
Load More Replies...There is a technique to this that makes it easier. The key is to be parallel to the car in front of your space, and when the middle of your back axle and the real of the car in front are in a line turn the steering wheel hard to the left or right and reverse in at 45 degrees until about half way in and then unwind the steering wheel slowly until you are fully in the space. If it fails the first time start again.
I'm sure this is a wonderful explanation but all I heard was a foreign language when I read it. Which is probably why I can't parallel park.
Load More Replies...I can parallel park. As long as there are at least two car parking spaces free for me to do my maneuvering.
Years ago my sister and I were taking a walk in our neighborhood and someone asked for directions to the local library. After he drove off, we realized that the directions we gave were totally wrong. We joke that to this day, you can see a rusty old car being driven by a skeleton...still looking for that library.
Awww; I’m sure he went home after a couple of weeks.
Load More Replies...You take a right turn at the green plant with pink flowers. Drive straight until you come across a blue house. Turn left and drive until you count to 10. Cross the stream. And now you are... lost because I have no f*****g clue how to get across the street!
I'm like this too. When I go to the doctors office or a public restroom, I never know which way to go to get out!
I wonder if this goes all the way to the basic of these people not knowing their right from their left. Also, if they're as bad as they say, how do they get where they need to go when they're alone?
They leave home at least hour early. I know I am one of them.
Load More Replies...My husband has a terrible sense of direction in cities. He can navigate rough terrain wilderness without any issues, but you take him to a large metropolitan area and he gets lost. I went to pick him up at a bus station in Atlanta after he visited some relatives. There was no parking at the station, so I parked a few blocks away and sent him very specific instructions on how to find me. Like "When you get off the bus, face the street and head left. Walk to the first red light...." He got lost.
I'm okay with directions as long as they don't need to include compass points. We lived in Point Loma when we first moved to San Diego. Point Loma is on a peninsula, which means there's water on both sides. I got lost trying to go home frequently because I always thought if I headed towards the water I'd be going west.
Once my brother and I were walking our dog and these people asked us for directions to the hospital. Thre was a hospital right down the street so we gave them directions and went on our way. Well, little did we know that it was actually a mental hospital and we gave them the wrong directions anyway. I still feel bad about that...
The trick is to inhale with your mouth when out of water, slowly exhale through your nose while in the water. You can help yourself with humming while in the water.
Except if you exhale while underwater you can’t be under for nearly as long.
Load More Replies...I can't either. I have to hold my nose when jumping in and when I go under at any time. I can't do the 'breathe out slowly so water doesn't go in' trick because I have a very weak lung capacity and can barely hold my breath that long as it is
Ya, and what about people that jump into the water without plugging their noses? How do they do that without water shooting up there?
When you breathe through your mouth, or hold your breath, you can feel a little muscle close off your nose. That is how you swim under water. That little muscle holds your nose closed from inside.
I would love to know how too! If I try to go underwater without holding my nose I get a violent pain in it.
I can swim under water without holding my nose AND with my eyes open.
You're supposed to tie shoes without using the bunny ear thing? Why? I never have
Yeah, I don't know why people look down on it, tbh. It makes nicer looking bows.
Load More Replies...Hey, nothing wrong with the bunny ears method! I do it, and I taught it to my kids.
I taught Kindergarten and First Grade for years and the bunny ears method IS tying shoes (sometimes it even holds better and longer than the "correct" way)! Anything that gets the job done, counts! I've seen kids use the extra holes at the tops of sneakers pretty creatively, as well. Trust me, teachers don't care about the HOWS as long as it's two less shoes we have to stop and tie!
That is STILL Tying your shoes... the end result, still tied shoelaces. \
I am left handed and was taught a different way than normal. For some reason I just cannot do the normal way despite how many times I am shown. works fine with the left handed way though.
Me too!! It's the side effect of my mother's friend terrifying me as a kid (for "fun"), by telling me that she saw a kid get their foot caught in the escalator & had it chewed off. She told me every time we went to go on an escalator. It's now an ingrained instinct, despite me logically knowing it's nonsense.
Having seen someone caught and seriously injured when not paying attention at the bottom of an escalator, you are nailing it!! Also FYI, there is a panic/emergency shut off button just in case.
Yes, I have a habit of locating the emergency shut off buttons for escalators, gas station pumps, all kinds of things.
Load More Replies...Ugh this is SO me! Escalators scare me to pieces. Anyone ever been on the one in the 9/11 museum in NYC right as you're exiting the museum? That one is my least favorite of all >_<
I can go up an escalator no problem, but going down?? Not a chance, forget about it. I start getting dizzy, and think I'm going to fall.
Fitted sheets are supposed to be folded? I just wad them up in a ball and stuff them in the linen closet.
I've been able to fold them since I was about 10 and I consider it my super power
It helps to tuck all corners into one , that will leave you with a kind of rectangle to fold. But it never gets as nice as regular sheets
That's similar to the method I learned - tuck one end inside-out into the other end...but then I have to use the floor to finish it. Pretty sure that's not how Heloise does it.
Load More Replies...I gave up years ago. I just ball it up and put under the top sheet. It will be wrinkled but who is really going to see it and say anything.
Riding a bike is not easy. Unlike most people I know, I'll admit, I learnt it as a young adult. And I'm so grateful for it, such a useful skill to have.
actually riding is easy. It's getting going, staying still enough and not toppling over once you get going, and bracing yourself when you stop that is the hard part. after that, easy peasy.
Load More Replies...Hey, I can finally say me too. I've been driving for over 5 years, but I've never been able to ride a bike. I seriously find parallel parking easier than maintaining a precarious balance on only two wheels. I honestly don't know how people even get close to motorbikes, let alone drive them.
Same here. I've had balance issues since I was little and I never felt confident enough to ride a two-wheeled bike. I used to ride a three-wheeled bicycle. I was bullied a lot because of it because they said I couldn't ride a two-wheeled bike like a normal person.
I once helped out at a beginner's cycling clinic for adults and we had one young woman who'd never learned. We turned her bike into an adult balance bike by taking off the pedals and lowering the saddle until she could put both feet on the pavement. She'd push off with her feet and glide with them held up until she needed to put them down again. Eventually her glides got long enough that she felt ready to try pedalling. We did this in a deserted parking lot in the evening hours.
I can't ride a bike or swim so I'm guessing I have zero coordination
Never learned as a kid. Dated a guy in my 20s who was like, "Nope. I have to teach you." Did not go well. I will say I did manage to balance and ride very well in a straight line. Just never figured out the whole turning or stopping thing. It still bothers me. Sigh. But I'm too embarrassed to get a bike and go out to an empty parking lot for fear of someone coming by and witnessing.
I feel the same way and there is no way I'm riding a bike with training wheels on at my young-ish age.
Load More Replies...LOL!!! I have no sense of direction. Will get lost in my own house ;-/, but time and distance... no one can beat me at that.
My dad still likes to remind me of when I was 16 and slid my mom's car on some ice and ended up totaling it- went right into some trees and ripped the front left tire entirely off. When the police officer asked how fast I was going I said I had no idea, somewhere between 30 and 70. When the cop laughed was my first inclination that I'd answered incorrectly. I ended up getting out of the ticket because had I not been honest they'd have had nothing to charge me with (I'd had 2 people in the car, both of whom were home at their parents at that point, but was only allowed one passenger on my probationary license.) So basically just got a "don't do stupid stuff anymore but thanks for not lying."
This is why many law enforcement considers eye witness accounts as the weakest evidence
I have a good sense of direction but I'm bad at identifying faces, especially female ones.
I'm not good at estimating things for amount, number or distance. If it's by car, I can tell you how many minutes it takes to get there, miles? I don't know. Number of people who attended? I guessed at 25, and then counted and there were 77.
Ditto. Can only snap with left, never with right.
Load More Replies...I'm the opposite, not intentionally though. my kid was crying because he couldln't snap and me thinking I'd be helpful said "it just takes practice. see I can snap with both hands" and that didn't go well.
Guess you can't watch Addams Family then, you have to snap your fingers during the opening song
I can only snap on my left hand. The right doesn't make any noise or is much much quieter.
I cannot say 'similarly'. It always comes out as similarily, similaly, similarlarily etc.
awww my grandma used to not be able to say Cinnamon and I used to make her say it because it would make me giggle.
Load More Replies...I can't say "museum"...I always end up saying 'muse-am'. If I want to say it right, I have to slowly say "mu...se...um". I'm so embarrassed by it that, when I'm having a conversation about mispronouncing words, I always say "I can't say the name of a place that stores old artifacts", because I don't want people to hear me butcher it lol
It helps to break it down. You already tried that. Try saying "muse" then "eum". Using the word "muse" will make your brain focus on that word instead of focusing on your nervousness.
Load More Replies...I remember my mom provoking me into saying "rural juror" only to be shocked when I said it flawlessly first try... this isn't me bragging, it's just funny because I literally give up on pronouncing quite normal, common words at least once or twice a day
Load More Replies...Iron only to one side. Don't know if the tip helps. But if you iron for example from left to right and back from right to left, you will definitely get wrinkles. So only iron from left to right. Or the other way around. But not back and forth.
Load More Replies...I've given up ironing. I hang my clothes to dry or put them in my tumble dryer. When dry I fold them and don't care anymore *g*
Me too! One skill I also haven't been able to master. Thank goodness I have the trusty dryer instead!
I have a problem with converting the 24h clock to 12h. Keep messing up 5 o'clock (1700h) and 7 o'clock
Same, I learnt to read a digital clock instead, and mildly panic when someone asks the time having to look at an analog clock.... but I'm learning after 25 odd years and its getting easier
I am the opposite: I look at a digital clock and I have to form a mental picture of what a real clock would look like.
So you read 5:45, then picture the hands like that, and think, ok it's 5:45?
Load More Replies...Same. My boyfriend makes fun of me constantly because our kids can read clocks and I can't.
Same here used so called military time all my life. Still confusing to my friends!
Oh good grief, me too!! All my life! I love digital clocks and once I figured out military time it was a breeze.
My students couldn't understand how I could tell time on my watch, which had no numbers at all. It was fun to mess with them. (It had a crystal at the 12 spot.)
I had an instructor like that, I dumped him and found a new one. Passed my test first time.
I was almost 20 when I learned to drive. I had an incompetent instructor, but somehow I got through it.
Load More Replies...That's really rude of the instructor. I hope he/she doesn't have kids
I've been in a car with a person like Peter. Some people have very strange perceptions of spatial relationships. I also have a relative who got in frequent car accidents, she simply couldn't manage to understand that her vehicles physical boundaries were larger than her own.
Load More Replies...My best friend doesn't drive. She used to, and it was TERRIFYING. She just does not get the concept of movement. She lives in a big city with no need for a car, so, it works out.
By using alternative forms of transportation, you're not contributing to the problem of air pollution. :-)
Most people can't whistle - they only think they can.
Load More Replies...I used to whistle like a GOD in middle school.......five years later and I look like I'm making the duck face
i cant whistle any more either, i could when i was younger, dont know when i lost the skill, just cant now.
I can't wrap presents, can't blow up balloons and can sort of whistle.....
Me neither, and anybody who has ever tried to teach me has always given me the exact same unhelpful instructions: “It’s really easy, you just put your fingers in your mouth like this and then blow really hard, like that.” What sorcery is this?
Load More Replies...this post made me look up How to whistle with fingers - and my attempts got the dog running over the check what's wrong...
Me either, or “do” a hula hoop (what is the right verb?), blow a bubble, juggle (s/b taught in school), ...
I can't cornrow either!! I watch video after video and still can't do it. I can braid, 2 strand twist, and flat 2 strand twist, but cornrow - get of here with that mess. 2 finger whistle - not happending!!
me neither and that was one of my ambitions as a kid ( still is really)
no-fingers-2finger whistle is where it's at. You WILL need both hands to cover your ears when you get it right
Haha, that's the opposite to my dad. He can ONLY float. Like, on his back with both his knees AND shoulders above the water. We've often joked that he has hollow bones, like a bird.
Same. I tried immersive diving. Results? My a*s stays up, sorry.
Load More Replies...I'm a terrible swimmer. My butt floats but nothing else does. Growing up my mom nicknamed me Bubble Butt. It is so true, but hurts so much!
Mu husband couldn't either, nearly drowned in basic training because of it, and he couldn't swim either. Even when he got fat he still had more muscle mass and larger bones and sank like a rock. Me? I float like crazy!
I float without any effort but I can not get under water to pick up a locker key or anything. Don’t know how they do it. My butt just floats up and my head is still down,
there are tricks to help, but some people are naturally buoyant and some people are not, it has to deal with body distribution, bone structure, etc. But pulling your head back where your chin is higher than your forhead, back flat, and kneel bent below the water at a 45 degree angle, and arms outwards, should help compensate and help you float.
You need to lean your head more into the water. If you hold your head up too high you will sink.
my sister can't float on water but is a really good swimmer.how does that work
Yes, "deductible" sounds like something you *don't* have to pay. And "premium" sounds like something good, but the whole thing is doubly confusing: pay a higher premium (oh no!) to get a lower monthly (oh...kay?). It's like being asked to choose the way you would like to get screwed.
If it's health insurance don't worry about it. You're screwed whether you understand it or not.
That was me in math class. I'd think I'd understand the lesson once my teacher explained it and 10 seconds later I have to ask her to explain it again. The second time I think "AHA! I got it this time!" then I try to solve a problem and then I'm like "Ehhh, nope I don't".
We call it an excess over here, if your excess is £100 and your claim is for £5000 then you would get £4900 from the insurance company.
I don't understand anything about insurance because I've never had any so..never learned. I've tried several times to teach myself or ask someone to teach me and I just don't get it. I'm also completely embarrassed by this
I finished school without even the basic concept of how insurance works - I thought it was like a loan that you had to pay back (you don't have to pay it back). That's the problem with prep school - it preps you for college, not for life.
Load More Replies...Why does insurance language have to be so difficult and TBH stupid lol
A deductible means financially you are uninsured until the amount you pay is equal to your deductible. From the insurance company's point of view, you file a claim and they get to deduct the deductible amount before they have to worry about paying for anything. Once the deductible is met, you then have the copay/coinsurance portion. The difference between the two is a co-pay is a set dollar amount and coinsurance is a percentage. A $20 co pay is a fixed amount you pay and is thus a co-pay (you pay 20 the insurance company pays the rest). Coinsurance is you pay 15% the insurance pays the other 85%, no fixed dollar amount = coinsurance, not a co-pay. Once you reach the Out of Pocket Max, then that means you have paid the maximum amount for that plan year that you are required to pay under your policy and the isurance will cover the rest until the plan year ends. Anything you pay on claims (deductible, copay, coinsurnace) count towards Out of Pocket Max. Premiums do not.
Now this, I learned at middle school. One of the positives of having school uniforms in the UK!
Because as we all know in the UK, being able to tie a tie is one of the most valuable life lessons. Hated having a tie in school. Most pointless garment ever.
Load More Replies...I take a tie apart and remake it to fit on a clip. Nobody can tell what you are wearing, and IMO it is insane to have a noose around your neck, a handle for drunks to grab.
I can tie a tie, I just never really have to wear one. Even for my job "interview" I was already interning with the Dept of Natural Resources. My interview was "hey do you want on full time while you do grad school?" My biggest problem in tying a tie is getting it long enough. I can't find that sweet spot where the tail and blade are good lengths.
My suggestion is to move next door to a mortician. Need to wear a tie, go to morticians house, ring the bell when they come to the door lie down and say I need my tie tied.
I impressed a friend by tying his tie around my neck while walking along the street in DC. He could not tie one at all. Could not believe I could do it while walking.
I grew up in the 80's. Little girls learned to tie men's ties so we could one day help our husband's do it. I always voiced my opinion on how stupid that sounded, "Shouldn't you be teaching little boys to tie their own ties?" Also "What if I don't want to get married?" Anyways... I was shown how to tie the tie on myself. This means that if I show (or help) someone else, I have to put the tie around my own neck. That kind of defeats the purpose of why I was taught it in the first place: to help my husband put on his tie like a loving wife. Just buy a clip-on.
I just think to myself "Write" and I automatically know which hand is right =D
Yeap and the thumb and the finger next to it on the left hand make the letter L for Left! It's how I work it out to.
Load More Replies...Me too. It drove my driving instructor CRAZY. XD (still got my license after one try on the practical exam, hey!) I'm getting better at it though, lately.
i don't know left or right,even with a birthmark on my right (or left) hand.
Go online and order an electric egg boiler. It does the work for you.
Still won't work for some people. One person told me that her sister couldn't cook rice in a rice cooker. I asked how that was possible, she said she still manages....
Load More Replies...JUST discovered the trick. Bring the water/eggs to a boil. As soon as it boils - if it is 6 eggs or less, set aside for 12 minutes. If more than 6 eggs, set aside for 15 minutes. Wasted 47 years of my life before I learned that trick.
I just wrote something similar. I also spent most of my life so far not knowing this.
Load More Replies...Put egg in cold water. Bring to boil. Shut off. Cover pot with lid for 11 mins exactly. You will always have a perfect egg.
So. How do you want your eggs today? ..... Scrambled it is then....
I learned most of my cooking skills from childrens' cookbooks. I still have them and use them, and they are well worn and loved. (I'm 68)
I have a knack for boiling eggs apparently, but each egg is definitely different. All those standard cooking times you find on the internet are rubbish. That's not much help, I'm sorry... I guess I just wanted to say that cooking eggs is easy to screw up, so you're definitely not stupid!
First of all you should try boiling it while it is still in the shell
Was gifted one of these. Works marvels and you don't have to remember anything. egg-timer-...702af0.jpg
And that's a benefit of growing up in the Netherlands: everyone gets swimming lessons. Some of us more than others, but we all do when we're little. Too much water around not to... :P
In Croatia it's normal to swim as well. Especially if you live by the sea side, like me. Then I moved to Korea (it could be anywhere with a different culture, really), met people from various parts of the world and realised it's so normal to not be able to swim. Now it's a skill I no longer take for granted and that I treasure dearly.
Load More Replies...Couple separate bad water experiences as a child. Took swimming lessons as an adult. Absolutely canNOT put face in water. My swimming is not pretty, but I can keep myself from drowning!! I had an amazing teacher :-) I think that was the key. Super patient. Super supportive.
My mom also only does the "doggy paddle" because it freaks her out to submerge her face. If you are treading water, you are swimming. Congrats on learning to swim and conquering your fears ☺️
Load More Replies...Seconded. Although I lack the skill because I nearly did drown, and won't go in anything deeper than a bathtub filled 1/3 of the way up.
Thirded. Can not swim at all due to bad experiences as a kid. And I'm really tired of people saying they'll be able to teach me. No. No you won't. The panic attack I have will prevent anything from being accomplished
Load More Replies...Best not go to water parks since you would be just swimming in pee and feces anyway lol
No shame in taking swimming lessons as an adult really. You learn a new potentially life saving skill and its exercise too. 3 for 1 really
There is nothing wrong with the doggy paddle. Whatever works, right?
Load More Replies...I can swim, but I hate putting my face in the water, and if I can't touch the bottom or the side, I start to panic. If someone starts to "horse around" in the pool, I scream, panic and get out. I can't begin to imagine why people open their eyes under water, the thought of it freaks me out. And I've had years of swimming lessons.
Same. Except, the author of this post seems to be ropeskipping better than me. My foot always gets caught.
Same here, I just can't skip! I can never sync the rope and my jumps
Load More Replies...I never signal when riding my bike, I'm afraid I would fall. There are two ways, jumping rope and skipping rope. I prefer skipping, it's more like running.
Have you tried this way? 25% off is 25 cents off every dollar. 40% = 40 cents off.
Yup. It also helps to do rough estimates if you need to know if you have enouhgh cash for stuff. 33 one third, 50 half, 75 three quarters.
Load More Replies...I LOVE a good sale and can calculate percentages without even thinking. It scares my husband. We can go to the store and get a cartload of stuff and with no calculator, I can tell him the total within $3. Still amazes him after 26+ years together.
% at school ? Ew. But since i have a credit card ... i'm sales % warrior
Load More Replies...Just round up to the next full number, in this case 40 and divide by four. Then you get how much you have to deduct.
Nah. I'm a Koreanised EU citizen and I suck at maths really bad. Not proud of it, btw. Just admitting a weakness.
Load More Replies...Just multiply. 25% off of $39.95 would be 39.95 x .25. That gives you the discount.
Yeah it's also a quarter of 40 dollars. So much easier.
Load More Replies...Is he left handed maybe? My eldest son is a lefty and for the love of every thing nice, it is utter torture to watch him trying to open a can either manually or with an electric opener. It is just impossible.
Saw an "one the street" comedy sketch, where they as 20 somethings "what is this" and quite a few didn't know what a can opener was. I still remember the ice trays with the handle to crack the ice. It doesn't surprise me that old tools fall out of common use. Especially when all you need is a phone to order a meal.
Load More Replies...Some automatic ones are more trouble than they are worth. My grandma has one that I despise using. You have to get the can at juuuuust the right angle to get it to "catch" the edge. I'm like, "Just give me the hand-held one before I throw this stupid piece of c**p out the window!"
Load More Replies...That's me! And now I can only open a can using one large manual opener, and without anyone looking at me unless they want me to lose a finger or something.
I can throw a frisbee just fine. I mean, it's not a floating disc, more a shortly-airborne chunk of plastic, but I can throw it!
A frisbee turns into a boomerang for me. The last time I tried to play horse shoes I had to run so I didn’t get hit on the head with my own throw. I guess I held on too long. Corn hole is much safer.
I am also bad with curling hair. I have a beautiful daughter with long hair, and I am always amazed when someone styles it for her. It's just not one of my skills...
omg I can only do the left side of my hair with the curls with a flat iron, the right side? Forget it.
Using thumb, index, and middle finger is actually quite common around the world.
Using your pinky, ring and middle is also kinda common in east Asia.
Load More Replies...That's how we do three in sign language too :-) and the movie Inglorious Basterds taught me that that's the German three as well XD
I think all of Europe and Asia does it that way. I've only ever seen the other way in American movies.
Load More Replies...i had a friend in like 1st grade who could hold up her thumb, middle, ring, and index finger perfectly straight
I got in the habit of telling people "drivers side turn" or "passengers side turn" haha
As long as you're not using my grand-mother style : " turn!" "Where Nana?" "There!" (no direction, no sign, still looking at the road...). Love her but love the invention of GPS.
Lol. My grandma does that. Also, her verbal directions when planning a trip go like this: "You turn where Jim, Big Jim not Little Jim, used to sell farm equipment. His wife worked at the hospital's reception when she was in highschool. That was in 1968. Maybe it was 1967. No, that was the year-" I interrupt her, "Gran! You know I love your stories, but we need to leave soon. Just tell me what that building looks like." Her, "What building?" Me, "The building I need to turn at. The one where someone named Jim used to sell farm equipment." Her, "Oh. It's not there anymore. It burned down in 1973. That was the year...." OMG!
Load More Replies...I know that from my mum, Mum, left (turns right) the OTHER left... Once I put little satickers into the lower corners of her windscreen... :D
Better safe than sorry. Don't want your Rice Krispies squares to cause you to burn down you house.
Cooking is an art. But baking is a science, those precise measurements are important
this is the reason why I'm fairly decent at baking but can't cook for sh*t like "what do you mean medium high?!" and then I burn it... always burnt
Load More Replies...Yeah, I have to remember to express an interest in the other person. Awkward!
Yes. I'm a shocker. "How's your day going" says the other person. "Good thanks" says me. Pause. Then I remember to ask them how their day is going. It's a social anxiety thing I think. I feel like I'm being nosey, not friendly, when I ask people personal questions.
Load More Replies...Me too! Tell me left or right! And then when the GPS says "return to route", NOT helping!
I have zero sense of direction. Tell me Left or Right or That way. I don't understand how those people can know East or West!!
Yeah Google Maps "Go South East" Me: I don't know what that is Google!
I always start walking and after 5m look in which direction the point is moving. Then I turn around, because I always go in the wrong direction.
One day I got lost in Johannesburg. BIIIIIIIG city in South Africa. F*****g google maps said "head north". I was like WHERE THE FUUUUUCK IS NORTH!!!!!!!!
I can be oriented because I know the sun "sets in the West", because that rhymes. But that only helps twice a day. If it's cloudy, or midday, I have no idea.
My brother literally can not load the dishwashers. I usually end up rearranging the stuff he puts in there
It's an art! No one in my house dares load the dish washer. I ALWAYS unpack and repack.
Tying balloons is hard. You have to make sure not to blow it up too much so you have enough slack to work with. What I can't understand is why right-handed scissors won't work for my left-handed child even when she uses her right hand.
I done this! Arriving at the airport, I ask the security for directions, they ask arrival or departure, I just arrived there right, so arrival - they send me to another gate, then work out the math in my head (I can't have arrived if I haven't departed yet, so departure it must be) and sheepishly go back to them and say this is my ticket and they give me a weird look.
I didn't understand the post till you gave your experience. I guess you could just say, "I'm heading out" when they ask if your arriving or departing.
Load More Replies...Every person I have ever met in my entire life who had long legs couldn't sit cross-legged. Doesn't matter the width of the pelvis. I have to wonder if it gets better with consistent stretching.
I'm with you on the fork and knife issue. Don't know why, just can't eat with the fork in my left hand. So it takes twice as long to eat a damn steak because I have to keep juggling my silverware around. Very annoying and also a little embarrassing.
This is a very old etiquette that is slowly dying (and apparently misunderstood now). You aren't suppose to eat with the fork in your left hand (unless you are left-handed). You are supposed to switch the fork to your other hand and cut a piece of steak with your dominant hand, then put the knife down and switch the fork back to your dominant hand to pick up the cut piece of steak and eat it. For the next bite, you do it all again. It was originally intended to help people to eat slower in polite company (and not rudely shovel their food into their mouths). I had no idea people have started thinking you are supposed to eat with your non-dominant hand. Please let this tradition die. Spread the word. It is ok to eat with your dominant hand.
Load More Replies...In germany you drive in, get out of your car and push the Start-Button outside the car wash.
Oh, carash. That's so relaxing, my driving instructor let me drove through a car wash just before my test. :)
So I tie my boots 'weirdly', using the Berluti knot. It's common for dress shoes, for it's neater appearance, but it's also quite a bit stronger than a normal doubled knot (also unties when you want to more easily.). Had people notice. They were genuinely offended by how I tie my shoes- they were even more buthurt when I told them to mind their own bullishness.
Load More Replies...bunny-ears all the way!! (vs the bunny running around the tree... or whatever it was)
same same lol i just make 2 loops and tie together. couldn't be bothered with the real way
I am left handed and just have never been able to understand the normal way of tying shoes. I was taught the "left handed" way early on and it works. doesnt matter how many times I am shown the normal way, I just cant get it.
I've no sense of direction, but exceptional if given a map and a compass.
At all levels? Some of them can get pretty complicated depending on how much detail is in them.
Daylight savings is useless everywhere, but it's especially useless in Alaska.
Load More Replies...Yup, my cousin always calls me in the middle of the night because of time difference
Way to minimise the risk of septicemia. My cousin had it after getting her ears pierced. She nearly died, too. Nasty stuff.
My wife once asked me why the Argentinians invaded Scotland. I had to explain that the Falkland Islands were in fact in the southern hemisphere 8000 miles away, not part of Scotland. This might seem understandable (I mean you've probably never heard of the Falklands if you were not British and alive during the conflict), but this was AFTER her brother had moved to the islands.
Teacher here. In the USA, students are taught the 50 states in fifth and six grade. Students need to be able to label all 50 states. It's a national standard. It comes up again seventh and eighth grade. It comes up again in the required government class in high school. World maps and US maps are on the walls in social studies classrooms and history classrooms fifth grade through high school. A lot of kids, and their parents to be honest, see certain information as "not important"and don't work on their own to retain it. In my work, I work with students fourth through 12th grade. I frequently tell a highschooler "I am literally the person who helped you learn this stuff when you were in fifth grade!" (Social Studies/geography/US history, English).
My grandma also thought Alaska was an island. It's because US maps place Alaska off to the west side, to save space on the map.
This isn't surprising, all the maps I saw in elementary school showed Alaska in a square in the bottom left corner of the map. I always wondered where the "island" of Alaska was actually located right up until I saw a large full map of North America with Alaska in it's proper location in Junior High. I was really annoyed with the other map makers, how hard would have been to show Alaska where it is actually located?!?!?
We just weren't really taught geography in school. Like, at my schools we were taught what all the 50 states were and what the capitals and such were but not where anything was. I'm learning just as much homeschooling my daughter as she is SMH. Thanks a lot US education system.
For me, big numbers are easier to say in Korean because of the money currency here, so I deal with big numbers on a default basis here in Korea. Back in Croatia, it was more like "what happens in maths classes, stays in maths classes" when it comes to large numbers with many digits.
I can count numbers over tens of thousands in Spanish but not in English, and hearing a number like "15 hundred" makes no sense until I see it. The thing is I've been speaking English over 40 yrs!
How large are we talking? Because reading out 9,459,726,381,777,429,610,112,999,258,911,000 is a mammoth task for anyone. Hell, I stumble with my 11-digit mobile phone number. Which none of you can have. Unless Brie Larson is reading this.
Brie Larson called me and asked for your number.
Load More Replies...My problem is digital clocks. It's kind of hard to explain, so I'll just give an example. At my school, we had all analog clocks. While I'm really slow at reading analog, I came to memorize what the shape of the hands looked like when class was over, rather than the actual time. So if somebody asked me, "what time does 3rd hour end?" I wouldn't know, but I would know what the clock looked like. So when they replaced all the clocks in our school to digital clocks, I kept having to ask people to remind me what time classes ended. I ended up buying an analog watch to make my life easier :))
I love analog clocks! They provide an instant visual of time in 5- and 1-minute increments. Like, if the pie has to bake 35 minutes, it's much easier for me to glance at the analog clock and count the 5-minute blocks and know exactly when the pie comes out of the oven. Analog clocks are great tools in a way.
Load More Replies...After a few visits to Vegas casinos I realized that everybody shuffles differently. It is amazing how many different ways are possible. Casino cops can only insist that a dealer use the exact same method every time.
"Can't parallel park unless I'm alone in the car" --> YEP, that's a thing, same here... XD
and no others cars are around or waiting....I always feel so judged when a car is waiting that I won't even attempt it
Load More Replies...Considering the amount of pee in any pool, goggles are a good thing. It's pee in the water that causes irritated eyes.
i always thought it was due to chlorine until sort of recently
Load More Replies...It might help to drink some water before putting the pill in your mouth, it slides down a little bit easier.
For swallowing pills there is a good trick. Eat a small piece of bread, when you're about to swallow, put the pill in your mouth, swallow and drink water
I would think having a gap between your teeth might make it harder to whistle, not easier.
My cousin and her mom cannot swallow pills. They smash it up, mix with water and drink. Weird.
Hope they are sware that that should not be done with all pills! Some release the medicine gradually, so breaking them apart could cause an overdose
Load More Replies...I can't swallow pills either. I have to take liquid antibiotics and dissolvable pain pills.
Maybe the skin on your middle finger and thumb is too smooth to generate the necessary friction.
The sound of a snap is created when your middle or ring finger hits the base of your thumb and your ring finger or pinky, which has to be right next to that. So maybe people aren't doing it fast enough in order to create the sound, or else they don't have the other finger where it needs to be. Personally, I recommend using your middle finger, I find it less awkward. Also, flick that finger over your thumb, not your index finger.
Middle finger on top of index finger? Well that is your problem. Give the ol thumb a try :)
Hold the pillow case in one hand. Stuff the sheet in with the other hand. Same with the top sheet. Done.
I've found that if you put your bed linens in the wash, to wait until they are out of the dryer and put them back on the bed, no folding necessary.
I haven't mowed a lawn in over a decade (apt living) but you are correct. There is something very Zen about it. The sound / vibration / smell
Load More Replies...Lawn mowing: Total. Waste. of. Time. I do it only to avoid trouble with the neighbors (and the Association).
Load More Replies...It is time alone, when no one else will approach you, it's too loud to carry on a conversation. Plus, fresh cut grass smells good!
I didn't learn how until I got divorced. Surprisingly easy, and you don't have to argue with someone about what parts of the yard need it, because you can do it yourself! Very freeing.
A fail for Yale. Just kidding, but missing the rhyme would be a crime. I'll stop now, after I take a bow.
It was so weird stopping for gas in NJ a couple years ago. The kid pumping was maybe 20. I’ve been pumping gas since I was like 10. In the 70s and 80s it was a rite of passage, your parents didn’t want to get out in the cold, heat, snow, rain so they made us kids do it.
Yes! It was "treat" growing up, my brother and I would fight over who got to pump the gas! lol
Load More Replies...My parents never taught me, and they didn't teach us in driver's ed, so I had to ask one of my friends to show me how. I taught my kids how. In New York you have to be 16 to pump gas.
For all confused: Jersey is New Jersey, one of the United States. There's a state law that doesnt allow drivers to fill their own cars with petrol/gasoline; the station attendants will fill the tank for them. We don't "pump" gas in the US, the machines are electric but we do have to hold the "trigger" on the pump to keep the gas flowing. No idea why there's a law against it though.
I live on the Washington / Oregon border. In Oregon you can't pump your own gas but in Washington you can. I get my gas exclusively in Washington because having someone else pump my gas feels intrusive.
I always go to the "with service" stations because I don't know how to operate the pumps. I fear the day they will all be self-service.
It is not hard. If you can use the nozzle on a garden hose, you can pump your own gas.
Load More Replies...Excuse me, but do the rest of the USA don't have electricity or what else can "pump gas" mean? I thought we use electric pumps at gas stations. English is not my native language so is this some kind of slang?
When putting gas into a car, one "pumps" the handle. Therefore we say we are "pumping gas" :)
Load More Replies...My mother wouldn't let us have digital clocks/watches until we learned to tell time on an analogue clock. I pretty much use my cell phone now, but I'm very glad I learned the other way.
Same. My dad would not let us get digital watches. He said it would make us lazy, and then we wouldn't be able to read an analog clock.
Load More Replies...So... Ellen DeGeneres did a skit about millennials not knowing to tell time from an analogue clock and I was shocked. This speaking as a borderline millennial myself. But it seems like such a basic skill. I mean. The only thing you need to actually know is what the hands represent (hours/minutes). Basic counting, knowing a day consists of 24 hours and other concepts are also necessary for understanding a digital clock, so that can't be an excuse. And it's used on such a regular basis (in contrary to opening a can for instance).
I'm surprised. I'm a Millennial and my school made sure we learned how to read and analogue clock in like the second grade.
Load More Replies...I can't hold pens and pencils "properly". I can write (although my handwriting is known as not so beautiful) and I can draw very well. But I hold the tools MY way.
I worked with a girl that held a pen really awkward and had horrible handwriting but she was quite an artist! We kept trying to get her to pursue a career in arts.
Load More Replies...I always cross my legs when sitting, usually in the lotus position. When I try to uncross them the moment I stop thinking about it I cross my legs. Any suggestions on how to break this habit?
If you sit at a desk put a pillow on your lap, it will block you. I had to do that because crossing legs and twisting the body was causing me back pain.
Load More Replies...I can't write very well, always in block caps, and rushed. I can't estimate, or approximate, distances. I can't blow my nose, or use my fingers to whistle. I can't drive, and even if I could, I wouldn't be able to do basic maintenance on my car. There a lot of other physical skills I lack, as well, but my verbal reasoning skills are exceptional. At least that's what my psychologist told me. Oh, and I also lack empathy. Apathy, however, I have in spades.
Can't dance, can't whistle, can't remember names, can't drive in reverse and when I park my car, I need enough space for a truck.
I can't dance, either. I would love to learn, but I don't have the confidence.
Load More Replies...I can't braid my own hair. I don't know how. No matter how many youtube tutorials, friendly advice, etc. It never works. I am a disgrace to my country. I also can't float on my back. My butt keeps going down. But I'm one hell of a swimmer otherwise.
I've never learned how to braid my hair properly. I end up looking like Pippi Longstocking.
Load More Replies...I can’t eat bubblegum (I swallow it after two seconds), can’t snap my fingers, can’t blow my nose, can’t swim underwater (for some reason my a*s keeps floating up, although I’m not fat, and I just can’t understand what to do to stay under).
Everytime I chew chewing gum,I bite my tongue
Load More Replies...I cant reliably do calculations in my head even though Im a math teacher. I have to write things out because I have such a bad memory.
I'm also a math teacher and I frequently tell my students that "one of the biggest barriers to doing math isn't ability, it's memory..." (I can also pass of my own mistakes sometimes as "tests to see who is watching".)
Load More Replies...A secretary didn't know you can push the pills out of blisters, she would cut them out from the plastic side, one by one.
My migraine medicine is so over-packaged that I usually just wind up poking at it with manicure scissors.
Load More Replies...I can't remember phone numbers. If my smartphone dies, the only one I can call is my mom's house phone. She had to call my partner 3 times the last 10years, to tell him I'll be late. And before that, my boss...
Don't feel bad. I can never remember my own phone number.Lol
Load More Replies...I can't hold pens and pencils "properly". I can write (although my handwriting is known as not so beautiful) and I can draw very well. But I hold the tools MY way.
I worked with a girl that held a pen really awkward and had horrible handwriting but she was quite an artist! We kept trying to get her to pursue a career in arts.
Load More Replies...I always cross my legs when sitting, usually in the lotus position. When I try to uncross them the moment I stop thinking about it I cross my legs. Any suggestions on how to break this habit?
If you sit at a desk put a pillow on your lap, it will block you. I had to do that because crossing legs and twisting the body was causing me back pain.
Load More Replies...I can't write very well, always in block caps, and rushed. I can't estimate, or approximate, distances. I can't blow my nose, or use my fingers to whistle. I can't drive, and even if I could, I wouldn't be able to do basic maintenance on my car. There a lot of other physical skills I lack, as well, but my verbal reasoning skills are exceptional. At least that's what my psychologist told me. Oh, and I also lack empathy. Apathy, however, I have in spades.
Can't dance, can't whistle, can't remember names, can't drive in reverse and when I park my car, I need enough space for a truck.
I can't dance, either. I would love to learn, but I don't have the confidence.
Load More Replies...I can't braid my own hair. I don't know how. No matter how many youtube tutorials, friendly advice, etc. It never works. I am a disgrace to my country. I also can't float on my back. My butt keeps going down. But I'm one hell of a swimmer otherwise.
I've never learned how to braid my hair properly. I end up looking like Pippi Longstocking.
Load More Replies...I can’t eat bubblegum (I swallow it after two seconds), can’t snap my fingers, can’t blow my nose, can’t swim underwater (for some reason my a*s keeps floating up, although I’m not fat, and I just can’t understand what to do to stay under).
Everytime I chew chewing gum,I bite my tongue
Load More Replies...I cant reliably do calculations in my head even though Im a math teacher. I have to write things out because I have such a bad memory.
I'm also a math teacher and I frequently tell my students that "one of the biggest barriers to doing math isn't ability, it's memory..." (I can also pass of my own mistakes sometimes as "tests to see who is watching".)
Load More Replies...A secretary didn't know you can push the pills out of blisters, she would cut them out from the plastic side, one by one.
My migraine medicine is so over-packaged that I usually just wind up poking at it with manicure scissors.
Load More Replies...I can't remember phone numbers. If my smartphone dies, the only one I can call is my mom's house phone. She had to call my partner 3 times the last 10years, to tell him I'll be late. And before that, my boss...
Don't feel bad. I can never remember my own phone number.Lol
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