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.
This post may include affiliate links.
why is everyone getting down votes for saying me too??
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.
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).
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
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.
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.
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.
My husband and I have to "fire-drill" it for a parallel. He has no depth perception and I park like a boss. 👍🤑🤷♀️
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.
I once parallel parked where 2 older gentlemen were watching. It was tight but I just wheeled the car around like I knew what I was doing. They were so surprised and I chalked one up for women everywhere! They both nodded to me as I got out of the car! 😊
I think this is because most driving schools don't teach it, the one I went to sure didn't. Funny thing is the first time I parallel parked it was night and freezing rain did it in one go with no issues like I'd done it a million times before. Tried to do it a week later and had to give up. Turns out is has to be night and storming for me to parallel park but try to do it during the day in bright sunlight, yeah, NOPE! I'd have a better chance of growing wings and flying! lol
I CAN do it, I just don't like to. It makes me so nervous, I need a Xanax afterwards.
I'm an anomaly. Parallel parking was, for several years, the only parking type I could hope to get right. Every time I had to park at 45 degrees I would end up parked like a moron. I would always pick the most remote, isolated parking places so I would not bother anyone with my poor parking skills. I'm just getting good at it now. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
That's better than pretending you can and taking up 4 parking places. Because that's exactly what people do here. Honest, I would park better and I don't even know how to drive.
I parallel parked so perfectly on my first try while taking the driving test that the cruel instructor made me do it again. He thought it was a fluke. Parked perfectly again. But haven't been able to do it since.
Me too. I've been a licensed driver for over 40 years but I can't parallel park. I live in fear the police will find out & pull my license.
I park like a pro when no one is looking. As soon as there’s o e pair of eyes on me, I’m as useless as tits on a bull!!
I live on a one way street and have to parallel park on the wrong side of the road. Super easy but to do it the regular way? I'm so confused.
Me neither. I have very bad peripheral vision which makes it even worse.
After a Summer living in San Francisco, you WILL become an ace at parking!
I haven't been able to accurately parallel park since mu driving test. I practiced and made sure I could do it for that, but it's just so easy to avoid in every day life!!! I know that's not true everywhere, but I don't think most people will do it unless they really have to.
I can't parallel park, my mom can't parallel park, my grandma probably didn't have to parallel park
ya know some of the first cars made had a tire on the back that when a button was pushed came down and helped them easily slide correctly into a parallel spot... seriously, google it. We have the ability, yet aren't using it... why??
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.
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.
Fitted sheets are supposed to be folded? I just wad them up in a ball and stuff them in the linen closet.
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.
I cannot say 'similarly'. It always comes out as similarily, similaly, similarlarily etc.
I have a problem with converting the 24h clock to 12h. Keep messing up 5 o'clock (1700h) and 7 o'clock
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.
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.
Now this, I learned at middle school. One of the positives of having school uniforms in the UK!
I just think to myself "Write" and I automatically know which hand is right =D
Go online and order an electric egg boiler. It does the work for you.
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
Note: this post originally had 64 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
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.
I write in block caps too- still shockingly untidy and I always hope that no-one else needs to read my notes. Also can't whisle with my fingers, or roll my r's, which is embarassing when your name starts with an R.
Load More Replies...
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 absolutely, positively can't wash a window. I've tried every trick in the book. All I do is move the streaks around.
Have you tried drying it with scrunched up newspaper?
Load More Replies... I cannot fold a t-shirt to save my life. Every time I try, it looks like I wrestled it into submission. Since most of my shirt wardrobe is comprised of t-shirts, my dresser drawer is an abomination.
For those having a hard time with right and left - If you are right handed, think "write (which hand do i write with)" and that is your right hand. For lefties the opposite hand is your right =)
Great advise, thanks. I have huge issues with left an right and since I'm a physiotherapist I really struggle sometimes. Maybe now, I get it right more often.
Load More Replies...
There are so many things I didn't learn as a child which my peer take for granted like bicycle riding and swimming.
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 cant tell the time on clocks without numbers or clocks with dots in place of numbers. Normal clocks im fine with, including those with roman numerals
When I have to add up manually I still secretly use my fingers to count. Anyone else?
I have no sense of weather. It can be 75 degrees and i still have no clue if i need to wear a sweater or a t-shirt.
Loud whistling, fast swimming, walking on hands, tying a tie, remembering lyrics, names and titles, AND walking on high heels without bending my knees too much. Wow, seems like a lot of work for me to do! :-)
I can't walk on heels either! Less than 30 minutes and my whole body is in pain!
Load More Replies...
I own a horse for 5 years right now... Still dont know how to ride, only walkink and few meters of trotting in riding arena
I have had the struggle of remembering when AM and PM are. Recently I am beginning to get over this problem, but it still comes as a struggle. I have found that considering AM as "After Midnight", and PM as "Pre Midnight", despite what they actually stand for.
I can do multiplication & division in my head but to just count I have to use my fingers
I called albums, alblums until I was in my mid thirties. I had no idea I was saying it wrong until a friend corrected me. Even now when I think about the word I still hear it as alblum.
I can't swim, can't go underwater without holding my nose (which certainly affects my ability to swim), can't fold fitted sheets, can't drive in reverse without hitting something IN MY OWN DRIVEWAY, can't whistle, can't remember names OR faces... in fact, my memory is so lousy I can't even remember all the things I can't do.
ok, I must be a walking wreck, Numbers, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16 and28. I am all those things fml.
I can’t do a lot of things on this list lol. But nice to know I’m not alone. But I also realized that i literally can’t do a damn thing
I can't whistle with my fingers but then again never really tried to learn. I can do everything else listed above though.
I can't whistle. and I always think someone needs to scare my sneezes away, but that's hiccups. Despite how many times I remind myself, my first instinct is to scare someone when they sneeze, instead of saying bless you.
I have absolutely no coordination whatsoever I have already fallen down the stairs three times today and I am now sitting on my couch icing my sprained ankle
I was at DMV a few years ago, and I actually recognized the face of the guy in line behind me. Did he live on my street? No. Go to school with me? Nope. After mentally going through my entire contact list, I finally turned around and said, "Hi! I'm really embarrassed but I'm sure we know each other, right?" And he looked at me oddly for a second and then said, "I don't think I know you, but I'm the ABC evening newscaster." Uh, right. I've been staring at his face every damn night for a half hour for YEARS.
I can't use textas without it somehow getting all over my fingers.
I can't do a lot of "around the house" stuff. I never hang pictures right. They barely stay on the wall and are always crooked. Most other stuff is done with a lick and some spit.
I can't roll my r's. I'm DYING to learn to speak Spanish, but I end up sounding like an idiot.
I can't say "car park" or "coin toss" without inverting the first letters. I can sometimes hear when I say "par cark" but I never hear "toin coss" it always sounds right to me.
I can't tell time unless the clock is digital, and I get very very stuck on making change with physical money as opposed to credit cards. I also still can't create all the letters in cursive. (Yet I've taken to writing in Greek)
Don't get me started on figuring out precentage of ANYTHING. Impossible! I've been showed about 20 different ways and I still don't get it.
I cannot, for the life of me, remember the artist or album of a specific song. I'll know the lyrics word for word but good luck getting me to tell you who sang it or which album its on! I also cannot braid my own hair, tie a knot that will reliably stay tied (all my laced shoes have slide fasteners on them), or understand the air pressure in my tires. I can fence with a sword in each hand and dead-eye a knife throwing target, but I'm fairly sure I'm going to die when my tires inevitably explode.
I can't purr - I have tried and tried but sounds like i'm hacking - haven't given up but dont see success anytime soon!
I've had multiple people try to teach me to play chess and I. Just. Can't. I'm otherwise educated, intelligent, and logical, but chess? Forget it.
I can’t describe someone; so if I was ever a witness to a crime the description of the person would be such a mess and based on characters I’ve seen on anime, movies, shows and music videos lol. I’d be such an unreliable witness. But the sad part is like if I ever see someone more than once I could tell you when and where. 😔
I can’t say the word colloquialism no matter how hard I try. It even took me 3 tries to look up the spelling because I can’t wrap my brain around the pronunciation.
I can't snap my fingers, so I guess I'm neither inevitable nor Iron Man. :P I also can't swim very well.
I cannot for the life of me judge distances-I mean I will park about four feet away from the curb and think 'OMG! I bet I'm up on that curb!'
I can not be on time to save my life, would hope to for someone else's but I always seem to be 20 min late or 20 min early.
I have to put my fingers in my ears when I wet my hair and rinse the shampoo and conditioner out when I shower. I can’t gargle because of my gag reflex. I can raise my left eyebrow but not my right eyebrow. Just to name a few.
Hey!!! I just found out I can't raise my right eyebrow either. I'll just add that to my list.
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.
I write in block caps too- still shockingly untidy and I always hope that no-one else needs to read my notes. Also can't whisle with my fingers, or roll my r's, which is embarassing when your name starts with an R.
Load More Replies... 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 absolutely, positively can't wash a window. I've tried every trick in the book. All I do is move the streaks around.
Have you tried drying it with scrunched up newspaper?
Load More Replies... I cannot fold a t-shirt to save my life. Every time I try, it looks like I wrestled it into submission. Since most of my shirt wardrobe is comprised of t-shirts, my dresser drawer is an abomination.
For those having a hard time with right and left - If you are right handed, think "write (which hand do i write with)" and that is your right hand. For lefties the opposite hand is your right =)
Great advise, thanks. I have huge issues with left an right and since I'm a physiotherapist I really struggle sometimes. Maybe now, I get it right more often.
Load More Replies... There are so many things I didn't learn as a child which my peer take for granted like bicycle riding and swimming.
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 cant tell the time on clocks without numbers or clocks with dots in place of numbers. Normal clocks im fine with, including those with roman numerals
When I have to add up manually I still secretly use my fingers to count. Anyone else?
I have no sense of weather. It can be 75 degrees and i still have no clue if i need to wear a sweater or a t-shirt.
Loud whistling, fast swimming, walking on hands, tying a tie, remembering lyrics, names and titles, AND walking on high heels without bending my knees too much. Wow, seems like a lot of work for me to do! :-)
I can't walk on heels either! Less than 30 minutes and my whole body is in pain!
Load More Replies... I own a horse for 5 years right now... Still dont know how to ride, only walkink and few meters of trotting in riding arena
I have had the struggle of remembering when AM and PM are. Recently I am beginning to get over this problem, but it still comes as a struggle. I have found that considering AM as "After Midnight", and PM as "Pre Midnight", despite what they actually stand for.
I can do multiplication & division in my head but to just count I have to use my fingers
I called albums, alblums until I was in my mid thirties. I had no idea I was saying it wrong until a friend corrected me. Even now when I think about the word I still hear it as alblum.
I can't swim, can't go underwater without holding my nose (which certainly affects my ability to swim), can't fold fitted sheets, can't drive in reverse without hitting something IN MY OWN DRIVEWAY, can't whistle, can't remember names OR faces... in fact, my memory is so lousy I can't even remember all the things I can't do.
ok, I must be a walking wreck, Numbers, 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16 and28. I am all those things fml.
I can’t do a lot of things on this list lol. But nice to know I’m not alone. But I also realized that i literally can’t do a damn thing
I can't whistle with my fingers but then again never really tried to learn. I can do everything else listed above though.
I can't whistle. and I always think someone needs to scare my sneezes away, but that's hiccups. Despite how many times I remind myself, my first instinct is to scare someone when they sneeze, instead of saying bless you.
I have absolutely no coordination whatsoever I have already fallen down the stairs three times today and I am now sitting on my couch icing my sprained ankle
I was at DMV a few years ago, and I actually recognized the face of the guy in line behind me. Did he live on my street? No. Go to school with me? Nope. After mentally going through my entire contact list, I finally turned around and said, "Hi! I'm really embarrassed but I'm sure we know each other, right?" And he looked at me oddly for a second and then said, "I don't think I know you, but I'm the ABC evening newscaster." Uh, right. I've been staring at his face every damn night for a half hour for YEARS.
I can't use textas without it somehow getting all over my fingers.
I can't do a lot of "around the house" stuff. I never hang pictures right. They barely stay on the wall and are always crooked. Most other stuff is done with a lick and some spit.
I can't roll my r's. I'm DYING to learn to speak Spanish, but I end up sounding like an idiot.
I can't say "car park" or "coin toss" without inverting the first letters. I can sometimes hear when I say "par cark" but I never hear "toin coss" it always sounds right to me.
I can't tell time unless the clock is digital, and I get very very stuck on making change with physical money as opposed to credit cards. I also still can't create all the letters in cursive. (Yet I've taken to writing in Greek)
Don't get me started on figuring out precentage of ANYTHING. Impossible! I've been showed about 20 different ways and I still don't get it.
I cannot, for the life of me, remember the artist or album of a specific song. I'll know the lyrics word for word but good luck getting me to tell you who sang it or which album its on! I also cannot braid my own hair, tie a knot that will reliably stay tied (all my laced shoes have slide fasteners on them), or understand the air pressure in my tires. I can fence with a sword in each hand and dead-eye a knife throwing target, but I'm fairly sure I'm going to die when my tires inevitably explode.
I can't purr - I have tried and tried but sounds like i'm hacking - haven't given up but dont see success anytime soon!
I've had multiple people try to teach me to play chess and I. Just. Can't. I'm otherwise educated, intelligent, and logical, but chess? Forget it.
I can’t describe someone; so if I was ever a witness to a crime the description of the person would be such a mess and based on characters I’ve seen on anime, movies, shows and music videos lol. I’d be such an unreliable witness. But the sad part is like if I ever see someone more than once I could tell you when and where. 😔
I can’t say the word colloquialism no matter how hard I try. It even took me 3 tries to look up the spelling because I can’t wrap my brain around the pronunciation.
I can't snap my fingers, so I guess I'm neither inevitable nor Iron Man. :P I also can't swim very well.
I cannot for the life of me judge distances-I mean I will park about four feet away from the curb and think 'OMG! I bet I'm up on that curb!'
I can not be on time to save my life, would hope to for someone else's but I always seem to be 20 min late or 20 min early.
I have to put my fingers in my ears when I wet my hair and rinse the shampoo and conditioner out when I shower. I can’t gargle because of my gag reflex. I can raise my left eyebrow but not my right eyebrow. Just to name a few.
Hey!!! I just found out I can't raise my right eyebrow either. I'll just add that to my list.
Load More Replies...