30 Basic Skills That Folks Thought Everyone Had Until They Saw Others Do It Horribly, As Shared Online

I had a friend who grew up with maids. He was 18 and gay and his family kicked him out. So he got this tiny little run down studio apartment in Los Feliz. He was super proud of it, and invited me to see it. He was using candles to light it when I got there (maybe to save money? Maybe to hide the blemishes?) and had left an ashtray on the floor, which I accidentally kicked and got (cold) ashes all over his carpet.

He freaked the f**k out. “What do I do? How am I going to clean that?!”

“With a vacuum?” I replied, confused as to why this was a mystery.

He didn’t have one, so he went to ask the building manager if there was one he could borrow; which there was.

He pulls this standard upright vacuum into the middle of the room and then stares at it. After a few seconds wondering what he was doing I asked “do you not know how to use a vacuum?”

“No, you have to understand, we always had maids, I never even made a bed before last week.”

So I plug it in, turn it on, and take it a couple times back and forth across part of the carpet.

Then like a child with the Fisher-Price popper vacuum he went to work. He was over the moon excited. 25 years later it’s a favorite memory of that person.

Explaining things. If I explain something and someone tells me they don't understand, I explain it again, but frame or phrase it differently. I will never understand why so many people think just saying the exact same words again in a more exasperated/condescending tone is at all effective.

The ability to use a turn signal.

Being polite/having manners

Writing---and I don't mean grammatically perfect pieces or novel writing. I am amazed how many people can't do basic level writing stuff like putting sentences in logical order, using basic punctuation and grammar, etc. I am not a world class writer, but years of Catholic school taught me the basics. I occasionally proofread papers for younger family members and honestly don't even know where to start. The grammar issues I can deal with, but the total lack of organization in paragraphs drives me crazy because I basically end up re-writing the damn paper so it makes some kind of sense.

Their/there/they're.

I’m noticing that a lot of younger people can’t read analog clocks…

Being able and willing to figure stuff out. A lot of basic skills aren't that complicated. And in this day, if it is complicated, the internet almost certainly has dozens, hundreds, or more, tutorials. Quitting because "I don't know how" should not be the answer. I wish more were taught to figure things out, or seek the help/answers to get it done.

Bagging groceries. I mean, isn't it common sense to put all the frozen items in one bag, produce in another, raw meat by itself in a bag, cleaners separate from food? Does it really have to be taught that you shouldn't put a cantaloupe on top of bread?

I don't want to brag, but I know the difference between "definitely" and "defiantly".

Chewing with your mouth closed.

Throwing your trash in a trash can/garbage can and watching people leave their s**t outside their car when they are in a parking lot. Drives me nuts. Especially when NO ONE will pick that up and it's literally littering.

Sewing. I thought I was a mediocre sewer because I wasn't great at cross-stitch and embroidery. Turns out fixing a button or seam is a skill.

Being gentle with your things. Any time we get help from siblings and their spouses I'm astounded by how roughly they treat all of their things/how rough of a job they're ok with accepting.

Also when assembling furniture.. My best mate put together a set of shelves using a drill as a driver on the short and easy to insert Allen keyed screws.. Stripped half of the heads and forced a few in at slightly off-angles and also stripped their threads a bit. Like what are you doing bro? Could have just used an Allen key by hand and put it together in the same time without damaging anything.

a number of people have mentioned using their drill/driver with the right torque setting (and an appropriate amount of skill.!). Yes I agree this is perfectly fine! I didn't mean to say you should never use a driver to assemble furniture, but more that you should know how to use your tools, use what is necessary, and do it with the right level of enthusiasm/strength

Laundry, especially emptying the dryer lint. So many places I’ve stayed had “bad driers” that were packed full of lint! How these people did not start a fire is amazing.

I'm still amazed at how many people my age still can't use computers properly. I don't mean in the too old or too poor category, I'm talking about the sheer number of people in my age group who skipped past computers and went straight to smartphones. (I'm 21)

I'm shocked at how bad some people are at following writen directions. Not travel, but like... assemble furniture, follow a recipe or experiment, read an instruction manual.

I kid you not, I lived with a guy once who had a butler his whole life. Things I taught him:

The funky knife with a hole in it is not useless, it's a potato peeler

You open cans with a can opener

Nothing needs to be microwaved for 10 minutes

For the record, I really liked this guy and he was incredibly fun and kind.

DarkMonkey98 said:
hygiene

chouston333 replied:
This is a big problem.

My parents didn't teach me good hygiene. I stank all the time and it's not something people will tell you about. They will complain to people around you.

My wife taught me better hygiene and it has changed my life. I'm doing much better professionally and random strangers are no longer mean to me seemingly for no reason.

I wish there was a good resource I could refer my stinky friends to so they could learn about it.

Budgeting