Some abilities take years to master, but others can be picked up in just a few hours and still prove useful for the rest of your life.
So, Reddit user Michaelis999 asked people to share which ones made the biggest difference for them, and the answers range from practical know-how, like basic household repairs, to social abilities such as active listening.
It’s better to have a skill and not need it than to need it and not have it.
#2
Microsoft Excel. If you know basic math and calculating then you can do amazing things.
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1point
#3
Learn how to swim. It can save your life.
It shocks me how many people accidentally fall into water and drown because they don't know how to swim. You can easily learn the basics and enough to keep yourself alive in 10 hours.
It shocks me how many people accidentally fall into water and drown because they don't know how to swim. You can easily learn the basics and enough to keep yourself alive in 10 hours.
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1point
#4
Probably simple car stuff. Changing a tire, battery cables, jump starting etc etc... You would be surprised how many people can't do those things and how often those are your most common problems!
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1point
#6
First Aid. There are plenty of options to learn and imo should be refreshed once a year if possible because some stuff changes.
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1point
#7
Basic finance literacy stuff such as budgeting, mortgages, negotiations, taxes, investing etc.
I'd argue that just by knowing and understanding these, one can improve his/her quality of life significantly.
I'd argue that just by knowing and understanding these, one can improve his/her quality of life significantly.
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1point
#9
Basic sign language.
Whenever I meet a deaf customer they're always so happy that I know it. Especially because I wear a mask most of the time.
Whenever I meet a deaf customer they're always so happy that I know it. Especially because I wear a mask most of the time.
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1point
#10
Small talk. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but you never know who you’ll meet or what they know. When I first moved overseas i had a small talk w some dude and he told me all the roads to avoid at night, how to use contactless payments, bus routes and which shop has the cheapest and best kebabs.
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#12
Touch typing is a crucial skill that you can master in under 10 hours, delivering lifelong benefits. It boosts productivity, reduces strain, and sharpens focus across all professions. By typing faster, you’ll save valuable time every day, adding up to thousands of hours over the years. Invest in this skill now for lasting advantages!
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1point
#15
Learning the shortcuts for software you use daily. I basically force the juniors to start using shortcuts it always pays off in the end (software engineer). But this goes for everyone, designers in Photoshop, people using spreadsheets, if you use it daily, put in a bit of time to learn how to be efficient.
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0points
#17
Zipper repair:
Most tents and sleeping bags at festivals only are discarded because of slightly buggy zips.
Most tents and sleeping bags at festivals only are discarded because of slightly buggy zips.
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0points
#20
Some basic civics. Understanding how your government actually works and is structured will save you alot of frustration and anger. It might even save you from going down dangerous roads with your ideas.
There are usually pretty good reasons why things work the way they do, even though things might seem slow and inefficient at times.
There are usually pretty good reasons why things work the way they do, even though things might seem slow and inefficient at times.
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-1point