Stuff that everyone should know, but some people don't.

[Biggerhammer]

Basic courtesy of whatever place you generally inhabit.
At least one foreign language/culture.
Ability to concisely and accurately communicate without using 'like' more than once per conversation.
The process of problem-solving.
Skepticism.
At least a passing knowlege of major religions and political entities.

 

[GTaudiophile]

What about simple manners? Please/Thank-you kind of stuff.

 

[Tiamat]

Knowing how to do your own research without relying on others.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: notfred
It seems to me there are some fundamental skills that people (in the US at least) should all know. Many of these are learned as children. Things like how to tie shoelaces and how to tell time. It amazes me how many people don't know how to do some of these things, though.

For example, these are some things that seem like fundamentals to me:
knowing how to read
knowing how to ride a bike
knowing how to swim
knowing which way to turn a screwdriver

I know there are a few people with diseases and things that make some of these difficult, but I just don't see how so many able-bodied people can never have learned such basic things.

Feel free to add other stuff to this list.

reading, tying your shoelaces, and telling time are fundamental. riding a bike or swimming is not fundamental. fundamental stuff should be stuff you are required to do every day. you don't need to know how to ride a bike to get through life.

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: pontifex
you need to know how to ride a bike to get through life.

Why?

 

[Atomicus]

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: Atomicus

whipe the bum with 1 swipe (i.e. there are people who insist on rubbing the toilet paper.... RUBBING)

I don't mean to insinuate, but how the hell would you know if someone is rubbing rather than wiping thier bum with one swipe. Secondly, why would you care?

Wow, answered this already. But the act of rubbing is pretty loud when you're in a public bathroom, especially with cheap single-ply.

Why I care? Because I don't want his @$$ hairs to catch fire from the friction and lead to 3rd degree burns.

 

[RaistlinZ]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
What about simple manners? Please/Thank-you kind of stuff.

STFU b*tch!

 

[eakers]

how to change a tire.

 

[Maximilian]

Originally posted by: notfred
For example, these are some things that seem like fundamentals to me:
knowing how to read
knowing how to ride a bike
knowing how to swim
knowing which way to turn a screwdriver

Solutions for those that cant read/swim/bike or screwdriver

knowing how to read - Watch dvd's and dont read
knowing how to ride a bike - Drive a big powerful car like a real man
knowing how to swim - Go boating
knowing which way to turn a screwdriver - Use a hammer instead, screwdrivers are overrated!

 

[thirdlegstump]

That my salami is as big as a whale's.

 

[mezrah]

Originally posted by: Soviet

Originally posted by: notfred
For example, these are some things that seem like fundamentals to me:
knowing how to read
knowing how to ride a bike
knowing how to swim
knowing which way to turn a screwdriver

Solutions for those that cant read/swim/bike or screwdriver

knowing how to read - Watch dvd's and dont read
knowing how to ride a bike - Drive a big powerful car like a real man
knowing how to swim - Go boating
knowing which way to turn a screwdriver - Use a hammer instead, screwdrivers are overrated!

1. Hope you never have to understand a foreign film cause subtitles are out of the question.
2. wow...just wow
3. That way when you fall out of your boat without a life preserver you drown
4. The screwdriver one is stupid anyway, even if you start turning the wrong way you can just correct yourself when you realize it's not going in

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: GeekDrew

Originally posted by: pontifex
you need to know how to ride a bike to get through life.

Why?

was supposed to be you DON'T need to know. you should have been able to figure that out based on the context of my post.

 

[DaShen]

Some people don't have the same opportunities/gifts to learn that stuff. You should feel fortunate.

 

[skrilla]

Learn to use a telephone. Learn telephone etiquette.

1. Don't make people "hold on" for a long period of time while you switch over call waiting. Tell one party you will call back or keep it the conversation short.
2. Don't have a side conversation with your kids or your buddies while you have someone on the phone. If it is not a good time to talk, call them back.
3. Don't interrupt someone using the phone - unless it is urgent/emergency.
4. People pay per minute now, don't go on and on with your talk. Get to the point. Some people use the phone to get to the point, not just gossip, etc.

 

[Yreka]

Originally posted by: Excelsior
Who the hell rubs their ass with the toilet paper? Jesus.

No, I believe he wipes sack-to-back like the rest of us.

 

[Accipiter22]

Originally posted by: Excelsior
Who the hell rubs their ass with the toilet paper? Jesus.

everyone does......do you use water or something?

 

[zanieladie]

Use your computer's "spell check" function before mailing something out...otherwise, you appear STUPID!

So many times I get mail from companies and I wonder...didn't anybody proof-read this??!?

 

[g8wayrebel]

If it's been said , so be it. I went way too far into this thread not to have seen it already.
This is America.
Learn to speak ENGRISH!!!
How the F^ck do you expect to live here and not speak the language?
That ,if anything, is something everyone should know!!!!!!!!!!
Just for the record , since I posted it on another web site today , there is no S attached to the word anyway. No matter how you use it ,it will never be anyways!

 

[BatmanNate]

Robert Heinlein put it best:

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.
--Lazarus Long

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: skrilla
Learn to use a telephone. Learn telephone etiquette.

1. Don't make people "hold on" for a long period of time while you switch over call waiting. Tell one party you will call back or keep it the conversation short.
2. Don't have a side conversation with your kids or your buddies while you have someone on the phone. If it is not a good time to talk, call them back.
3. Don't interrupt someone using the phone - unless it is urgent/emergency.
4. People pay per minute now, don't go on and on with your talk. Get to the point. Some people use the phone to get to the point, not just gossip, etc.

Re: #4
I'm thinking that it's very very few people who get right to the point.
Either that, or all the idiots driving around, with their ears glued to the cell phone, just have a lot of points to get to.

 

[GeekDrew]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: GeekDrew

Originally posted by: pontifex
you need to know how to ride a bike to get through life.

Why?

was supposed to be you DON'T need to know. you should have been able to figure that out based on the context of my post.

Well, I *thought* you might have meant that, but I find it better to ask for clarity than use assumptions.

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: mitaiwan82
Driving a car with a manual transmission - well, I think everyone should at least know the concept of how to do it

i agree and i don't think it's getting better. like 5% of the cars in the US are manual and it's pretty much true for my high school as well. when we went to europe, we rented a car for the entire trip for like $600 but if we had gotten it in automatic, it would've been around $1400. not only was the drive funner, but it was much cheaper.

 

[Baked]

Flush.