Skillz: surprised by learning.
September 27, 2007 7:18 AM Subscribe
What are some skills or habits you've acquired that seemed either banal or pointless at the time, but have turned out to be very useful over the course of your life?
My entries:
1. Fluffing potatoes with a fork, learned at Rax in 1984.
2. Typing, 1983, high school and jr. high. Boring class, incredibly useful.
3. Toulmin's warrants. The light saber of argument.
I kind of thought that math would be useful, even though I didn't enjoy it, so I can't include that as an answer.
I realize that the temptation to provide parody answers in this thread may be almost irresistible. Still, real answers would be useful.
My entries:
1. Fluffing potatoes with a fork, learned at Rax in 1984.
2. Typing, 1983, high school and jr. high. Boring class, incredibly useful.
3. Toulmin's warrants. The light saber of argument.
I kind of thought that math would be useful, even though I didn't enjoy it, so I can't include that as an answer.
I realize that the temptation to provide parody answers in this thread may be almost irresistible. Still, real answers would be useful.
This post was deleted for the following reason: whilie interesting, this is "I'll go first" chatfilter which means it might be better as a metachat topic, or possibly rephrased to have some sort of problem to be solved.
html. in 1992. i was maybe 14. it just seemed nerdy back then and i didnt think i'd ever really need to use it.
posted by modernsquid at 7:22 AM on September 27, 2007
posted by modernsquid at 7:22 AM on September 27, 2007
Tying knots.
Thanks to sailing and Scout training, I'm now usually the only person in a group who can securely attach things to other things in a confidence-inducing manner.
posted by Miko at 7:23 AM on September 27, 2007
Thanks to sailing and Scout training, I'm now usually the only person in a group who can securely attach things to other things in a confidence-inducing manner.
posted by Miko at 7:23 AM on September 27, 2007
Related question. Baking, gardening and canning top my list.
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:29 AM on September 27, 2007
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:29 AM on September 27, 2007
Perl (ok, I thought it'd be useful, but nowhere near as much as it has been)
posted by edd at 7:29 AM on September 27, 2007
posted by edd at 7:29 AM on September 27, 2007
Listening to people. I thought I was just shy and didn't have much to say, so I was kind of stuck being on the receiving end; it caused a number of issues in previous jobs where overly extroverted bosses didn't consider me a go-getter. Now I'm training to be a therapist and I'm getting all sorts of compliments on my listening skills. I think it's been a good career move.
posted by occhiblu at 7:32 AM on September 27, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by occhiblu at 7:32 AM on September 27, 2007 [1 favorite]
How to crack an egg with one hand when I worked in the dorm dining commons kitchen when I was a freshman.
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy at 7:34 AM on September 27, 2007
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy at 7:34 AM on September 27, 2007
Scout knot knowledge is the best! I don't have it unfortunately but the SO's has been infinitely handy for years.
Small talk. I used to think it was so pointless, but now I find it a very useful skill in working with people throughout the day. In my job as an RN it's a great way to gather additional information about patients and distract them if they're nervous about a quick procedure (injections and whatnot: it they're not thinking directly about the pain sometimes it's not as bad and over more quickly).
posted by dog food sugar at 7:34 AM on September 27, 2007
Small talk. I used to think it was so pointless, but now I find it a very useful skill in working with people throughout the day. In my job as an RN it's a great way to gather additional information about patients and distract them if they're nervous about a quick procedure (injections and whatnot: it they're not thinking directly about the pain sometimes it's not as bad and over more quickly).
posted by dog food sugar at 7:34 AM on September 27, 2007
Public speaking. It seemed interesting but pointless in grade school. When I got that job doing training and I had to speak in front of people all day, every day, well, hey, not so pointless.
posted by GuyZero at 7:38 AM on September 27, 2007
posted by GuyZero at 7:38 AM on September 27, 2007
The 'oral sex with ice in the mouth' thing.
posted by four panels at 7:45 AM on September 27, 2007
posted by four panels at 7:45 AM on September 27, 2007
Thirding the touch typing, which I was forced to learn freshman year of high school. I use it 360+ days a year.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:45 AM on September 27, 2007
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:45 AM on September 27, 2007
Cooking. My grandfather the chemist took the time to explain some of the fundamental principles to me, in very logical terms. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but it's let me make things that I like the way I like them, and given me the knowledge that there are fundamental principles, about which I could learn more -- I'm continually surprised by how much other people just accept mediocre food as normal, and how much this affects their quality of life.
Cooking seems like something that most people wouldn't really be interested in, beyond the basics, but it's a life skill that is much more important than I knew back when I learned most of what I know.
posted by amtho at 7:47 AM on September 27, 2007
Cooking seems like something that most people wouldn't really be interested in, beyond the basics, but it's a life skill that is much more important than I knew back when I learned most of what I know.
posted by amtho at 7:47 AM on September 27, 2007
A foreign language. (English proved far more helpful than I could have anticipated at the age of 6 back in the USSR.)
posted by whimwit at 7:48 AM on September 27, 2007
posted by whimwit at 7:48 AM on September 27, 2007
Tying knots. Fist fighting.
posted by four panels at 7:49 AM on September 27, 2007
posted by four panels at 7:49 AM on September 27, 2007
CPR / first aid? (Thankfully I haven't actually needed it, but if 10 of us learn it and 1 of us saves a life, I think it's overall worthwhile.)
Writing well. I'm a laid-back college student, and yet when I write, people think I'm a professional. This ought to be a standard 'feature' of everyone, but so many people neglect it.
Interpersonal skills, definitely. I'm still not where I want to be in that regard, but I'm come a long way and seen just how valuable it's been. Small talk and really listening, as occhiblu and dog food sugar have said, are definitely worthwhile. (I'd go as far as to plug How to Win Friends and Influence People.)
posted by fogster at 7:49 AM on September 27, 2007
Writing well. I'm a laid-back college student, and yet when I write, people think I'm a professional. This ought to be a standard 'feature' of everyone, but so many people neglect it.
Interpersonal skills, definitely. I'm still not where I want to be in that regard, but I'm come a long way and seen just how valuable it's been. Small talk and really listening, as occhiblu and dog food sugar have said, are definitely worthwhile. (I'd go as far as to plug How to Win Friends and Influence People.)
posted by fogster at 7:49 AM on September 27, 2007
Ice skating.
posted by four panels at 7:52 AM on September 27, 2007
posted by four panels at 7:52 AM on September 27, 2007
Definitely first aid - I actually have used it. Especially learning how to treat diabetic shock - used that twice.
posted by Miko at 7:54 AM on September 27, 2007
posted by Miko at 7:54 AM on September 27, 2007
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by pompomtom at 7:21 AM on September 27, 2007