18 Basic Life Skills Some Grown Adults Still Need to Learn

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Some individuals openly acknowledge their shortcomings in what are widely regarded as fundamental life skills. Within an online forum, people candidly share the everyday tasks that unexpectedly present challenges for them.

1. Bubblegum Bubbles

The unwritten bubble gum rule is if you chew one, you should blow a bubble at least once.

One online conversation contributor doesn’t follow this rule simply because they can’t blow bubbles to save their lives. They never have been able to.

2. Navigation

While the cardinal directions mean very little for many, simple directions of up and down, left and right are easy to follow.

One online conversation contributor, however, says they have a zero sense of direction. Regardless of what you use to direct them, they’ll still get lost.

“I have less than no sense of direction. I had a friend move down the street from me, literally a straight line two minute drive. First time I went I got lost. I don’t even know how it happened.” They add.

3. Rolling the Sleeves

Former President Obama made rolled-up sleeves look cool and acceptable; anyone can do it now.

Well, not quite!

One user says, “I really feel like everyone else can roll their sleeves properly and mine just look like lumpy messes.”

It must be the folds; they probably make them too small.

4. Ironing Clothes

To be fair to anyone who can’t get their creases in an invisible row, ironing is tedious and boring. Not hard, just boring.

One user though, couldn’t get the hang of it. She narrates, “My mom tried to teach me when I was a teenager, but I was so bad that it annoyed her to the point that she would grab the iron from me saying, “No, no, no! I’ll just do it. Watch me.”

5. Remembering Names

There should be a medical term for the inability to remember names. This is one of the commonest traits in people, and we can blame the rising cost of fuel.

One user shares, “Remembering people’s names. You could introduce me to someone, I’ll say “Hi ___ nice to meet you.” But then 5 minutes later I’ve completely forgotten what your name is.”

6. Tearing Plastic Wrap

This should not be hard, you don’t need any special powers to be able to do it.

An online conversation contributor is mesmerized at her incompetence. They say, “I don’t get it. My sisters can do it, my mom and girlfriend can do it, but when I try I just get a ball of wadded up plastic.”

7. Talking

Talking is a documented child milestone, even babies get the hang of it eventually. Talking is one user’s only problem.

“I have a bad habit of thinking ahead of where I’m speaking, so the words get jumbled on the way to my mouth and they just come out as this amalgamation of both the word I wanted to say and the word three steps ahead.”

Maybe they can stick to writing, it sounds pretty coherent.

8. Folding Clothes

Apart from fitted bedsheets, which are a clear abomination, folding clothes should not be a difficult task.

One online commenter, though, can’t fold shorts to save their lives.

They say, “Can take forever and they never look OK. Even worse for sheets.”

9. Boiling an Egg

The joke is that some people are so bad at cooking all they can do is boil an egg. As it turns out, some people can’t even boil an egg properly.

They share, “I have to relook up how to cook a hard-boiled egg every time.”

Someone else says, “Me, too! Because I can never remember how long to boil it for… or how to make it so the shells come off easily.”

The secret is, don’t boil it. Just crack it and fry it. If you can do that.

10. Using a Key

It’s just “insert and turn,” right? Well, it’s not that simple for some people. One online conversation commenter says they don’t know how to properly use a key.

“Every time I unlock my door (I never do it if other people are watching; I’ll always find some excuse to make them do it), it takes me at least 2-3 minutes of struggling. Mostly the part after it’s unlocked where I have to take the key out.” They share.

To be fair, not all locks are opened the same way. We also know they can’t be a thief.

11. Blowing the Nose

How is it possible for something like this to be difficult?

A Redditor says the one task they just can’t prosper in is blowing their nose. “I can’t blow my nose, my nostrils are really tiny, and I can’t force enough air to them. I’ve even tried nose sprays and just the spray comes out, no snot or mucus. Also, my brother can’t burp. We are a defective family.”

12. Walking in a Straight Line

If you continuously put one leg in front of the other, you learn how to walk. It’s not that easy for one user, though.

They can’t walk in a straight line without swaying from side to side. They blame an earlier anti-depressant prescription. Let’s just pray they never have to take a sobriety test.

13. Brushing Teeth

It’s hard to imagine a grown-up who can’t brush their teeth properly, but they do exist!

One contributor says, “I always end up drooling toothpaste from my mouth and I have to brush tilting my head up…”

14. Finger-Snapping

It’s not easy peasy, but it’s not calculus either. One conversation contributor can’t do it whichever way.

“Snapping my fingers. I’ve watched sooooo many tutorials on YouTube. But I just can’t do it.” They say.

It’s not necessarily a life-saving life skill, so it’s OK.

15. Getting Into Cars

One user says, “I climb in face first, with my knees on the seat. Every time. Doesn’t matter how high or low the car is. I literally don’t know [how] to enter normally.

This is why we should have the horse-drawn carriages back.

16. Tying Shoe Laces

There’s an age beyond which it should be illegal to not know how to tie your laces. That age is 6 years old.

“I’m 22 and I never learnt how to tie my shoes.” One user says.

Ok, never mind; let’s take that age to 26 years old. Good luck, buddy.

17. Handshakes

One man admits that he sucks at handshakes. He writes, “I always do the wrong thing. Oh you wanted a fist bump? Let me shake that. Regular professional handshake? Come here homie lets bro hug.”

18. Holding Babies

One man admits he’s never gotten the hang of picking up babies because they start to cry the second he gets near them.

Source

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