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While common sense often gets mocked (perhaps, unjustly) as not being common enough, as every now and then, we have encounters where someone has made a decision so astoundingly strange that you almost feel like taking them aside and learning exactly what makes them tick.
Someone asked “What do you consider to be basic knowledge everyone should know (but they don't)?” and netizens listed all the things some folks are simply ignorant of. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your own examples in the comments below.
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#1
When you're about to enter an elevator, WAIT FOR THE PEOPLE IN IT TO GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!
RELATED:
#2
There's a profound difference between knowledge and belief.
#3
If somebody is helping you, even if it's their job to, say thank you, you p***k!
Beak Hookage 2 days ago
You're welcome. Wait, WHAT did you just call me?!
Load More Replies...
Billo66 2 days ago
I say thank you to Alexa. When the robots take over they will remember I was nice :)
Anyone-for-tea? 1 day ago
I say please all the time because it’s so ingrained! I did say thank you a few times and sometimes she says you’re welcome or something like that.
Hippopotamuses 1 day ago (edited)
Quite comprehensive. May I add the following? tallywhacker, li'l Billy, putz, tool, joystick, basalisk, cyclops, weiner, dong, the mongoose, bushwhacker. I think BP may underestimate the fluidity and inventiveness of the English language.
Mook The Mediocre 1 day ago
say thank you, you p***k! D**n you, Panda Censor. Why pick on the poor plank? Or did you mean to censor something else apart from lengths of wood? Padlock?
Robert Trebor 1 day ago
I came upon the attitude in the Navy that just because people are doing assigned jobs, they do not need to be thanked or praised, even if they do it well. That is so much cwap. Everyone likes to be appreciated. And if you praise and thank for good work, it makes the times that you have to criticize so much easier for them to receive.
#4
Africa is not a country.
You get better customer service if you're polite.
The sun is a star.
Saltwater fish go in saltwater.
#5
The difference between "lose" and "loose"
Drives me nuts...
#6
How to read analog clocks. It's not rocket science.
StarCrossedFriday 2 days ago (edited)
Also, why is 24 hour time apparently so difficult for so many Americans?
#7
That to one degree or another, evolution exists.
Edit: Just thought I'd add... I'm a Christian, and I know this to be true. There's a difference in faith and ignorance.
#8
Don't randomly stop walking when you're in front of someone.
MOVE when you're in someones way (like while shopping, or in public in general).
#9
If you're married/in a relationship, don't have affairs/cheat on them. No matter what the situation is, don't do it.
#10
Turn Signal 101.
#11
Eat with you mouth closed and breathe through your nose whilst chewing. Seriously.
#12
In almost 99.9% of the situations you're in, the person you are yelling at isn't to blame. I see it happen on tech support phone calls, restaurants, shops, towards police, teachers, etc.
#13
An understanding of economics. You would think that most people (in the US anyway) vote with their pocketbooks. But at least half of the people consistently vote against their own self-interest because they apparently do not understand economics.
#14
Common courtesy in public areas. How to be considerate in navigating through a store. Being mindful of your place in an aisle and trying to least obstruct others' way.
#15
The amount of wasted gasoline caused by people who are constantly braking and accelerating as opposed to coasting as much as possible. If there is a red light/wall of traffic 50 yards ahead, what's the point in accelerating when you know you're just going to brake immediately after? Such a waste of expensive energy.
#16
Current and past political events in your country. So many politicians would not get elected if people knew what they have done and what they are planning on doing.
#17
How to sew a button back on. It often seems like almost no one still has this skill.
Savannah greenleaf 2 days ago (edited)
I can! Thank you great grandmother for this useful tidbit of knowledge!
#18
Just because you can't disprove it, that does not mean it is true.
#19
F*****g let me off the bus before you try to get on. God d**n it.
Beak Hookage 2 days ago
Around here the bus driver will almost always stop you if you try to get on before people have gotten off, and tell you to stand aside.
#20
Basic math skills. I'm constantly shocked when people can't understand simple mathematics. For example, I used to work at a restaurant that often had X% off your next meal coupons. So many times I had people complain because the percentage was taken off the total "and all the items should have X% off". It's the same f*****g thing. This should not be a new concept.
Rachel Pelz 2 days ago
Math teacher to class: "80% of you will never fully understand the concept of percentages." One of the students: " haha, we aren't even that many in here!"
#21
Et cetera becomes etc. not ect.
#23
The Chinese and Japanese are not the same. They are two distinct groups with different cultures and idea that also happen to hate each other's guts.
Alex Schneider 2 days ago (edited)
can we just talk about humans living in chinese/ spanish/ japanese/canadian culture.. the mean difference lay in the culture the are used to- not in their looks ( yeah I know there are differences in DNS, but they matter only to biologist,since people settle all around the world)
#24
Screaming and freaking out during a bad situation doesn't help a thing. Breathe, calm the hell down. And think about possible solutions with a clear head. Staying calm is the key.
#25
They're, there and their.
#28
That Indian isn't a f*****g language! I get asked this on a regular basis and it pisses me off. There's over 20 languages in India and none of them are called Indian.
#29
How to merge into traffic properly. Another word for merge is "blend", as in "Blend into existing traffic", not going half the speed and slowing everyone down around you. It's ignorant, really.
#30
That the President of the United States does not have the power that people think he does.
He can't just fix every problem with the snap of his fingers people.
Snackmachine 2 days ago
Currently he seems able to destroy everything with the snap of his fingers
#31
"Righty tighty, lefty loosey.".
keyboardtek 2 days ago
Except bicycle pedals. They have opposite threads so the pedals do not unscrew.
#32
When people choose to be gluten free for weight loss yet don't know what gluten is.
#33
Semi trucks take very wide turns and you need to give them room. My girlfriend was about to stop at an intersection and a semi was turning our way. She kept moving forward and I warned her you need to stop so we don't get hit. She didn't listen and luckily backed up in time and she claimed she had no idea of trucks taking such wide turns. It scares me to think that she got her license and knew nothing of such simple rules of the road.
Earthquake903 2 days ago
Also, don't drive beside trucks on a roundabout. Don't pass a truck then get in front and slow down, we can't stop as easily as you and many trucks have collision mitigation systems which will slam on breaks if something is too close to the front radar. Just pass us and goooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Don't hang around near the rear or sides either. Tires blow, wind can cause us to swerved we may need to change lanes suddenly. You don't want to be around when that happens.
#34
Don't stand and talk with people in doorways. Somehow people always meet eachother for the first time in years and are then glued by their shoes to the floor in a doorway.
#35
That you can use the address bar as the search engine...
It annoys me every time I see someone type google into the address bar and click google then search whatever they are looking for.
#36
If you're an adult and hit someone you can have criminal charges pressed against you. its not like the movies where you can get into a bar fight and walk away like nothing happened.
#37
Basic Googling skills, i.e. if you don't know Google it!
If you ask me and I don't know, that's what I'll do anyways...
#38
Now that winter is coming up, i would say that the cold itself doesnt make you sick, but the germs that build up in your home because you neglect to ventilate it
not that the cold doesnt make it worse though.
#40
How to whisper. seriously don't get mad when some people start to "eavesdrop".
Tabitha 2 days ago (edited)
I hate it when I whisper something to someone and they proceed to repeat it, verbatim, loudly. If I wanted everyone to hear it, I wouldn’t have whispered it, ffs. Or when someone makes a disparaging comment about someone they know full well is in earshot—-then they wonder why that person acts rather cold to them.
#41
Hot political issues, like what the Affordable Care act is. This way people can correctly support or disapprove of policies.
#42
Basic cooking skills.
1) Your stove has different temperature settings for a reason. Not everything should be cooked on full heat.
2) Salt is not evil - flavor your food as it is cooking. And as Chef Symon says, "Cook with Kosher, finish with Sea."
3) Fresh herbs and vegetables add flavor without excess salt.
4) If you burned food onto the bottom of a pan / pot, boil water in it for a while to loosen it up.
5) Rest any meat for several minutes after cooking, before cutting.
6) Don't dump water on a grease fire. Drop a lid or towel over it.
Lady Eowyn 2 days ago
Who is Chef Symon, and how many people have Kosher and sea salt in their homes on a regular basis? Don't many people just have good old fashioned table salt?
#43
PEE AFTER S*X. It prevents UTIs. How do some girls not know this?
#44
Hallways are like roads, stay on the right side.
#45
How to eat right. So many behavioral, mental, emotional, and physical problems stem simply from an improper diet.
Poll Question
Which basic skill do you think is most lacking in today's society?
Time management
Critical thinking
Effective communication
Problem-solving
What do you think ?
Ru Bee 2 days ago
You do NOT have to have your phone on loud speaker in public!... You utter wetwipes!
GhostlySnail (she/her) 2 days ago
Or listen to music or TikTok out loud in public!
Load More Replies...
Corvus 2 days ago
Mine would be "lunch break exists." It's amazing how often people knock on my door, come in, clearly see that I am eating lunch, and still ask to get a signature or stamp on a document... yeah, would you like some greasy fingerprints as well?
martin734 2 days ago
This is the main reason I always leave work to have lunch, or go to the canteen.
Load More Replies...
Apatheist Account2 1 day ago
Why are they in the Eurovision Song Contest then?
Load More Replies... 
Josh Gallant 1 day ago
I'm actually surprised and mildly disgusted that hand washing didn't make the list.
Dirk Daring 2 days ago
Schools in the US should be teaching the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. I'm so tired of hearing, "That's F as in ummmm Frank, U as in unicorn, C as innnnnn candy, K as in Kangaroo..."
Apatheist Account2 1 day ago
C for miles, E for Brick, F for Vescent, I for One, L for Leather, M for sis, Q for a bus, R for minute, V for La France, Y for girlfriend...
Load More Replies...
ALittleKnownGoddess 1 day ago
I might have learned the NATO Phonetic Alphabet decades ago in school, but I recently decided that I would learn it (again? idk) .
Hippopotamuses 1 day ago (edited)
When they start off with 'amount' of people, you can't expect that much.
PenguinEmp 1 day ago
You can't just say stuff and it will happen in a split second if you are in gov
Arthur Waite 1 day ago
I notice that there's a version of Jeopardy playing in Australia and the UK, as well as the US one. That's one way to keep informed and 'educated' while keeping the brain active. I play along and try to 'compete', like everybody else who watches. But often, I can get the 77-year old cells to beat the contestants.
onelife 2 days ago
Do not try to get people's attention when they are on a call or in a meeting or in middle of a conversation ! There are so many times people just knock on my meeting room glass door or come over to my desk and whisper 'Excuse me, do you have a min' . How am I supposed give my attention to you ignorant fool while I was already in middle of a conversation with another.
Apatheist Account2 1 day ago
I once said to my boss, "Can I come and chat to you about why our office is so draughty?" He said "Sure, my door is always open..."
Ace 2 days ago
Less than a quarter of these fit with the title of basic knowledge. The rest are just manners, courtesy, basic rules (which are not always universal in countries other than the US). Very disappointing list.
Lady Eowyn 2 days ago
It would be nice if people would share what these are in their country - and tell me the country - as I like learning new things. Keeps the brain active.
Ru Bee 2 days ago
You do NOT have to have your phone on loud speaker in public!... You utter wetwipes!
GhostlySnail (she/her) 2 days ago
Or listen to music or TikTok out loud in public!
Load More Replies... Corvus 2 days ago
Mine would be "lunch break exists." It's amazing how often people knock on my door, come in, clearly see that I am eating lunch, and still ask to get a signature or stamp on a document... yeah, would you like some greasy fingerprints as well?
martin734 2 days ago
This is the main reason I always leave work to have lunch, or go to the canteen.
Load More Replies... Apatheist Account2 1 day ago
Why are they in the Eurovision Song Contest then?
Load More Replies... Josh Gallant 1 day ago
I'm actually surprised and mildly disgusted that hand washing didn't make the list.
Dirk Daring 2 days ago
Schools in the US should be teaching the NATO Phonetic Alphabet. I'm so tired of hearing, "That's F as in ummmm Frank, U as in unicorn, C as innnnnn candy, K as in Kangaroo..."
Apatheist Account2 1 day ago
C for miles, E for Brick, F for Vescent, I for One, L for Leather, M for sis, Q for a bus, R for minute, V for La France, Y for girlfriend...
Load More Replies... ALittleKnownGoddess 1 day ago
I might have learned the NATO Phonetic Alphabet decades ago in school, but I recently decided that I would learn it (again? idk) .
Hippopotamuses 1 day ago (edited)
When they start off with 'amount' of people, you can't expect that much.
PenguinEmp 1 day ago
You can't just say stuff and it will happen in a split second if you are in gov
Arthur Waite 1 day ago
I notice that there's a version of Jeopardy playing in Australia and the UK, as well as the US one. That's one way to keep informed and 'educated' while keeping the brain active. I play along and try to 'compete', like everybody else who watches. But often, I can get the 77-year old cells to beat the contestants.
onelife 2 days ago
Do not try to get people's attention when they are on a call or in a meeting or in middle of a conversation ! There are so many times people just knock on my meeting room glass door or come over to my desk and whisper 'Excuse me, do you have a min' . How am I supposed give my attention to you ignorant fool while I was already in middle of a conversation with another.
Apatheist Account2 1 day ago
I once said to my boss, "Can I come and chat to you about why our office is so draughty?" He said "Sure, my door is always open..."
Ace 2 days ago
Less than a quarter of these fit with the title of basic knowledge. The rest are just manners, courtesy, basic rules (which are not always universal in countries other than the US). Very disappointing list.
Lady Eowyn 2 days ago
It would be nice if people would share what these are in their country - and tell me the country - as I like learning new things. Keeps the brain active.
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