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As a child, whenever you had a problem, you most likely went to your parents or some other adult to solve it. But as you grew up, you learned how to do things on your own. Part of being an adult is having a grasp on certain basic life skills - however, as it turns out, not every life lesson is as basic to one person as it is to the next.

The New York Times editor Jenee Desmond-Harris recently shared on Twitter her landlord's unexpected know-how blindspot, and then asked the internet to share their own. People delivered all sorts of hilarious answers, and some of them you might be able to relate to - from social skills such a the dreaded small talk to vital work skills. Scroll down to check out some of the best responses, and don't forget to upvote your faves! And don't forget to let us know in the comments, which seemingly simple things you've missed along the way.

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    athornedrose
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    coming from a big immigrant italian family, i have the worst time scaling down recipes. everything was made to feed the whole clan. making food for like 2 people is insanely difficult for me.

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    Whether it’s tying our shoes, correctly reading the face of a clock or learning to swim, we’ve all had a bit of trouble getting to grips with certain important (and elementary) life skills. Some people even find basic things like fixing the plumbing or driving a car to be — well — basic. But there’s plenty of us have a lot more trouble, because we might be afraid (a lot of us may have panicked the first time we went to a community pool) or we simply might have had no need for a particular skill (we may prefer getting around by bike rather than by car if we live in busy cities).

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    Jonathon Smith
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sometimes I think I've nailed this adulting lark and am now a fully formed member of the human race. Then I try talking to a stranger and realise all I've done is cocoon myself in friends who don't mind talking about D&D 24/7

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    We all know the adage that it takes about 10,000 hours to learn a new skill. However, that’s not entirely true. Josh Kaufman, known for his inspiring TED talk and author of the book ‘The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything… Fast!’, has a very different idea.

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    Lousha
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The + sign has a bump on it. The positive side of the battery is also the one with the bump. The - sign is flat. The negative end of a battery is flat as well. You're welcome!

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    #6

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    Stevie
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I once directed my friend in a car and we nearly ended up in another country....

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    According to Kaufman, the so-called 10,000 rule has been misinterpreted by the vast majority of people for quite some time now. He notes that 10,000 hours is the average it takes to become “an expert in an ultra competitive field”, which is far from the same thing as learning a new skill This is good news for most of us!

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    Ronel du Plessis
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Me too!!! I feel so dumb some times. Living in South Africa I speak Afrikaans. I call kids "pampoen" which means pumpkin. Or "piesang" which means banana. I get away with it because the kids in my karate dojo thinks it is funny. don't think adults would thinks it's funny.

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    Kaufman states that to get from “knowing nothing to being pretty good” takes a far shorter amount of time: barely 20 hours. That’s more or less practicing something for 45 minutes every day for around a month. Doesn’t seem so scary, does it? Of course, you can’t multitask while trying to learn a new skill — you need to focus on it exclusively.

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    AnnaB
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Years ago my sister and I were taking a walk in our neighborhood and someone asked for directions to the local library. After he drove off, we realized that the directions we gave were totally wrong. We joke that to this day, you can see a rusty old car being driven by a skeleton...still looking for that library.

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    #12

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    Daria B
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    5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The trick is to inhale with your mouth when out of water, slowly exhale through your nose while in the water. You can help yourself with humming while in the water.

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    #14

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    Pseudo Puppy
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Me too!! It's the side effect of my mother's friend terrifying me as a kid (for "fun"), by telling me that she saw a kid get their foot caught in the escalator & had it chewed off. She told me every time we went to go on an escalator. It's now an ingrained instinct, despite me logically knowing it's nonsense.

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    #15

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    Paul K. Johnson
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fitted sheets are supposed to be folded? I just wad them up in a ball and stuff them in the linen closet.

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    #16

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    Daria B
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Riding a bike is not easy. Unlike most people I know, I'll admit, I learnt it as a young adult. And I'm so grateful for it, such a useful skill to have.

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    Ronel du Plessis
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    LOL!!! I have no sense of direction. Will get lost in my own house ;-/, but time and distance... no one can beat me at that.

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    Steve Barnett
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I cannot say 'similarly'. It always comes out as similarily, similaly, similarlarily etc.

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    Oerff On Tour
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a problem with converting the 24h clock to 12h. Keep messing up 5 o'clock (1700h) and 7 o'clock

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    #22

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    Gary
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I had an instructor like that, I dumped him and found a new one. Passed my test first time.

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    #25

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    Mascha Claessens
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Haha, that's the opposite to my dad. He can ONLY float. Like, on his back with both his knees AND shoulders above the water. We've often joked that he has hollow bones, like a bird.

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    PaulV
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes, "deductible" sounds like something you *don't* have to pay. And "premium" sounds like something good, but the whole thing is doubly confusing: pay a higher premium (oh no!) to get a lower monthly (oh...kay?). It's like being asked to choose the way you would like to get screwed.

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    #27

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    Katie Smith
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Now this, I learned at middle school. One of the positives of having school uniforms in the UK!

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    #28

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    Yettichild
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I just think to myself "Write" and I automatically know which hand is right =D

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    Mascha Claessens
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And that's a benefit of growing up in the Netherlands: everyone gets swimming lessons. Some of us more than others, but we all do when we're little. Too much water around not to... :P

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    #31

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    Daria B
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    5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Same. Except, the author of this post seems to be ropeskipping better than me. My foot always gets caught.

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    #33

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    Ronel du Plessis
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is he left handed maybe? My eldest son is a lefty and for the love of every thing nice, it is utter torture to watch him trying to open a can either manually or with an electric opener. It is just impossible.

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    Blue Cicada
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can throw a frisbee just fine. I mean, it's not a floating disc, more a shortly-airborne chunk of plastic, but I can throw it!

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    #36

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    chi-wei shen
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Using thumb, index, and middle finger is actually quite common around the world.

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    #37

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    Jenna Bois
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I got in the habit of telling people "drivers side turn" or "passengers side turn" haha

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    #38

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    Ryo Bakura
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Better safe than sorry. Don't want your Rice Krispies squares to cause you to burn down you house.

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    Tessa
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I honestly hate when people give me directions like this. "When you get out of train go west..." The fck, left or right or straight? Or when they ask where I live - "Oh in that area? West side or east?" Like, when i get out of bus i go to the right, bit downhill and pass the supermarket....

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    Biopithecus
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I done this! Arriving at the airport, I ask the security for directions, they ask arrival or departure, I just arrived there right, so arrival - they send me to another gate, then work out the math in my head (I can't have arrived if I haven't departed yet, so departure it must be) and sheepishly go back to them and say this is my ticket and they give me a weird look.

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    Stina Kolling
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Every person I have ever met in my entire life who had long legs couldn't sit cross-legged. Doesn't matter the width of the pelvis. I have to wonder if it gets better with consistent stretching.

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    Biopithecus
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I've no sense of direction, but exceptional if given a map and a compass.

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    #50

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    Honey
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can't put hoops in without looking in a mirror. If any have backs, I should be fine, but a sleeper earring requires attention.

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    #51

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    Jonathon Smith
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My wife once asked me why the Argentinians invaded Scotland. I had to explain that the Falkland Islands were in fact in the southern hemisphere 8000 miles away, not part of Scotland. This might seem understandable (I mean you've probably never heard of the Falklands if you were not British and alive during the conflict), but this was AFTER her brother had moved to the islands.

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    #53

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    Daria B
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    5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For me, big numbers are easier to say in Korean because of the money currency here, so I deal with big numbers on a default basis here in Korea. Back in Croatia, it was more like "what happens in maths classes, stays in maths classes" when it comes to large numbers with many digits.

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    Maci Mae
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My problem is digital clocks. It's kind of hard to explain, so I'll just give an example. At my school, we had all analog clocks. While I'm really slow at reading analog, I came to memorize what the shape of the hands looked like when class was over, rather than the actual time. So if somebody asked me, "what time does 3rd hour end?" I wouldn't know, but I would know what the clock looked like. So when they replaced all the clocks in our school to digital clocks, I kept having to ask people to remind me what time classes ended. I ended up buying an analog watch to make my life easier :))

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    Jewels Vern
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    After a few visits to Vegas casinos I realized that everybody shuffles differently. It is amazing how many different ways are possible. Casino cops can only insist that a dealer use the exact same method every time.

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    Mascha Claessens
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    "Can't parallel park unless I'm alone in the car" --> YEP, that's a thing, same here... XD

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    #57

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    Jewels Vern
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Considering the amount of pee in any pool, goggles are a good thing. It's pee in the water that causes irritated eyes.

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    Valerie G.
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It might help to drink some water before putting the pill in your mouth, it slides down a little bit easier.

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    Ryo Bakura
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe the skin on your middle finger and thumb is too smooth to generate the necessary friction.

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    Jewels Vern
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hold the pillow case in one hand. Stuff the sheet in with the other hand. Same with the top sheet. Done.

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    Ryo Bakura
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A fail for Yale. Just kidding, but missing the rhyme would be a crime. I'll stop now, after I take a bow.

    #63

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    Calypso poet
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It was so weird stopping for gas in NJ a couple years ago. The kid pumping was maybe 20. I’ve been pumping gas since I was like 10. In the 70s and 80s it was a rite of passage, your parents didn’t want to get out in the cold, heat, snow, rain so they made us kids do it.

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    Tardis42
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    5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My mother wouldn't let us have digital clocks/watches until we learned to tell time on an analogue clock. I pretty much use my cell phone now, but I'm very glad I learned the other way.

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