118
submitted 1 year ago by mayflower@lemmy.ml to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml
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[-] Szymon@lemmy.ca 125 points 1 year ago

Critical thinking. Consider the intent of the source.

[-] spacedancer@lemmy.world 36 points 1 year ago

This, and reading comprehension.

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[-] s_s@lemmy.one 67 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It's a big ask, but Empathy.

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[-] ouigol@lemmy.world 40 points 1 year ago

People should really know how to research. Sure, almost everyone knows how to do a google search, but there are shockingly many people who can’t research, i.e view multiple sources including those that don’t align with your views.

[-] spread@programming.dev 5 points 1 year ago

You'd be surprised how many people don't even know how to do a Google search.

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[-] dystop@lemmy.world 38 points 1 year ago

Basic cooking.

You don't need to be Gordon Ramsey, but in a pinch, know how to make pasta, chilli and a few other things.

[-] sneezycat@sopuli.xyz 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Is chilli considered basic? Spicy food is not that common where I live. For me the basics would be to know how to:

-Peel and cut veggies

-Boil stuff

-Fry eggs

But maybe it's a cultural thing! I'm interested in knowing what you're doing with your chilli peppers ;)

[-] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 year ago

I think they mean Chilli as a dish, often a meat stew

[-] intensely_human@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago

Basic chili recipe (people from texas can bite their tongue for five minutes one time):

  • beans
  • tomatoes
  • onions
  • peppers

A little bit of cumin and salt to taste and you actually don’t need anything else to get something that is recognizable as chili.

I add all sorts of other stuff, but that’s the basics.

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[-] luthis@lemmy.nz 36 points 1 year ago

Computer comprehension. You should have a basic understanding of what your pc is doing, web certificates, passwords, how to tell when youre being scammed, and how to protect your personal info. Knowledge doesnt need to be deep, just wide.

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[-] dandroid@dandroid.app 26 points 1 year ago

A skill is too much to ask. I just want people to move out of the way when they get off the escalator so I don't bump into their asses.

[-] fratermus@lemmy.sdf.org 23 points 1 year ago

"Specialization is for insects. 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." -- Heinlein

[-] Google@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 year ago

This explains why I'm tired all the time.

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[-] charonn0@startrek.website 21 points 1 year ago

How to write clearly in their native language.

[-] CheshireSnake@iusearchlinux.fyi 20 points 1 year ago

As someone who almost drowned as a child, swimming is up there for me.

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[-] taladar@sh.itjust.works 19 points 1 year ago

Basic arithmetic to the point where you can e.g. calculate things like a budget when money is tight.

Enough understanding of statistics and probability to be able to understand what numbers reported in news stories about events and politics mean.

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[-] ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk 19 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

In this day and age, how to stay safe online and spot what are often very obvious attempts at fraud/malicious activity.

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[-] Youthless@lemm.ee 17 points 1 year ago
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[-] tastik@lemmy.ml 16 points 1 year ago

The ability to survive outside / without a roof over one's head.

I'm not talking surviving solely off the land type of outdoor survival, although that is an excellent set of skills to obtain.

  • Learn how to set up shelter, or find shelter if a tent / tarp isn't available
  • Learn how to start a fire in multiple ways
  • Learn basic hunting skills
  • Learn how to sanitize / store drinking water
  • Learn basic first aid
  • Always remember the order of operations in a survival situation: Shelter, water, fire, food
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[-] Saigonauticon@voltage.vn 16 points 1 year ago

Learning things quickly.

It's totally its own skill, and you can learn to learn faster. What skills are useful changes with time -- the ones used in your career now might age like milk for reasons beyond your control.

[-] j4k3@lemmy.world 15 points 1 year ago

Insatiable curiosity

[-] skillissuer@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago

knowing boundaries of their own knowledge, so both knowing when to shut up and knowing when to say "know your place, trash" in discussion

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 year ago

How to polish and maintain your boots. On that subject, an awareness of why old school leather boots are an outstanding lifelong investment.

[-] RGB3x3@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Where does one find the proper old school leather boots?

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[-] circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 1 year ago

A really good bullshit-o-meter.

So many issues with major media, corporate announcements, government announcements, and probably many other things can be solved with a good bullshit-o-meter.

What I really mean is critical thinking. Because there are vacuous ways to calibrate a bullshit-o-meter that lack logic entirely and tie one into some ideological goal. Then you can still claim to have a bullshit-o-meter but lack the ultimate goal of it, but it's really not a helpful tool at that point. My original meaning is a true, logic-based bullshit-o-meter.

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[-] mwalimu@baraza.africa 12 points 1 year ago

Basic networking skills. Most lives can be significantly improved by basic home network. WiFi deadzones, wireless printing, shared folders for basic documents and resources etc. All while being relatively secure.

[-] drmoose@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Reading. Being able to quickly skim and comprehend text will give you an edge in basically every field.

[-] Sabakodgo@lemmy.fmhy.ml 10 points 1 year ago

Ability to take breaks.
So many people burn out from stuff they enjoy. If you take frequent breaks, it helps your mental and health overall.

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[-] hairysonorth@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

Basic zipper merge

[-] Bagel@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 year ago
[-] Candelestine@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago

Agreed. Everyone should be able to cook themselves some good meals and unlock their door to get into their house.

Very important skills.

[-] Bagel@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 year ago

Mmm Lemmy comment deletion is weird as it stays there with my username. Anyway I misread the question and responded food and shelter if anyone’s wondering.

[-] andy_wijaya_med@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

Common sense, or better yet, critical thinking.

[-] ConstantMotion@lemmy.one 9 points 1 year ago

Cooking! We eat every day and eating out adds up quick.

[-] Im28xwa 9 points 1 year ago

Swimming, martial art, basic cooking skills and probably some other things too

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[-] taladar@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 year ago

The ability to set and enforce personal boundaries.

[-] Gromat@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 year ago

Basic social skills. Let everyone talk and try not to disturb while they're at it. Hear others point of view. I think that would solve a lot of problems.

[-] speaker_hat@lemmy.one 7 points 1 year ago

Cope with stress

[-] danafest@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago

Cooking skills. It's so great to be able to make yourself a nice plate of food.

[-] Lemmylefty@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago

The self- and contextual-awareness and communicative ability to express consent or lack of consent for engaging in any activity.

A lot of shame, regret, and anger could be avoided if all of us knew how to do that.

[-] 8565@lemmy.quad442.com 6 points 1 year ago

Being able to maintain their own car.

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[-] jsveiga@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago

Mind reading, telekinesis and flying.

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[-] capt_wolf@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Basic plumbing skills

Know how to shut off a water line. Those knobs under your sink and behind the toilet? That's your water shut off for that line. Got a toilet that's about to overflow? Close the line in back quick enough and you won't have to mop the floor. Or ruin your neighbors ceiling.

Know how to clear a clog. Know the difference between a sink plunger and toilet plunger. Sink plungers are those short deals and terrible for just about anything, their surface coverage is awful and they're usually too shallow to push a serious clog. You want a flanged or accordion plunger for toilets. They make the best deal and do a lot do the work for you. A larger suction cup plunger, looks like the big boy version of the sink plunger, for sink drains.

For toilets, make a firm seal around the drain, push down once to clear the air out of the cup, make sure your seal is strong, then give several short, quick, full pumps like you're performing CPR. This will usually clear a paper clog. Repeat if it doesn't clear. It almost always will after a few tries. If your other drains back up when you're pumping, you have a main clog. It's time to call a plumber.

If your kitchen sink clogs, start by running hot water in the line with a little dawn soap. Most sink clogs are fat based, so hot water will help to loosen them by melting them a bit. Drain-o or other line clearer might work, but in my experience, if you don't clear the clog, you now have a caustic chemical sitting in the line. The chemical burn scars on my right hand say that's bad, and Tyler Durden agrees. If you haven't cleared the clog, let it sit a bit and then get back to it. I've fought shower clogs for an hour before, but if I don't see signs the clog is breaking up, it's time to give up and get a professional in to snake it.

Also, when clearing a clog, don't keep your mouth open! In fact, pucker your lips in. Trust me, speaking from experience.

Leaky faucet? Usually a 10¢ rubber washer, they only last about 10 years before they start to rot. Try to salvage the washer, bring it to your local hardware store, preferably plumbing supply, and ask someone to size it, otherwise bring the fixture. Toilet running nonstop? Adjust the chain or replace the flapper, again rubber parts only last about 10 years. A universal flapper will cost about $10. They usually just snap right in to place. Toilet base leaking? Replace the wax seal. They cost $5. Shower head clogged? Usually calcium or mold buildup. CLR for calcium, bleach for mold, and a scrub brush. Shower head joint leaking or spraying, remove it and apply plumbers tape, also called Teflon tape, to the threading, costs $1 a roll. In fact, apply it to any threaded plumbing joint you have to unscrew... It's necessary for making watertight seals.

That's like every basic water line in your house right there. If I could learn to do it as a teenage apprentice so many years ago, anyone can. If you're not sure, Google has guides and visual breakdowns for every fixture and how to take them apart now. Just be careful not to strip threads or screws. Knowing how to service these parts could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars over the years.

Lastly, don't flush spaghetti and meatballs down the toilet... Yes, that's a thing.

[-] DrMango@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

Cooking! You don't need to be a Michelin-star chef (or even aspire to be) but if you can make your own meals regularly you can save so much money. It's a great way to bond with your kids, too!

Also, maybe it's weird to say, but 'learning' is an incredibly valuable skill that Will see you through a lot of hardship. The ability and drive to continue learning and having curiosity late into life makes people healthier, happier, and more well-rounded persons in my opinion.

[-] sic_semper_tyrannis@feddit.ch 5 points 1 year ago
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this post was submitted on 14 Jul 2023
118 points (96.1% liked)

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