7 Fundamental Life Skills That Slip Through the Cracks

Growing up, everyone is taught differently. From making the bed to doing other chores around the house, everyone is taught some basic life skills. However, being an adult doesn’t get any easier, and not everyone knows everything. There are simple life skills that people still don’t know how to do because they were never taught or even tried to learn. These vital life skills everyone should know but doesn’t. 

1. Cooking 

Many people were never taught to cook or never even tried to learn. A Redditor was confused to hear many people who can’t cook, and it’s sad because you eat your whole life. 

“So many people I know eat take-out and frozen meals for most of their meals, which seems nuts to me,” says a user. 

“The amount of people who struggle to do anything more advanced than assemble a sandwich is astounding,” commented another person. 

You don’t need to make the most extravagant meal, but something simple and healthy that keeps your body in shape because you eat every day.

2. Listening 

“My professor was in the Navy her whole life. She has retired by now. She was like 80-something back in 2017/2016. She said that she was taught in the Navy that it is estimated that only 11% of humans out of 7 billion people are good listeners. That means 89% of humans lack exceptional listening skills. That means over 6 and a half billion people suck at listening. If humans had actual good listening skills, there’s be more reflecting and fewer battles in the world.” 

Listening can be difficult, especially if it’s a boring topic or conversation. 

3. Sewing 

Not many people know how to sew, and it seems to be a dying skill. A user says, “Everyone should be able to fix ripped seams, put patches on or take in or let out the hem, so we can all be more sustainable and fix/alter our favorite clothes ourselves instead of buying new ones so often.” 

“Blows my mind how few people can sew on or tack up a hem.” It’s stupidly easy.” Commented another. 

4. Swimming 

Swimming can be hard for many people if you have never done it. However, it should be something everyone knows how to do since the earth is 71% water. “It could save your life, and you could also save someone else life,” says a Redditor. 

“I live in a tourist river where people have died; one of the causes of deaths is because the person does not know how to swim, and when they do not know how to do it, the current takes them away. Swimming should be taught in all schools as a basic survival method,” a user says. 

5. Financial Literacy 

Many people grow up clueless about finances. No one teaches you how to save, budget, use a credit card, invest, and show you the power of compound interest. So many people in debt can’t even make the monthly payment. 

“Simple stuff like how to make a budget, risk/reward relationship, how a mortgage works, compound interest, differences between investment vehicles, economic cycles, etc. I’m always shocked by the general lack of financial literacy. They teach algebra in school, but they don’t teach this.” 

“Learn super basic finance early, like the credit system and compound interest,” says another user. 

6. Basic First Aid

Accidents are going to happen no matter where you are in life. Sometimes it’s hard to avoid, but it happens, and you need to know how first aid works.

“I believe that everyone should know how to put a tourniquet on a wound, do artificial respiration, do heart massage, and so on. This can save the lives of your loved ones as well as the lives of others in the event of an accident,” a Redditor says.  

“Basic first aid: stopping bleeding, opening the airway, checking a pulse, and considering hyperthermia,” another user mentioned. 

7. Simple Maintenance 

“Whether it’s cleaning things or making small repairs, the ability to solve a small problem on your own without help seems to be disappearing. The number of people that know how to clean a bathtub or change cars oil is going down fast.”

“Basic car maintenance like tires, batteries, oil, spark plugs, etc. Stuff that can be done in 15 minutes.”

“Change a tire. The number of people, especially women, who will sit helplessly on the side of the road waiting hours for a total stranger to accomplish a task that takes 10 min is amazing to me.”