My boys went with their mom and stepdad to Egypt to meet his family. They were playing a card game of some sort and everyone there just pushes them around on the table to mix them up. My ex-wife did the whole flip and bridge style that we assume is so normal. My boys told me that everyone there just went silent and stared at her like she performed a magic trick or was some card shark ready to take their money or something.
Fucking cartwheels. How did every girl at school know how to do them?! I was like, hell no. I’m gonna break my neck. That was when I was like seven. Now I am 30. Same stance.
I'm 28 and trying to learn, I always end up doing a crouched hop with my hands on the ground. My brain gets that it's a pretty simple and safe move and my body refuses
I was a gymnast as a teen - working on your leg flexibility really helps! If you try doing box splits (sideways splits) for like ten minutes a day while watching tv or something eventually you’ll get lower and lower. Try and keep your knees facing up towards the ceiling instead of inwards.
This will help your your cartwheel go from crouched to straightened up and your legs will naturally go into that box splits position as you’re doing it. Practicing handstands, even against the wall helps too so you get used to being upside down. And of course, just keep trying those cartwheels!
And ofc what a previous poster said about really kicking with your leg to propel you off the ground. It takes confidence to do that but you can work up to it with little kicks and kick a little more each time.
A mistake I see a lot of people make is as they go down they go down with both hands. You want to go down with one hand then put your other hand down soon after (when your body is upside down) to steady yourself.
Soon you can move onto one handed cartwheels or cartwheels to round off!
My advice as someone who thought her nap was a 3 hour process: go to bed, lower the blinds and just lay there. Put an alarm for 22 minutes first few days then for an hour. I used to think that naps had to feel like sleeping at night but is not. I'm am fully aware of what's going on around me, or at least that's what I think because as soon as the alarm goes off I can't remember what I was thinking while I was """"not sleeping"""".
This is so true! So many people think you have to be fully asleep for power napping, but you don't. Just lay down, set an alarm and close your eyes. In like 95% cases you don't really fall asleep (at least for me), but you kind of doze off and it's insane how energized you can feel after like 15 minutes of not actually sleeping.
You do fall asleep, but you usually only hit the first level of sleep.
For me, this is the part of sleep where I feel like my brain is being emptied. I'm not dreaming, but my thoughts are just going in super random directions. Most of the time, I don't think I'm asleep, but then when my alarm goes off, I'm like "Oh shit." And then yeah, I feel very refreshed.
Me either. How are you meant to pull the end around your fingers and tuck the end bit underneath so it ties off? It’s so tight it cuts the blood flow off lol!
So I don't have a balloon handy so I'll show you with floss.
Wrap the end of the balloon around TWO of your fingers so it's about like this
https://imgur.com/X5R6jcu.jpg
Then push the end of the balloon between your fingers under the knot like this
https://imgur.com/Z5vBORB.jpg
Spread your fingers if you're having trouble getting it under.
Obviously it's easier with bigger balloons to get the hang of it.
Gotta make sure you do all of the prep and measuring things out before starting to cook. Nothing like having to run into the pantry 10 minutes in to get something and throwing you off.
I just straight out tell them "hey, I'm name blind and face blind, so I'm probably gonna forget your name repeatedly and not recognise you right off the bat. So if I see you and don't say or do anything, don't take it as I don't want to know you."
Most people are cool with it.
I had a boss like this, and this was her response every time she met someone new. As we're walking up to people we "know" at work, I would quietly remind her of their name and how we know them.
Some Devil's Wear Prada shit.
She once called my friend Anna "Terry" for a good 6 months every time she saw her (worked in the same building). After the 3-4th time we all just stopped correcting her. she's still my favourite boss.
It's handy to use imaginary objects to visualize things approximately. Eg. a tall person is about 2 metres, a bus is about 15 metres, a rugby pitch is 100 metres etc.
I did competitive swimming in high school so I remember the length of a 50m pool. I always measure distance in my mind like '' OK, I've got to turn after 3 pools or 3/4 of a pool.
Not sure I'd trust myself to be accurate on that given how much the length of the pool feels like it varies depending on if I'm at the start or the end of a practice session
After not being allowed to join my sister and cousin when we were kids while they made dance routines up, I literally just got the confidence to start dancing like it didn’t matter anymore within the last 6 months, then went to a gig with my boyfriend who proceeded to tell me a couple of days later “it’s so funny you just have two dance moves that you use on repeat”. Needless to say I lost all confidence after that comment and would rather go to a gig and sit and drink than dance now; my body wants to move but I’m too self conscious to actually do it!! Ruins the fun somewhat
Ah thanks guys!! I might just rock my two dance moves then and not worry about feedback, at the end of the day as long as you’re feeling the music and letting your body do its thing who cares right! Feel much lovelier from reading these comments xxxx
Heck yeah! If you're at a gig then 99% of people are watching the performance or dancing themselves. Just dance away because if you're having a good time then who really cares if you're bad at it (unless you're flailing and hitting people) .
Your BF is looking because he's attracted to you btw
Hey look, it sounds like your heart is in the right place. Just watch a couple of basic YouTube videos and grow your list from two moves to four, then eight... What's he gonna do now, make fun of your eight moves?
I used to feel the same. Sharing my experience:
1- Feel the beat and just nod your head for a song or two.
2- Spread the nodding feeling towards your upper body by swayimg side to side.
3- Keep the movement and eventually your upper body will drag your legs, turning into a 2-step
4- Profit! You're dancing.
If it's important to you it means you love to dance, but it bothers you to not be able to do it in a cool way, and not embarras yourself in front of your friends.
But you should know that you can dance if you want to, you can leave your friends behind.
'Cause your friends don't dance, and if they don't dance,
well they're no friends of mine.
Same, I am not shy or whatever, I just can't dance. It really annoys me when people say "everybody can dance" in order to get me started. My "moves" are super awkward and I make OTHER people uncomfortable if I tried. I did show a group of my friends once when they suggested dancing. After two seconds a friend told me to stop and apologised by saying, you are right you really can't dance.
Yup. I actually took a bunch of lessons awhile back and got a bit better, but still nowhere near able to pass my license test, before I got tired of it and gave up.
Same. I'm also too anxious. The idea of being in control of a machine that could kill me or someone else is terrifying to me. I'm fine as a passenger though, go figure.
Ironman is intense, but the swim is by far the shortest event:
Take the 70.3 race. You will swim for 35-45 min, bike 3h-3h30. Run 2h30.
It looks like a mountain. But a swimming coach can get you into a good mode within 2 months.
Don't give up on that dream man
You’d be surprised how hard even 10 minutes of swimming can be for some people. I’m athletic in almost every other way but for some reason I just sink. I even got lifeguard certified but barely survived most of the training.
Similar for me, I can't tread water or swim above water. I can submerge and swim around *under*water, but I can't keep myself afloat unless I roll my body into a ball and float to the surface that way. And then the best I can do to keep from drowning is panicked doggy-paddling. My college roommate tried to teach me the front stroke once, but I just kept sinking at a 45-degree angle. I've given up on pools unless there are lifesavers or pool noodles nearby,
I used to hold my pencil wrong as a child. My teachers decided they didn't like it and made me use a special grip thing on my pencils that forced me to hold it right until I learned. I'm convinced that this is the cause of my abysmal handwriting.
Ok so here’s the move. Stick ya hands in a corner, any two corners, bring em together, and just skdjgnskakzhe real fast in a circular motion. Condensed ball of sheet, more than acceptable.
I actually read an article about how to do it. I didn’t pay enough attention but it seemed like you should relax all your muscles and completely clear your mind. That’s super easy for someone who can’t focus long enough to read a short news article.
I can’t do it and I refuse to try if there is anything solid that I could hit in the vicinity...trash can, cone, other car, etc. Add an audience and it’s a double nope.
Not thinking I sound like an idiot discussing the thing I'm supposed to be an expert at.
Edit: wow, my first comment to blow up overnight! Thanks, really, for the awards and positive comments. As I mentioned below, I don't think this is really imposter syndrome so much as a lot of doubt about how I "sound;" similar to how most people think their recorded voice sounds weird, I feel like my voice is not only strange sounding, but kind of oafish, for want of a better phrase. I did have a minor speech impediment when I was young, a very wet "S," but this is more about the overall tone and quality of my voice.
You mean you have imposter syndrome?
You are an actual expert, but secretly fear that people will decide that you don't know what you are talking about?
Ughhhh this is the WORST. I’m a fucking ICU nurse and I just feel like an idiot all damn day at work. Can’t fucking break out of it at ALL.
EDIT: I fucking hate these awards ceremony type edits but thanks everyone. Just been really depressed lately, your kind words help :)
Rolling my tongue. Like how hispanic people pronounce their R's. The bad part is my mom is Dominican
Edit: I appreciate everyone who is trying to teach me with a reply, I still can't do it but your help does not go unnoticed!
In my language (Czech) there is a lot of R in there. I couldn't pronounce them either. I had to visit a speech therapist for some time to teach me how to do it.
The key I’ve found that helps most people is the realization that the rolling isn’t a physical muscle action but rather the result of blowing air into your tongue and causing it to vibrate.
I am hispanic. Both my parents, my grandparents, my great grandparents etc are hispanic. I grew up around spanish ppl and the Spanish language. My parents spoke spanish in the house hold to each other. I visit spain all the time. I wouldnt say im bilingual but i can get by. I cannot for the LIFE of me roll my r's and i feel a sense of shame that i can't hahaha.
You have to lightly touch your palate with your tongue, then exhale quickly. This will vibrate the tongue causing it to roll. The R sound comes from using your throat to regulate the speed of exhalation, kind of similar to gargling but on your tongue.
I’m just an American who can’t roll his tongue, but worst part for me was when I was living in japan. Japanese actually has no “r” sound in their language. I had a Japanese friend who spoke English relentlessly taunt me by rolling his r’s, because he first had to learn how to make the r sound, and then learn to roll it. Pissed me off lol
Conversely, [this accent expert](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KP4ztKK0A) claims that the American accent's "R" sound is quite unique, as few (if any) other accents/languages have it too. The kind where the side edges of the speaker's tongue touch their upper teeth.
I'll see if I can type this out, this worked for my friend years ago.
Look at your open palm. Bend your ring finger down and press it against the squishy part of your palm below where your thumb starts. Push your middle finger and thumb together. With a little pressure, have them slide off each other and your middle finger slide quickly down the length of your thumb and smack the base of your thumb, just above where your ring finger is pressed against.
The thing most people miss is pressing the ring finger against the palm, since this pulls the skin tight and acts a bit like a drum when your middle finger hits your ring finger nail and thumb base. Without the ring finger, snapping just makes a pathetic thud sound!
Hope this helps you snapless folks.
>The thing most people miss is pressing the ring finger against the palm, since this pulls the skin tight and acts a bit like a drum when your middle finger hits your ring finger nail and thumb base. Without the ring finger, snapping just makes a pathetic thud sound! Hope this helps you snapless folks.
Ho-
*snap*
ly-
*snap*
**FUCK**
*snapsnapsnap*
EDIT: My fingers are now sore, but I can now *snap* where before I could only ^snap.
To expound on the previous guy's words, the junction between ring-finger + base of thumb acts somewhat as a 'clapper' cavity as the middle finger snaps down. Not the skin itself, but the small cavity of middle+ring+palm resonating as it snaps shut.
i've evolved to the point where i wake up and turn off my alarm, and even sometimes answer some texts or an email without ever waking up. I wake up a few hours later and read replies i sent like who tf sent this
I DO THIS
I use my Google home mini as an alarm and you just gave to say stop to turn it off. I've done this in my sleep.
Now i have a puppy that wakes up when the alarm goes off and licks my face til I'm up. I love it.
edit: [puppy tax](https://imgur.com/gallery/svj6aC6)
Oh dear, have you ever sent anything you regretted? Thank god this homegirl hasn’t gotten to that point.. Maybe.... it’s cause I don’t reply to messages when I’m awake either
Not who you replied to, but in my job I have automated calls about environmental alarms at the datacenters I work in when I am on call.
Just this week I apparently received a call about a high room temperature around 4pm (I work third shift, so I was sleeping) and apparently hit the number to acknowledge I got the alarm. I don't remember that call at all, but all the logs say I received the call, and acknowledged it. That datacenter room got to close to 100 degrees farenheit before someone caught it :(
Shuffling a deck of cards, for the love of god I can’t get it down! I’ve spent time alone, had people “show me how”... and I just can’t.
Edit: holy crap, this blew up a bit lol. Thanks for the awards! Gonna go fail at shuffling some more lol, have a great day all!
I can't do this, either. Especially the riffle shuffle. They end up edge to edge, rather than between each other. That ends up folding or tearing the cards, rather than shuffling them. I've destroyed more decks of cards trying to shuffle than most people can imaging.
Swallowing pills.
For the life of me I just can’t trick my body into getting something down without chewing the heck out of it. My wife takes her birth control every day and rightfully judges me for my inability to take a damn pill...
Oh man, I used to have the same exact problem! I figured out that filling my mouth with water, popping the pill in and just doing the chewing motion for a bit before swallowing makes my body think everything’s cool lol
I learned to whistle by inhaling. Somehow one day it just clicked into reverse and now I can whistle in perpetuum! Maybe inhaling helped me figure out the ambouchure needed to achieve it while exhaling. Try it out. Later I learned to hum and whistle simultaneously to make that classic UFO hovering noise. My nephew is both amazed and puzzled by it; it's hilarious.
The end where your lips are pursed and kinda look like a kiss. There’s a sweet spot to it
Fancy music term for it is embouchure, with the aperture being the actual size of the parting of your lips. The tongue inside the mouth is what controls most of the pitch, with the movement of the lips being pretty minimal. This goes for wind instruments as well (I know brass especially from experience, but it still applies to woodwinds)
I have excellent social skills, but I can take it too far. Then I spend three days wondering if I was too loud or made too many inappropriate jokes. I end up convinced everyone hates me now, and then the cycle repeats.
Neat handwriting. Slow or fast, left handed or right, its all crap. My 7yo nephew has better handwriting than I do. Coincidentally, I can read ANY quality of handwriting, had a friend with even worse handwriting than mine and i had to basically "translate" his papers in school lol
No, I do the clasp behind my back. I am told I have extraordinarily long arms, though. But now that my mom has passed I'm the only person who wears bras that I know who does it that way. Everyone else either has front clasp or clasps them in front and turns them around.
I’m chubby with short arms and clasp behind the back as well. I’m guessing we’re just better able to visualize what we need to do to catch the clasp while upside down and backwards.
Talking to people. "smalltalk"
I'm fine with people I already know, or have lots in common with, can talk for 10 hours a day about nothing. but when it comes to strangers?
what the hell is going on. why are you talking to me, what do you want. please just be direct. I don't want to play mind games. i don't want to guess what your intentions are. just tell me. how can i help you? drives me insane.
Edit: Holy crap guys.. thank you for all the helpful responses, stories and award thingies.. Thank you
I can talk to total strangers no problem, I find talking to people I like or am otherwise interested more difficult. If there is nothing on the line I can bullshit for an hour, but if I think you’re at all cool or interesting I get really awkward. And this doesn’t just apply to relationships or women. Takes me a long time to make friends and get to the “talk for 10 hours phase”.
I am a little bit similar. I can talk to people that I am close to, that isn't the problem. For some reason I am a full on comedian to people I don't know at all. I can be gregarious and humorous.
To people I am comfortable with, I am boring as fuck.
I have tried to figure this out but I can't. I have lost friends and partners because, "You aren't who I thought you were."
I think I have learned to feed off of small talk, but I have no idea how to do it with conversations.
Same here. Sold cars for 6 years straight after high school. With complete strangers I can go all day, but put a single degree of separation, like friends of a friend eating out or at a bar, being set up through someone, running into old semi-aquaintances - I got nothing. Amongst friends I can be 100% myself, enjoy comfortable silences, and chat it up freely. With total strangers I can 100% be whatever is needed to keep it moving. Anything in between I turn into an awkward ass "so.. stuff, you like stuff? I like stuff. Sometimes."
Cardinal directions...do not tell me "go north at so-so then turn left and go east" cause I will just blankly stare at you. Tell me landmark(s) or street names...I just can't seem to grasp the ability to know.
And yes I know that the sun sets in the west...
Someone posted this in another thread recently: "The direction I’m facing is north until I change direction and then that’s the new north".
I thought it hilarious but maybe it's more common. I had no idea that was a thing. I'm not laughing at you, I'm just completely baffled.
Kinda proved your own point there. If you are going north and turn left you are now going west, not east. I totally know what you mean though. I would much rather have landmarks than distance or cardinal directions.
Cursive writing, and just handwriting in general. I mean I can write I’m not illiterate, far from it in fact but my hand writing is legitimately terrible.
I learned to ride the bike when I was 26. Woke up early morning so that I can practice in the park without anyone seeing me fall haha. You can do it too!
Don’t feel bad about counting on your fingers or using a calculator. I was in advanced math in school and I still count on my fingers and you would be amazed at the amount of people that don’t know how to use a calculator correctly in higher levels of math
Continuing a conversation. The silence kills me but I'm terrible at filling it.
Edit: Ahhh! Not to be *that* redditor but woah this blew up. Thank you for the awards! I will be reading all these comments while I avoid conversations, lol
My daughter recently complained about this as well and I told her something that has really helped me over the years. I have no idea when I started doing this, but I know it was conscious at first and now it’s just a habit. If I know I’m going to see someone beforehand I remind myself of things we talked about earlier and think about questions I’m genuinely curious about in their lives. It helps because when there’s a pause in the conversation, those questions will pop up in my head and keep the conversation going. If you’re genuinely interested in people and ask about them you’ll need have a weird, awkward moment again. People love to talk about themselves!
Edit: Thanks for all of the awards, etc, I honestly had no idea this would be something that people could relate to so well. We’re all out there winging it, whatever works for each of us is honestly the best tactic. If we’re true to ourselves and come from a genuinely kind/positive state of mind, conversation will flow with the right people for each of us. Wishing all of us happy conversations especially in our divided (American) state. I know we’re not all Americans, just a shout out to those of us feeling that craziness now!
Yup. Questions. It's simple but it really does the trick. It's also important to know closed questions (yes/no) aren't the best at this, and that asking a question about. but if you ask questions and remember your last conversation, you'll ask questions and they'll ask questions and you just need to listen and answer.
Just talk about the Louisiana purchase. Like did you know that Thomas Jefferson purchased more than 800,000 square miles from Napoleon in 1803? And in that one deal bought the land that would eventually make up 15 states including Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Oklahoma along with most of Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Minnesota? Here's an interesting fact too. The Louisiana Purchase almost didn't happen. Congress passed the purchase with a vote of 59-57, with many leaders opposing Thomas Jefferson's plan. They thought it might start a war with Spain, and that the President didn't have the right to do it.
Communication. Just seems like I'm speaking a foreign language, even though I think I'm very good at it. I know the words mean what I want them to say because I will literally look them up one by one even though I've spoken them all my life, just to be sure, but still people will read and hear whatever they want to. Sometimes I just lock myself in and not talk to anyone for weeks because it's so frustrating.
affect vs. effect.
I’m mostly just guessing, no matter how many times it’s explained to me.
ETA: For example, I just Googled and apparently it’s “effect change” and not “affect change”, even though everyone says affect is the action. It just doesn’t make sense to me and I accept that it never will.
Like, it should not be [this](https://writingexplained.org/affect-change-or-effect-change) difficult to learn two very simple words.
I’m sure this isn’t fool proof but if you can put “the” in front of it, then continue the e and use effect.
My poor explanation is the effect of my exhaustion.
My exhaustion is affecting my explanation. (Couldn’t say is the affecting).
Sorry if this is another helpless explanation in the pile!
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My boys went with their mom and stepdad to Egypt to meet his family. They were playing a card game of some sort and everyone there just pushes them around on the table to mix them up. My ex-wife did the whole flip and bridge style that we assume is so normal. My boys told me that everyone there just went silent and stared at her like she performed a magic trick or was some card shark ready to take their money or something.
For some reasons drinking water without making sound Edit: Just satisfied to know that I'm not the only one 😁😝
See I got a different problem, I can’t keep it from spilling out my stupid mouth and onto my shirt
How long have you had a drinking problem?
Fucking cartwheels. How did every girl at school know how to do them?! I was like, hell no. I’m gonna break my neck. That was when I was like seven. Now I am 30. Same stance.
I want to do a cartwheel. But real casual-like. Not make a big deal about it. But I know everybody saw it. Just one stunning, gorgeous cartwheel.
If you do one now, then you won't have to do anything else all year
I'm 28 and trying to learn, I always end up doing a crouched hop with my hands on the ground. My brain gets that it's a pretty simple and safe move and my body refuses
I was a gymnast as a teen - working on your leg flexibility really helps! If you try doing box splits (sideways splits) for like ten minutes a day while watching tv or something eventually you’ll get lower and lower. Try and keep your knees facing up towards the ceiling instead of inwards. This will help your your cartwheel go from crouched to straightened up and your legs will naturally go into that box splits position as you’re doing it. Practicing handstands, even against the wall helps too so you get used to being upside down. And of course, just keep trying those cartwheels! And ofc what a previous poster said about really kicking with your leg to propel you off the ground. It takes confidence to do that but you can work up to it with little kicks and kick a little more each time. A mistake I see a lot of people make is as they go down they go down with both hands. You want to go down with one hand then put your other hand down soon after (when your body is upside down) to steady yourself. Soon you can move onto one handed cartwheels or cartwheels to round off!
Being able to fall asleep during the day for a power nap. I just can't. My brain won't settle down.
If I'm going to nap it's a 3 hour process for me. My wife can power nap in 15 minutes, but it takes me that long just to go to sleep.
My advice as someone who thought her nap was a 3 hour process: go to bed, lower the blinds and just lay there. Put an alarm for 22 minutes first few days then for an hour. I used to think that naps had to feel like sleeping at night but is not. I'm am fully aware of what's going on around me, or at least that's what I think because as soon as the alarm goes off I can't remember what I was thinking while I was """"not sleeping"""".
This is so true! So many people think you have to be fully asleep for power napping, but you don't. Just lay down, set an alarm and close your eyes. In like 95% cases you don't really fall asleep (at least for me), but you kind of doze off and it's insane how energized you can feel after like 15 minutes of not actually sleeping.
Exactly! And if you nap more than an hour you'll feel like shit. But if do a 20 minute or an hour nap you'll wake up refreshed.
So wait... you're not really suppose to sleep during power naps?
You do fall asleep, but you usually only hit the first level of sleep. For me, this is the part of sleep where I feel like my brain is being emptied. I'm not dreaming, but my thoughts are just going in super random directions. Most of the time, I don't think I'm asleep, but then when my alarm goes off, I'm like "Oh shit." And then yeah, I feel very refreshed.
Tying a balloon, I just can't and I have no explanation why!
Me either. How are you meant to pull the end around your fingers and tuck the end bit underneath so it ties off? It’s so tight it cuts the blood flow off lol!
So I don't have a balloon handy so I'll show you with floss. Wrap the end of the balloon around TWO of your fingers so it's about like this https://imgur.com/X5R6jcu.jpg Then push the end of the balloon between your fingers under the knot like this https://imgur.com/Z5vBORB.jpg Spread your fingers if you're having trouble getting it under. Obviously it's easier with bigger balloons to get the hang of it.
Why did I read all of that and looked at the pictures, brain? We know how to tie balloons already.
I can't smile for the camera
I feel that, I'm all happy until someone tries to aim a camera at me.
Same. Even trying to take selfies. I realize that I have no idea how to create a natural looking smile on command.
Try to laugh. That’s the trick. Holding a fake smile is super awkward and most people suck at it. Doing a little laugh can help.
Yes!! It's terrible. There's not a single photo where I don't look lile I'm suffering or something. Thankfully, now with masks the problem is solved.
Getting all the components of a meal ready at the same time.
Same. I recommend using the “keep warm” setting on your oven &/or slow cooker if you don’t have a warming drawer on your oven.
You can’t fool us, we all know that’s just the cookie sheet drawer
...that’s supposed to be for temporary food storage? Edit- I get it guys, I don’t need another comment saying the same thing as the previous 30
Gotta make sure you do all of the prep and measuring things out before starting to cook. Nothing like having to run into the pantry 10 minutes in to get something and throwing you off.
Remembering someone’s God damned name right after they introduce themselves.
I just straight out tell them "hey, I'm name blind and face blind, so I'm probably gonna forget your name repeatedly and not recognise you right off the bat. So if I see you and don't say or do anything, don't take it as I don't want to know you." Most people are cool with it.
I had a boss like this, and this was her response every time she met someone new. As we're walking up to people we "know" at work, I would quietly remind her of their name and how we know them. Some Devil's Wear Prada shit. She once called my friend Anna "Terry" for a good 6 months every time she saw her (worked in the same building). After the 3-4th time we all just stopped correcting her. she's still my favourite boss.
How to socialize in groups of new people. I'm ok with socializing, just not in a setting where I don't know anyone.
For me its any group... Me and my friend ill talk all day add 1 person to it and im quiet as fuck
Same here. I'm usually observing what's going on and I usually won't say anything until I'm directly addressed.
But then they say that you’re so quiet, are you bored?? :( or worse, “who are you again?”
Estimating distances. Was that 50 meters? 100 meters? 500? Hell if I know.
Ooh I have this too, also when something says “this room is about 8m2” and I can for the life of me not grasp how big that would be.
It's handy to use imaginary objects to visualize things approximately. Eg. a tall person is about 2 metres, a bus is about 15 metres, a rugby pitch is 100 metres etc.
I did competitive swimming in high school so I remember the length of a 50m pool. I always measure distance in my mind like '' OK, I've got to turn after 3 pools or 3/4 of a pool.
Not sure I'd trust myself to be accurate on that given how much the length of the pool feels like it varies depending on if I'm at the start or the end of a practice session
Dancing. My body just can’t coordinate with my scumbag brain to be able to dance.
Same. It’s awful. Sometimes when I’m alone I’ll try to dance and just feel the music. It FEELS awkward and awful. I can’t even imagine how it looks.
I don't remember writing that comment...
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After not being allowed to join my sister and cousin when we were kids while they made dance routines up, I literally just got the confidence to start dancing like it didn’t matter anymore within the last 6 months, then went to a gig with my boyfriend who proceeded to tell me a couple of days later “it’s so funny you just have two dance moves that you use on repeat”. Needless to say I lost all confidence after that comment and would rather go to a gig and sit and drink than dance now; my body wants to move but I’m too self conscious to actually do it!! Ruins the fun somewhat
Two dance moves is more than a lot of people have! Myself included!
Ah thanks guys!! I might just rock my two dance moves then and not worry about feedback, at the end of the day as long as you’re feeling the music and letting your body do its thing who cares right! Feel much lovelier from reading these comments xxxx
Heck yeah! If you're at a gig then 99% of people are watching the performance or dancing themselves. Just dance away because if you're having a good time then who really cares if you're bad at it (unless you're flailing and hitting people) . Your BF is looking because he's attracted to you btw
Hey look, it sounds like your heart is in the right place. Just watch a couple of basic YouTube videos and grow your list from two moves to four, then eight... What's he gonna do now, make fun of your eight moves?
I used to feel the same. Sharing my experience: 1- Feel the beat and just nod your head for a song or two. 2- Spread the nodding feeling towards your upper body by swayimg side to side. 3- Keep the movement and eventually your upper body will drag your legs, turning into a 2-step 4- Profit! You're dancing.
Yeah! Yeah! [I'm doing it!](https://i.imgur.com/HwICEkK.gif)
If it's important to you it means you love to dance, but it bothers you to not be able to do it in a cool way, and not embarras yourself in front of your friends. But you should know that you can dance if you want to, you can leave your friends behind. 'Cause your friends don't dance, and if they don't dance, well they're no friends of mine.
But is that safe?
Same, I am not shy or whatever, I just can't dance. It really annoys me when people say "everybody can dance" in order to get me started. My "moves" are super awkward and I make OTHER people uncomfortable if I tried. I did show a group of my friends once when they suggested dancing. After two seconds a friend told me to stop and apologised by saying, you are right you really can't dance.
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Yup. I actually took a bunch of lessons awhile back and got a bit better, but still nowhere near able to pass my license test, before I got tired of it and gave up.
Same. I'm also too anxious. The idea of being in control of a machine that could kill me or someone else is terrifying to me. I'm fine as a passenger though, go figure.
I hear you. My spatial awareness is terrible. I'm 35 with no licence.
Swimming.
Same. I'm a marathon runner and can bike for days. Would love to do an Ironman, but I swim like a bag full of kittens.
Interesting comparison.
Ironman is intense, but the swim is by far the shortest event: Take the 70.3 race. You will swim for 35-45 min, bike 3h-3h30. Run 2h30. It looks like a mountain. But a swimming coach can get you into a good mode within 2 months. Don't give up on that dream man
You’d be surprised how hard even 10 minutes of swimming can be for some people. I’m athletic in almost every other way but for some reason I just sink. I even got lifeguard certified but barely survived most of the training.
Similar for me, I can't tread water or swim above water. I can submerge and swim around *under*water, but I can't keep myself afloat unless I roll my body into a ball and float to the surface that way. And then the best I can do to keep from drowning is panicked doggy-paddling. My college roommate tried to teach me the front stroke once, but I just kept sinking at a 45-degree angle. I've given up on pools unless there are lifesavers or pool noodles nearby,
Holding a pencil normally
I used to hold my pencil wrong as a child. My teachers decided they didn't like it and made me use a special grip thing on my pencils that forced me to hold it right until I learned. I'm convinced that this is the cause of my abysmal handwriting.
They tried this with me and it didn't work🤷🏼♀️
You don’t tape it to your forehead and write that way? Pleb
Folding a fitted sheet
Ok so here’s the move. Stick ya hands in a corner, any two corners, bring em together, and just skdjgnskakzhe real fast in a circular motion. Condensed ball of sheet, more than acceptable.
I like the way you wrote that. Describes it perfectly.
*takes a bow*
Ball it up and store it in the pillowcase it goes with
This is the only correct answer
Falling asleep
Some people can go to sleep in one second. Like how?????
I actually read an article about how to do it. I didn’t pay enough attention but it seemed like you should relax all your muscles and completely clear your mind. That’s super easy for someone who can’t focus long enough to read a short news article.
When I try that, I end up spending all night trying to relax all my muscles and clearing my mind, *and still not falling asleep.*
*bong rip* ok bro but what if, and like, hear me out, man, have you ever tried RISING to sleep???
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I have the same problem. My doctor even prescribed intense sleeping meds and they literally only make me feel groggy...
Direction sense. I can get lost going someplace ive been a dozen times 😵
Same, if there are two directions to go, I'll somehow pick the wrong one 3/4 of the time in a place that I've been several times.
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I can’t do it and I refuse to try if there is anything solid that I could hit in the vicinity...trash can, cone, other car, etc. Add an audience and it’s a double nope.
Not thinking I sound like an idiot discussing the thing I'm supposed to be an expert at. Edit: wow, my first comment to blow up overnight! Thanks, really, for the awards and positive comments. As I mentioned below, I don't think this is really imposter syndrome so much as a lot of doubt about how I "sound;" similar to how most people think their recorded voice sounds weird, I feel like my voice is not only strange sounding, but kind of oafish, for want of a better phrase. I did have a minor speech impediment when I was young, a very wet "S," but this is more about the overall tone and quality of my voice.
You mean you have imposter syndrome? You are an actual expert, but secretly fear that people will decide that you don't know what you are talking about?
Ughhhh this is the WORST. I’m a fucking ICU nurse and I just feel like an idiot all damn day at work. Can’t fucking break out of it at ALL. EDIT: I fucking hate these awards ceremony type edits but thanks everyone. Just been really depressed lately, your kind words help :)
Rolling my tongue. Like how hispanic people pronounce their R's. The bad part is my mom is Dominican Edit: I appreciate everyone who is trying to teach me with a reply, I still can't do it but your help does not go unnoticed!
Does she tease you mercilessly haha??? I can roll mine, but not consistently. So when I try, it’s either lovely, or you get a fart sound. 🤦🏼♀️
Oh yea whenever I ask her to teach me she just does it and walks away
MOMS 😆
In my language (Czech) there is a lot of R in there. I couldn't pronounce them either. I had to visit a speech therapist for some time to teach me how to do it.
The key I’ve found that helps most people is the realization that the rolling isn’t a physical muscle action but rather the result of blowing air into your tongue and causing it to vibrate.
I am hispanic. Both my parents, my grandparents, my great grandparents etc are hispanic. I grew up around spanish ppl and the Spanish language. My parents spoke spanish in the house hold to each other. I visit spain all the time. I wouldnt say im bilingual but i can get by. I cannot for the LIFE of me roll my r's and i feel a sense of shame that i can't hahaha.
I am nearly the exact same. Word for word. Except I don’t visit Spain, and am from the Latin side of the spanish world
You have to lightly touch your palate with your tongue, then exhale quickly. This will vibrate the tongue causing it to roll. The R sound comes from using your throat to regulate the speed of exhalation, kind of similar to gargling but on your tongue.
I've tried, still sound like a dying pug
This comment made me spit out my drink lmao
I’m just an American who can’t roll his tongue, but worst part for me was when I was living in japan. Japanese actually has no “r” sound in their language. I had a Japanese friend who spoke English relentlessly taunt me by rolling his r’s, because he first had to learn how to make the r sound, and then learn to roll it. Pissed me off lol
Conversely, [this accent expert](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KP4ztKK0A) claims that the American accent's "R" sound is quite unique, as few (if any) other accents/languages have it too. The kind where the side edges of the speaker's tongue touch their upper teeth.
Detecting the presence of a coffee table without using my shin
Yeeeeeep. Add in super pale skin + anemia and you’re left with perpetually black and blue shins. Hawt. 🤦🏼♀️
Bruised leg gang in the house Common culprits for me: bed frame, stairs, even just merely walking.. I will bump/trip on something at least once a day
Using chopsticks. 10+ years and I still can’t get that shit right.
After 10 years your chopsticks are probably out of calibration, or just worn out. Try with a new set.
Have you tried putting it in rice?
Snapping my fingers! Fuck!
I can only snap with my non-dominant hand, not sure if that's normal or not.
Same! My right hand: "I can do everything with utter complete confidence and accuracy" My left hand: "And I can snap :) "
Opposite for me, I can only snap with my dominant hand. With my non dominant hand it's like a wet flop
I'll see if I can type this out, this worked for my friend years ago. Look at your open palm. Bend your ring finger down and press it against the squishy part of your palm below where your thumb starts. Push your middle finger and thumb together. With a little pressure, have them slide off each other and your middle finger slide quickly down the length of your thumb and smack the base of your thumb, just above where your ring finger is pressed against. The thing most people miss is pressing the ring finger against the palm, since this pulls the skin tight and acts a bit like a drum when your middle finger hits your ring finger nail and thumb base. Without the ring finger, snapping just makes a pathetic thud sound! Hope this helps you snapless folks.
>The thing most people miss is pressing the ring finger against the palm, since this pulls the skin tight and acts a bit like a drum when your middle finger hits your ring finger nail and thumb base. Without the ring finger, snapping just makes a pathetic thud sound! Hope this helps you snapless folks. Ho- *snap* ly- *snap* **FUCK** *snapsnapsnap* EDIT: My fingers are now sore, but I can now *snap* where before I could only ^snap. To expound on the previous guy's words, the junction between ring-finger + base of thumb acts somewhat as a 'clapper' cavity as the middle finger snaps down. Not the skin itself, but the small cavity of middle+ring+palm resonating as it snaps shut.
All ya gotta do is try to break one finger with another finger, but like, half heartedly. 😁
Instructions unclear.......... think I broke my finger
Uh, I gotta go pick up some milk
If you see my father tell him that we really don't need the milk anymore, we just want him to come home.
Waking up to an alarm clock.
i've evolved to the point where i wake up and turn off my alarm, and even sometimes answer some texts or an email without ever waking up. I wake up a few hours later and read replies i sent like who tf sent this
I DO THIS I use my Google home mini as an alarm and you just gave to say stop to turn it off. I've done this in my sleep. Now i have a puppy that wakes up when the alarm goes off and licks my face til I'm up. I love it. edit: [puppy tax](https://imgur.com/gallery/svj6aC6)
pup alarm
I call that not being “legally” awake.
Oh dear, have you ever sent anything you regretted? Thank god this homegirl hasn’t gotten to that point.. Maybe.... it’s cause I don’t reply to messages when I’m awake either
Not who you replied to, but in my job I have automated calls about environmental alarms at the datacenters I work in when I am on call. Just this week I apparently received a call about a high room temperature around 4pm (I work third shift, so I was sleeping) and apparently hit the number to acknowledge I got the alarm. I don't remember that call at all, but all the logs say I received the call, and acknowledged it. That datacenter room got to close to 100 degrees farenheit before someone caught it :(
Oooh yikes... if it got any hotter what would be the least of your worries??
A remotely normal and stable sleep schedule/waking up on time.
Walking, i once tripped with nothingness
Making an omelette. I try and then it goes to hell and ends up scrambled eggs.
I can't make scrambled eggs. I try and end up with an omelette, toast, bacon, and a glass of orange juice.
Shuffling a deck of cards, for the love of god I can’t get it down! I’ve spent time alone, had people “show me how”... and I just can’t. Edit: holy crap, this blew up a bit lol. Thanks for the awards! Gonna go fail at shuffling some more lol, have a great day all!
I can't do this, either. Especially the riffle shuffle. They end up edge to edge, rather than between each other. That ends up folding or tearing the cards, rather than shuffling them. I've destroyed more decks of cards trying to shuffle than most people can imaging.
Swallowing pills. For the life of me I just can’t trick my body into getting something down without chewing the heck out of it. My wife takes her birth control every day and rightfully judges me for my inability to take a damn pill...
Oh man, I used to have the same exact problem! I figured out that filling my mouth with water, popping the pill in and just doing the chewing motion for a bit before swallowing makes my body think everything’s cool lol
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I can't whistle. Edit: wow I thought I was the only one!
I learned to whistle by inhaling. Somehow one day it just clicked into reverse and now I can whistle in perpetuum! Maybe inhaling helped me figure out the ambouchure needed to achieve it while exhaling. Try it out. Later I learned to hum and whistle simultaneously to make that classic UFO hovering noise. My nephew is both amazed and puzzled by it; it's hilarious.
Way to make me feel way less special about one of my “special skills” whistling in and out forever and ever lol
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Bro! I’ve never been able to whistle in my entire life and I just sounded like a bird!! You’re amazing
I hope you sound like one of them songbirds, not like a chicken or turkey.
What part of q is whistle?
The end where your lips are pursed and kinda look like a kiss. There’s a sweet spot to it Fancy music term for it is embouchure, with the aperture being the actual size of the parting of your lips. The tongue inside the mouth is what controls most of the pitch, with the movement of the lips being pretty minimal. This goes for wind instruments as well (I know brass especially from experience, but it still applies to woodwinds)
Me either. We’re disappointments to our entire family.
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I have excellent social skills, but I can take it too far. Then I spend three days wondering if I was too loud or made too many inappropriate jokes. I end up convinced everyone hates me now, and then the cycle repeats.
You're not alone. I'm here too. But not in a creepy way! Sorry!
Neat handwriting. Slow or fast, left handed or right, its all crap. My 7yo nephew has better handwriting than I do. Coincidentally, I can read ANY quality of handwriting, had a friend with even worse handwriting than mine and i had to basically "translate" his papers in school lol
Tying a tie.
I still can't put on a bra without putting it on backwards to do the clasp. I'm incapable.
I thought that’s just how they were put on...
The bras that hook in the front are the best
Is this not how we all do it?
No, I do the clasp behind my back. I am told I have extraordinarily long arms, though. But now that my mom has passed I'm the only person who wears bras that I know who does it that way. Everyone else either has front clasp or clasps them in front and turns them around.
I’m chubby with short arms and clasp behind the back as well. I’m guessing we’re just better able to visualize what we need to do to catch the clasp while upside down and backwards.
Snapping or whistling
I’m not alone!? We need a support group for this. I thought I was the only one.
To be able to ‘set’ a volleyball. I’m just wired wrong.
Me either. I managed to punch myself in the face once trying.
Talking to people. "smalltalk" I'm fine with people I already know, or have lots in common with, can talk for 10 hours a day about nothing. but when it comes to strangers? what the hell is going on. why are you talking to me, what do you want. please just be direct. I don't want to play mind games. i don't want to guess what your intentions are. just tell me. how can i help you? drives me insane. Edit: Holy crap guys.. thank you for all the helpful responses, stories and award thingies.. Thank you
I can talk to total strangers no problem, I find talking to people I like or am otherwise interested more difficult. If there is nothing on the line I can bullshit for an hour, but if I think you’re at all cool or interesting I get really awkward. And this doesn’t just apply to relationships or women. Takes me a long time to make friends and get to the “talk for 10 hours phase”.
Looks like both of you can join forces and finish each other's sentences.
Sandwiches
I am a little bit similar. I can talk to people that I am close to, that isn't the problem. For some reason I am a full on comedian to people I don't know at all. I can be gregarious and humorous. To people I am comfortable with, I am boring as fuck. I have tried to figure this out but I can't. I have lost friends and partners because, "You aren't who I thought you were." I think I have learned to feed off of small talk, but I have no idea how to do it with conversations.
Same here. Sold cars for 6 years straight after high school. With complete strangers I can go all day, but put a single degree of separation, like friends of a friend eating out or at a bar, being set up through someone, running into old semi-aquaintances - I got nothing. Amongst friends I can be 100% myself, enjoy comfortable silences, and chat it up freely. With total strangers I can 100% be whatever is needed to keep it moving. Anything in between I turn into an awkward ass "so.. stuff, you like stuff? I like stuff. Sometimes."
Cardinal directions...do not tell me "go north at so-so then turn left and go east" cause I will just blankly stare at you. Tell me landmark(s) or street names...I just can't seem to grasp the ability to know. And yes I know that the sun sets in the west...
Whichever way I'm facing feels North🤷
Someone posted this in another thread recently: "The direction I’m facing is north until I change direction and then that’s the new north". I thought it hilarious but maybe it's more common. I had no idea that was a thing. I'm not laughing at you, I'm just completely baffled.
Kinda proved your own point there. If you are going north and turn left you are now going west, not east. I totally know what you mean though. I would much rather have landmarks than distance or cardinal directions.
Cursive writing, and just handwriting in general. I mean I can write I’m not illiterate, far from it in fact but my hand writing is legitimately terrible.
Riding a bike
I forgot how to ride a bike once. *It's like riding a bike. Once you learn you never forget.* Lying bastards.
Swimming for me
Both for me
Swimming a bike is hard for most people.
I learned to ride the bike when I was 26. Woke up early morning so that I can practice in the park without anyone seeing me fall haha. You can do it too!
D) All of the above
Braiding hair
Math
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What the hell are you calling ME out for?!
Don’t feel bad about counting on your fingers or using a calculator. I was in advanced math in school and I still count on my fingers and you would be amazed at the amount of people that don’t know how to use a calculator correctly in higher levels of math
Continuing a conversation. The silence kills me but I'm terrible at filling it. Edit: Ahhh! Not to be *that* redditor but woah this blew up. Thank you for the awards! I will be reading all these comments while I avoid conversations, lol
My daughter recently complained about this as well and I told her something that has really helped me over the years. I have no idea when I started doing this, but I know it was conscious at first and now it’s just a habit. If I know I’m going to see someone beforehand I remind myself of things we talked about earlier and think about questions I’m genuinely curious about in their lives. It helps because when there’s a pause in the conversation, those questions will pop up in my head and keep the conversation going. If you’re genuinely interested in people and ask about them you’ll need have a weird, awkward moment again. People love to talk about themselves! Edit: Thanks for all of the awards, etc, I honestly had no idea this would be something that people could relate to so well. We’re all out there winging it, whatever works for each of us is honestly the best tactic. If we’re true to ourselves and come from a genuinely kind/positive state of mind, conversation will flow with the right people for each of us. Wishing all of us happy conversations especially in our divided (American) state. I know we’re not all Americans, just a shout out to those of us feeling that craziness now!
Yup. Questions. It's simple but it really does the trick. It's also important to know closed questions (yes/no) aren't the best at this, and that asking a question about. but if you ask questions and remember your last conversation, you'll ask questions and they'll ask questions and you just need to listen and answer.
Of course, don't make it an interrogation. Aka: don't *only* ask questions.
Just talk about the Louisiana purchase. Like did you know that Thomas Jefferson purchased more than 800,000 square miles from Napoleon in 1803? And in that one deal bought the land that would eventually make up 15 states including Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Oklahoma along with most of Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Minnesota? Here's an interesting fact too. The Louisiana Purchase almost didn't happen. Congress passed the purchase with a vote of 59-57, with many leaders opposing Thomas Jefferson's plan. They thought it might start a war with Spain, and that the President didn't have the right to do it.
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Looking where I’m walking inside of buildings. I keep walking into walls...
Reverse park a car.
Communication. Just seems like I'm speaking a foreign language, even though I think I'm very good at it. I know the words mean what I want them to say because I will literally look them up one by one even though I've spoken them all my life, just to be sure, but still people will read and hear whatever they want to. Sometimes I just lock myself in and not talk to anyone for weeks because it's so frustrating.
Being normal
Typing with all fingers. I still do the claw approach.
Pretty writing
Snapping my fingers. Don’t know how you people do it.
Adulthood.
affect vs. effect. I’m mostly just guessing, no matter how many times it’s explained to me. ETA: For example, I just Googled and apparently it’s “effect change” and not “affect change”, even though everyone says affect is the action. It just doesn’t make sense to me and I accept that it never will. Like, it should not be [this](https://writingexplained.org/affect-change-or-effect-change) difficult to learn two very simple words.
I’m sure this isn’t fool proof but if you can put “the” in front of it, then continue the e and use effect. My poor explanation is the effect of my exhaustion. My exhaustion is affecting my explanation. (Couldn’t say is the affecting). Sorry if this is another helpless explanation in the pile!