Ask HN: What Skills to Acquire in 2020?

I'm not sure why you mention this as a contrast. Macro evolution also does not follow the scientific method as there is no repeatable experiment you can design to falsify the hypothesis. This is well-known among evolutionary biologists.

But how can you convey truth if you don't really understand it? And how can you convey truth even if you understand it, if you don't understand what the listener understands when you speak of it?

It's not enough to use "correct" words, if they won't be understood. That's not honesty. That's how clever people take advantage; which is not honesty.

In these terms, I've never met anyone who seems like they could be entirely honest, even if they wanted to be.

But they can learn how to convey something closer to truth with practice and introspection and learning from others; so I'd say it's a skill.

I've met people who say they are honest, but a few minutes listening and from the inconsistent thinking it is apparent they are not even able to be honest within their own thoughts to themselves.

This is not a criticism because I think it applies to everyone, including myself. I think it's just part of the human condition.

To say a person is honest, then, is to say they desire to be honest; that their heart is in it, that they wish to convey truth and not to decieve, or even to risk misunderstandings, no matter who is listening. As noble as it is to desire this, it is quite something to master the art of doing so regularly and reliably.

- Learn to fast. I'm not talking about intermittent fasting, one meal a day, or fake fasting like juice fasting. I'm talking not eating for 48 hours, 72 hours, or more. With electrolytes, it becomes a lot easier than you think. Once you can comfortably achieve 72 hours of no eating, it will seriously change your perspective on food. You'll realize that you've been throwing your money away every few hours on food you didn't need to eat, and that everyone around you is wasting resources. You'll lose weight better than any diet there is. Trust me. When you do choose to eat, because you've saved your money, you can eat better food. You will become healthier in general because fasting actually gives your organs a rest and heal. Once you've done a few fasts, you may find that you're able to sleep a lot better. Fasting is a skill because it takes discipline.

- Get to know your neighbors. This is really not that difficult at all, but we avoid it because we see new social connections as "work" to maintain, whereas it's just easier to go home and watch Netflix alone. I've realized that having a small social network wherever you live is nice and makes you feel connected with your community. One of my best friends used to be my neighbor, whom I wouldn't have had lots of great experiences with had I not talked to him, like most people.

- Learn to cook sous vide style. You can do this the poor man's way using hot water and a thermometer, even with your dishwasher. But I suggest just getting an automated sous vide circulator and using that. You can make steak, pork chops, eggs, etc., that taste like they're made at a restaurant, or better! It's clean, which is good if you live in an apartment, and very difficult to screw up. Unlike barbecue, you don't have to pay close attention to it. You can pan sear your meat afterwards, or even sear using a George Foreman grill for even easier cleanup. Because sous vide will help you cook tasty food, you will find yourself cooking at home more. People will be blown away by how good your steaks are.

- Learn about emergency planning. Most people(Americans, anyway) are woefully unprepared for emergencies and disasters, and even a lot of those who think they're prepared are mistaken in thinking that a few granola bars and a flashlight will save them. Learn what it takes to get yourself and your family prepared, and you will feel a sense of security when the day comes that a violent storm comes, or an earthquake hits, or your home is in the way of a wildfire, or there's civil unrest, or worse. This is not a fringe idea or "doomsday prepping". President Obama told everyone to prepare for these possibilities, and the Department of Homeland Security encourages us to prepare. The website ready.gov is a good place to get started. Same with the LDS Preparedness Manual.

As with all natural language, production and interpretation of poems is subjective. Poetry is just an attempt to use natural language without the constraints of prose, in order to accomplish things that are not possible with prose.

Some poets may have a goal to convey a particular idea or emotion. Others may just want to create something moves the reader. Still others may not care about the reader at all. All of these things are okay.