Although I hated Language Arts classes growing up, the skill of writing clearly has been hugely beneficial to me in my career. I was the last to be laid off from a company closing down and received a large retention bonus to stay to the end because of my status reports. Technically, I was somewhat junior on the team.
Ask HN: What are some skills you have that are worth learning?
71–80 of 173 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are some skills you have that are worth learning?
#72-> Logical fallacies, being able to name the reasons why an argument has problems is a great skill to have and it's kind of interesting. -> Linux terminal, amazing how much more fun using a computer is with just the terminal (also a browser to Google the commands) -> Wood working, it's fun to cut timber and build things, especially if you have an office job like myself.
> also a browser to Google the commands
man man # :-PRe: Ask HN: What are some skills you have that are worth learning?
#73Learn how to take care of yourself first. That includes: * learning to cook and prepare your own food. * learn proper sleeping habits and make a routine that feels comfortable. * learn to exercise - pick an activity and do it consistently with some goals in mind. * learn to budget money and manage expenses. * learn to groom yourself and maintain a regular cleanliness routine * learn to entertain yourself alone - with…
> learning to cook and prepare your own food.
> learn to budget money and manage expenses.
if you've never done this before, i very, very strongly suggest you look at how much eating out is costing you.
my wife and i are saving literally thousands of dollars a month.
Re: Ask HN: What are some skills you have that are worth learning?
#74- aligning multi-party interests
- understand and manage the complexity
- finding a way to keep moving forward
- keeping things in balance
- knowing when to stop arguing
- accepting better solutions
- when stand corrected, have the courage to say "you are right, i was mistaken"
Re: Ask HN: What are some skills you have that are worth learning?
#75Learn to Knit or Crochet. There are a bunch of fun benefits! First, it's not hard. Second, you really can make nice things that last a long time and are useful. I personally have been on a sweater kick. Look or Aran and Gansey sweaters, they are very fun. Third, it gives you something to do other than endlessly scrolling on your phone.
With my hands and wrists (from being at a keyboard for years), I find knitting to be more comfortable. Also, if you do it correctly, the motion is different from typing and therefore actually helps with repetitive strain in the wrists.
Re: Ask HN: What are some skills you have that are worth learning?
#76Learn to swim well by going beyond just staying afloat.
Understand the physics of moving through the water. Learn to lean on your chest to achieve proper balance in the water. Grasp how to "catch" the water with a high elbow position. Breath properly on both sides. Etc.
It's fun to swim well and it will help you live a healthier life.
Re: Ask HN: What are some skills you have that are worth learning?
#77Learn outdoor skills. Go camping, hiking, trekking, canoeing etc. It keeps you in shape, and is great to decompress and enjoy yourself.
How do you get started? I never did that as a kid and now that I’m older living in a beautiful place I’d like to try it out, but I have no idea how to get started. I own hiking shoes that I barely ever used and a Swiss Army knife but that’s it... no backpack, no tent, nothing. I wouldn’t even know where to go or what to do when the night comes. I live in Switzerland.
Better advice is probably to either find an outdoor store near you and ask them about local hiking groups, so you can learn from others rather than needing to study it all from scratch. Or look online and find a local hiking or outdoors group for their advice.
Re: Ask HN: What are some skills you have that are worth learning?
#78Not a lot of these suggestions have anything to do with a partner. Mostly solo skills, except maybe dance. Maybe we could come up with some that would enhance ones time spent with a partner/spouse?
I suspect a lot of the things that have been listed could be done with a partner - dancing, and exercise being obvious ones.
I recently started taking up pottery. My results are mostly terrible, but it is still fun. As a result of covid the local school closed their workshop, but the teacher arranged for us to be able to collect hunks of clay, and she'd fire it when we returned it a week or two later.
My wife is amused at my work, but kinda pleased I've got a fun hobby, so she joined in. We built a few things on our dining table, and when she got her fired pieces back she was pretty pleased with the process.
Re: Ask HN: What are some skills you have that are worth learning?
#79Learn to swim well by going beyond just staying afloat. Understand the physics of moving through the water. Learn to lean on your chest to achieve proper balance in the water. Grasp how to "catch" the water with a high elbow position. Breath properly on both sides. Etc. It's fun to swim well and it will help you live a healthier life.
Take lessons. I was a competent (but not good) swimmer, I even took a swimming course in college (where I became good, but forgot it after years of not swimming). At 30 or so I took a 4 week course with an instructor, and had 1-on-1 training (mostly, she had two true beginners there as well). I swam laps working on specific details while she worked with them, I got dedicated attention just before they arrived and after they left.
There were a lot of things about the mechanics of swimming I "knew", but had not internalized (as evidenced by my form and approach to the water). It was a good experience for me, and I ended up swimming for exercise for about 6 months after (shoulder injury took me out of it and I lost access to that pool).
Re: Ask HN: What are some skills you have that are worth learning?
#80Learning to fight: or more precisely learning an alive martial art (one that entails sparring)
Getting tapped out or beaten up over and over develops a kind of calmness and humility that transfers well to other situations in life. After you've fought someone on stage in front of friends and family, it's difficult to find other experiences particularly scary.
It lets you tap into a number of deep and ancient aspects of being human, in a safe and productive way (assuming you are able to find a good, disciplined school, and not one run by people with egos).