Life skills in the 21st Century
- Thread starter EgonSpengler
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Zardnaar
Deity
Reading, writing, math.
Basic computer skills
Online security (naked photos on a cloud server)
Basic computer skills
Online security (naked photos on a cloud server)
hobbsyoyo
Deity
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I'd argue that the growing interconnectedness has decreased the relative value of all other languages besides English.
Being able to sift through lots of material, filter out the noise/filler/bs, and get to the core important ideas. And then being able to succinctly express the core important ideas to anyone in a way that's relevant to them.
Practicing and reinforcing things you've learned online. Engaging in deliberate practice.
Bugging people at schools/companies to get what you want. If it's important, call them or go find them in person. Follow up. Don't sit around forever waiting for them to email you back.
Not really "21st century," but important anyway: saying no to stuff, admitting when you're wrong, not feigning knowledge, listening to people instead of mentally preparing what you'll say next, ability to say "that's none of my business."
Practicing and reinforcing things you've learned online. Engaging in deliberate practice.
Bugging people at schools/companies to get what you want. If it's important, call them or go find them in person. Follow up. Don't sit around forever waiting for them to email you back.
Not really "21st century," but important anyway: saying no to stuff, admitting when you're wrong, not feigning knowledge, listening to people instead of mentally preparing what you'll say next, ability to say "that's none of my business."
The skills you need depend upon your goals. If you can identify a few concrete descriptions of what you want your situation to be, when, then you can more easily figure out the skills needed to see that through.
What do you want to be doing most days?
How much money do you want to have in the bank?
Where in the world do you want to be living?
Is a family part of things?
Begin with the end in mind.
What do you want to be doing most days?
How much money do you want to have in the bank?
Where in the world do you want to be living?
Is a family part of things?
Begin with the end in mind.
aimeeandbeatles
watermelon
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- Apr 5, 2007
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- 20,112
I think being able to search for things helps a lot (Google seems to be getting less and less helpful as the years go by). And critical thinking as well.
Ferocitus
Deity
Narz
keeping it real
The latter part of the 21st century? Maybe how to survive in a bunker without going insane.
HeiHei Ren, Shi Sseth Zai Zheli....
This is something one has known since around WW1. The fear went from drone biplanes dropping gas to jet bombers and missiles hitting you with nukes. But the general gist is the same. Every major city in the northern hemisphere is the target of one or more nukes; even now. Better grab every 3e and 3.5 manual in print and a lot of dice....
There's nothing wrong in being a bit of a prepper and stocking up two-three weeks of canned food in advance; from earthquakes to power outages to maybe surviving the nukes. But good luck with that last one.
None the less, skills can be developed.Stalking is more of a 20 years to life skill.
Timsup2nothin
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The only thing I taught my kids that I considered absolutely vital was how to be a good room mate.
How to not get distracted by the constant barrage of stimulants beamed to your personal screen device, and knowing when to stop engaging with toxic people; thanks to the internet you meet more than ever and they are less inhibited than ever.
Neither, I'm sad to report, are skills I have mastered.
Think of what great works we could have made as a society with the billions of man hours wasted each day on a junk dead-end media diet.
Neither, I'm sad to report, are skills I have mastered.
Think of what great works we could have made as a society with the billions of man hours wasted each day on a junk dead-end media diet.
I've lived for over 5 decades without a mobile phone.
Not a problem, as long as the map is accurate. I looked up my own address on Google Maps a couple of days ago and it's two years out of date.
All you need for this is a cat.
Well, I don't play any edition of AD&D higher than 2nd ed. But I've got lots of modules, manuals, dice, pencils, and graph paper. Between those and regular D&D, plus 60 or so Fighting Fantasy gamebooks (plus manuals on how to create new adventures), I'm set.
As for canned/nonperishable food, Maddy and I are set for at least the next 3 months. I have a few more things to stock up on for the winter, because once we get the snow that stays, I try not to go outside unless I absolutely have to, for appointments or essential shopping.
Speaking of canned food, I once had a friend who did not know how to operate a manual can opener. For some reason the electric one wasn't working, and she was in a panic over how to open the can of stew we planned to have for supper. I asked if she had a manual can opener and she found one, but had no idea how to use it. So I taught her (this was in the '80s).
According to Robert A. Heinlein, this is a list of what everyone should know (or at least men; the character making this speech was Lazarus Long, in Time Enough For Love):
From that list of skills, I can change a diaper, plan an invasion, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall (honesty compels me to specify that the wall must either be in a computer game or made of LEGO), comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, analyze a new problem, cook a tasty meal (as long as the diner who eats it likes grilled cheese sandwiches), and fight efficiently (as long as the enemy is either part of a Civ game or a RL mosquito). I wouldn't know about dying gallantly, since I'm not dead yet.
One skill that's useful and not on Heinlein's list is sewing. I used to know how to thread an electric sewing machine, but it's been over 25 years since the last time I had to do it (my grandmother would ask me to do it because her eyes weren't quite good enough to thread needles anymore), and I've forgotten some of the steps. But I prefer to do my sewing by hand, since it's less dangerous. The problem now is that with my close vision still wonky, I'm the one who can't thread a needle.
Zardnaar
Deity
I still bust out 2E on occasion play 5E though
AdamCrock
Polish Pirate
Lexicus
Deity
Yeah, if Google Maps is inaccurate your phone won't give you correct directions anyway.
Hygro
soundcloud.com/hygro/
I waited until 2014 to get a smart phone and learned the lesson never again will I think my life is enriched by letting big-change technology pass me by.
Narz
keeping it real
I think my happiness would probably be equal/greater if I'd never gotten a smart phone (I got one in late 2015). I like being a late adopter.
I do like gps in my pocket, access to the internet 24/7 is probably a net negative.
I have it in airplane much of the day but the effort it takes to snap back to fake connectivity to the whole world is too easy, it's very liberating going out without it but those occasions are rare
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