We all grow up with a different skill set depending on our circumstances. A person who grew up on a farm will know how to milk a cow and a person who grew up in a city will be aware of when traffic gets heavier to avoid it. These skills and knowledge are acquired by experience or are taught, but even if you need them, you don’t necessarily have them.
Redditors noticed that some people lack knowledge that they consider to be basic, so they shared what gaps bother them and filled others in when user ej1273 asked “What’s considered basic knowledge that many people don’t know?”
More info: Reddit
#1
Vaccines do not cause autism.
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#2
Low calorie food don't mean healthy foodVegan doesn't mean healthy
Fats aren't unhealthy
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#3
Your google search does not trump my years of school and 40 years of medical practice.
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#4
That forgetting your headphones doesn't mean we want to hear you scrolling through tiktok on the bus
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#5
That homelessness isn't just caused by bad life choices. It's very often caused by things outside the person's control. It's also a lot harder to come back from homelessness than many people think.
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#6
The little stick on the left side of the steering column of every car is your turn signal. If you push it up, it will tell people around you that you are turning right and push it down to indicate a left turn.
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#7
The words virus, fungus and bacteria aren’t interchangeable
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#8
Yelling louder doesn’t make you more correct.
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#9
To not stop in the middle of the sidewalk and have a conversation, causing everyone to move around you
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#10
Playing music at full volume out of your phone does not sound good or make you look cool.
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#11
How to say please and thank you
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#12
The "essential" in essential oils does not mean essential for human health.
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#13
Just because you can that doesn’t mean you should.
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#14
That I don't control the f*****g prices of where I work at.
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#15
Everything is “chemical.”
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#16
You can't catch a cold from walking outside with wet hair.Ps. My mom still believes this to this day.
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#17
The proper use of lose and loose.
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#18
That your local pharmacy doesn't have any control over the actual production of your meds.Why is cough medicine out of stock? I don't know. Maybe a factory in Ukraine blew up and they are our main supplier. Maybe Jeff pressed the wrong button and contaminated all the medications in the production line. I DON'T KNOW.
And yes, I am well aware that a pandemic is currently occurring. Thanks for the reminder.
I hate people.
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#19
Ladies, don't flush your tampons. It doesn't matter if you are on city sewer or a septic system, it is _terrible_ and causes all kinds of issues.
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#20
If someone has just injured their back or head DO NOT MOVE THEM
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#21
Idk if this is considered basic knowledge but it's really good to know:If your car gets stuck in snow, take out the floor mats and stick them under your tires as best you can, in the direction you are wanting to go (so the tires can drive on them). This helps give you some traction. You can reuse this technique as far as needed, just parking, getting out, and moving the floor mats back to right in front/behind your tires.
It irks me when I watch TV shows where the characters get stuck and can't get out of the snow, when they clearly have floor mats in their car. It has come to my attention over the past couple years that a lot of people don't know this, so now I try and bring it up every time it remotely comes up in a convo.
Also, keep emergency supplies in your vehicle. Jumper cables, a flashlight and batteries (keep them stored separately because corrosion), food/water, gloves, winter boots if applicable where you are, etc. Also, look up the underwater car episode of Mythbusters, just good to know :)
EDIT: as u/ruetheblue says below, if the snow is covering the tailpipe TURN THE CAR OFF. (Carbon monoxide)
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#22
How long it takes a semi truck to stop
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#23
Ride a bike WITH traffic. Walk or run AGAINST traffic.
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#24
The left lane is not a hangout lane. Either pass or get the hell out of the left lane.
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#25
ZIPPERING, the method of keeping a sustained stream of traffic from both sides be it merging or whatever.
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#26
Don’t put water on a grease fire. This is when your pan/pot catches fire while cooking.Cover it with the pot or pan lid and turn off the heat
Edit: people in the replies have also added that baking soda and salt can work to smother the fire. Additionally a grease fire safe extinguisher is a good thing to have in your kitchen.
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#27
Measure twice, cut once
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#28
Shopping carts don't belong in parking stalls
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#29
When your turn signal starts blinking at 2x speed it's a warning that one of your turn signal bulbs is out.
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#30
Kids don’t need juice.#31
Each time you make a credit card purchase, you are taking out a short term, high interest loan which will accrue interest if you don’t pay it off by the end of the month.
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#32
A yield sign means to let the other vehicle go before you, not you trying to beat the other vehicle.#33
Where their water shutoff is in their house.
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#34
Drinking alcohol makes a person FEEL warmer but you're much more susceptible to freezing to death.
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#35
that alcohol is a depressant, not a stimulant.
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#36
How not to fall for a very obvious scam on the internet
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#37
No added sugar or preservatives is not the same as no sugar or preservatives. It just means no extra sugar or preservatives during packaging.#38
How to read a tape measure#39
Income tax rates are tiered (or bracketed). You will never make less money by getting a raise. Only a portion of your income gets taxed at the higher rate once you enter the next bracket.#40
Just basics of using a computer. Especially nowdays when most things are done digitally.It’s just mind boggling when co-workers wifi does not work, or a program froze and they just don’t know what to do. Then when I reset the router or restart the computer they proceed to call me a Wizard. Like dude, what the heck?
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#41
You can calculate the percentage of something by multiplying it by a number between 0 and 1. Want 80% of something? Multiply by 0.8. Want 180% of something? Multiply by 1.8.The fact there's a percentage button on many calculators shows that this very basic idea is not well known as it should be....
#42
The compartment in the dishwasher next to the detergent holder is for rinse aid which is inexpensive and works very well.#43
Check your oil
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#44
budgetingedit: for clarity, I know almost all adults are familiar with the concept of budgeting, but I think a lot of people don't know how to do it irl. They forget things, both big expenses and small-ticket items that add up, and they don't know what to include. For example, I know someone in the process of a divorce, and she doesn't realize that she's not going to be able to afford a house like the one she lived in when she was married. She thinks it's just a mortgage payment and doesn't include basic additional expenses like property taxes, homeowners insurance, pool and yard maintenance, etc. when trying to create a budget.
#45
Tax write-offs are not as good as not spending the money.
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