June 2nd, 2008 @ 7:56 am  by: Marc

50 Things Everyone Should Know
How To Do

Knowledge is PowerSelf-reliance is a vital key to living a healthy, productive life.  To be self-reliant one must master a basic set of skills, more or less making them a jack of all trades.  Contrary to what you may have learned in school, a jack of all trades is far more equipped to deal with life than a specialized master of only one.

While not totally comprehensive, here is a list of 50 things everyone should know how to do.

1.  Build a Fire – Fire produces heat and light, two basic necessities for living.  At some point in your life this knowledge may be vital.

2.  Operate a Computer – Fundamental computer knowledge is essential these days.  Please, help those in need.

3.  Use Google Effectively – Google knows everything.  If you’re having trouble finding something with Google, it’s you that needs help.

4.  Perform CPR and the Heimlich Maneuver – Someday it may be your wife, husband, son or daughter that needs help.

5.  Drive a Manual Transmission Vehicle – There will come a time when you’ll be stuck without this knowledge.

6.  Do Basic Cooking – If you can’t cook your own steak and eggs, you probably aren’t going to make it.

7.  Tell a Story that Captivates People’s Attention – If you can’t captivate their attention, you should probably just save your breath.

8.  Win or Avoid a Fistfight – Either way, you win.

9.  Deliver Bad News – Somebody has got to do it.  Unfortunately, someday that person will be you.

10.  Change a Tire – Because tires have air in them, and things with air in them eventually pop.

11.  Handle a Job Interview – I promise, sweating yourself into a nervous panic won’t land you the job.

12.  Manage Time – Not doing so is called wasting time, which is okay sometimes, but not all the time.

13.  Speed Read – Sometimes you just need the basic gist, and you needed it 5 minutes ago. 

14.  Remember Names – Do you like when someone tries to get your attention by screaming “hey you”?

15.  Relocate Living Spaces – Relocating is always a little tougher than you originally imagined.

16.  Travel Light – Bring only the necessities.  It’s the cheaper, easier, smarter thing to do.

17.  Handle the Police – Because jail isn’t fun… and neither is Bubba.

18.  Give Driving Directions – Nobody likes driving around in circles.  Get this one right the first time.

19.  Perform Basic First Aid – You don’t have to be a doctor, or genius, to properly dress a wound.

20.  Swim – 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water.  Learning to swim might be a good idea. 

21.  Parallel Park – Parallel parking is a requirement on most standard driver’s license driving tests, yet so many people have no clue how to do it.  How could this be?

22.  Recognize Personal Alcohol Limits – Otherwise you may wind up like this charming fellow.

23.  Select Good Produce – Rotten fruits and vegetables can be an evil tease and an awful surprise.

24.  Handle a Hammer, Axe or Handsaw – Carpenters are not the only ones who need tools.  Everyone should have a basic understanding of basic hand tools.

25.  Make a Simple Budget – Being in debt is not fun.  A simple budget is the key.

26.  Speak at Least Two Common Languages – Only about 25% of the world’s population speaks English.  It would be nice if you could communicate with at least some of the remaining 75%.

27.  Do Push-Ups and Sit-Ups Properly – Improper push-ups and sit-ups do nothing but hurt your body and waste your time.

28.  Give a Compliment – It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give someone, and it’s free.

29.  Negotiate – The better deal is only a question or two away.

30.  Listen Carefully to Others – The more you listen and the less you talk, the more you will learn and the less you will miss.

31.  Recite Basic Geography – If you don’t know where anything is outside of your own little bubble, most people will assume (and they are probably correct) that you don’t know too much at all.

32.  Paint a Room – The true cost of painting is 90% labor.  For simple painting jobs it makes no sense to pay someone 9 times what it would cost you to do it yourself.

33.  Make a Short, Informative Public Speech – At the next company meeting if your boss asks you to explain what you’ve been working on over the last month, a short, clear, informative response is surely your best bet.  “Duhhh…” will not cut it.

34.  Smile for the Camera – People that absolutely refuse to smile for the camera suck!

35.  Flirt Without Looking Ridiculous – There is a fine line between successful flirting and utter disaster.  If you try too hard, you lose.  If you don’t try hard enough, you lose.

36. Take Useful Notes – Because useless notes are useless, and not taking notes is a recipe for failure.

37.  Be a Respectful House Guest – Otherwise you will be staying in a lot of hotels over the years.

38.  Make a Good First Impression – Aristotle once said, “well begun is half done.”

39.  Navigate with a Map and Compass – What happens when the GPS craps out and you’re in the middle of nowhere?

40.  Sew a Button onto Clothing – It sure is cheaper than buying a new shirt.

41.  Hook Up a Basic Home Theater System – This isn’t rocket science.  Paying someone to do this shows sheer laziness.

42.  Type – Learning to type could save you days worth of time over the course of your lifetime.

43.  Protect Personal Identity Information – Personal identity theft is not fun unless you are the thief.  Don’t be careless.

44.  Implement Basic Computer Security Best Practices – You don’t have to be a computer science major to understand the fundamentals of creating complex passwords and using firewalls.  Doing so will surely save you a lot of grief someday.

45.  Detect a Lie – People will lie to you.  It’s a sad fact of life.

46.  End a Date Politely Without Making Promises – There is no excuse for making promises you do not intend to keep.  There is also no reason why you should have to make a decision on the spot about someone you hardly know.

47.  Remove a Stain – Once again, it’s far cheaper than buying a new one.

48.  Keep a Clean House – A clean house is the foundation for a clean, organized lifestyle.

49.  Hold a Baby – Trust me, injuring a baby is not what you want to do.

50.  Jump Start a Car – It sure beats walking or paying for a tow truck.

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77 Comments

  • COOL! Thanks.

  • As a teacher I am successful if I have taught my kiddos:

    Problem solving
    When to question what is going on around them
    How to research the answer (Similar to your Google tip)
    Stand up for what is right
    See criticism as an opportunity from growth
    Show and tell people you love them

    Did you have balance a check book on your list?

  • Thanks much for the link love. Btw, I just subscribed. :)

  • Wow! This is a great resource list. I’m going to dive into these and learn a few things! Isn’t it funny how using Google effectively is included today with things like building a fire, cooking, and holding a baby? I rely on Google daily so it is a must. Great post!

  • Great list! Just realized I have so much to learn..

  • What a lovely list. I have some work to do.

  • Great list of resources! I need to learn a few things, it seems. Thanks for the link!

  • Very Good, even at 60 there’s something more to learn….

  • Basic statistics is another one to add to the list. I have heard many times that the best engineers are the ones that can quickly and accurately estimate the answer. If you can get close you know if it is worth the effort of solving the problem.

  • […] you’re bored, on vacation, looking for inspiration, or trying to shake thing up, reference THIS ARTICLE. It’s a list of 25 things any self-reliant person should know how to do. I consider myself […]

  • @All:
    Thanks for all the kind words and additional tips! ;-) I’m sure this list could hit 500 if we really thought hard enough.

  • These things are GREAT! I totally agree. Everyone should know how to do these things and so much more. Marc is so right. The list could grow because there are so many basic life skills to learn. There should be a class for this in our public schools. From first grade all the way through to graduation where our kids are taught age appropriate life skills so when they go into the world they are prepared. I would expand on number 8 though. Women sometimes can’t win or avoid a fight, especially if they are being attacked so learning how to purchase and use some sort of self defense product would be helpful. A lot of women don’t even know products like this are available to the average citizen. Good article. I especially appreciate the way you not only gave us the life skill but links to where it is taught. Great job!

  • […] 50 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do | Marc and Angel Hack Life WOW! A fabulous list of life ‘howto’s and videos and text to help you do them. E.g. remove a stain, jump start a car, paint a room, remember names, speed read, travel light, handle a job interview, hold a baby, deliver bad news, build a fire, perform cpr (tags: advice article blog communication cook education fun good tips interesting learning useful skills lifehacks howto) […]

  • I agree with the teacher who inquired about checkbook balancing. So many young people today do not know how to manage their finances at all. Finance balancing and avoiding bad credit practices should definitely be on the list.

  • actually, the Heimlich Maneuver is incredibly dangerous and liable to cause more harm. there are much safer ways to assist a choking person. stjohn.org.au has fact sheets on how to properly assist a person with an obstructed airway.

  • What a great list! I need help with remembering people’s names, negotiating, and speed reading. I could probably use this whole list, but I’ll be starting in these categories first.

    I’m great at remembering people’s faces, but names are much harder. I admit I don’t take enough time to really imprint them on my brain. I really should because when that person I met last week stumbles into me, I feel bad that they know my name and I don’t know theirs. It’s a bad habit that I must break.

  • @Debbie:
    I completely agree with your point on female self-defense. It’s important. This list was gender neutral though, so I wanted to hit points that applied to both men and women.

    @Dat:
    Managing personal finances is certainly an important skill. I did include the act of creating a budget which sort of satisfies the issue.

    @Monica:
    Interesting information. I’ll have to look into this.

    @Karl:
    Remembering a person’s name is the key to cultivating new relationships. A person’s name is music to their ears, especially coming from someone they don’t know all that well. As always, thanks for keeping the conversation going. ;-)

  • Great list of things that one must be able to do or have in life. It is not hard to decipher everything right, but people do not wish to leave their comfort zones to really learn. It is a nice compilation and crisply told.
    God bless ya.

  • Excellent! This is the list of information our children should learn in school — or at home! Wish I had had this list when I was 18 years old! Wow!

  • Aww, darn, and the only thing on this list I don’t know how to do is start a fire! :(

    … actually, I don’t know how to do most of these, but the most useful one seems to be how to effectively tell a story. I’ll get right on to that. :P Great idea for a list, btw, I haven’t seen something like this anywhere else!

  • This is fabulous, guys! Wow. It’s smart, thoughtful, and totally HELPFUL. Thank you!

  • this is a spot on accurate list, good job

  • 51: ride a bicycle :D

  • barbara johnson
    June 7th, 2008 at 7:42 am

    Wow, you opened my eyes! What do we need to know a lot :-) Seriously I really enjoyed my stay…. will be back!!

    Keep up the good work….o yes riding a bike is definitely a requirement. I study in Amsterdam for a year and a bike is a survival necessity here. Suicidal at home, survival here.. funny world!

  • Excellent List! It’s amazing how many people cannot perform many of these fundamental tasks. I am thankful to have been brought up knowing how to do many of these things…but there is always more to learn! I will be referencing this page when I have my own children ;) ‘The Fundamentals of Life Training Checklist’! Oh, and I also think that learning how to properly read/write should be on there. It’s amazing how many people go through life still not knowing how to do this…

  • Phil E. Drifter
    June 7th, 2008 at 6:06 pm

    I always give out-of-towners the wrong directions, I figure they want to explore the city.

  • Phil E. Drifter
    June 7th, 2008 at 6:07 pm

    Oh btw, I don’t send them far in the wrong direction. and i dont send them in the completely opposite direction. And in all honesty i’m just kidding. I’m always wearing my earbuds as a sign: ‘don’t talk to me.’ If people try to talk to me anyway, i say ‘dont talk to me’ and glare at them. Waste someone else’s time, not mine.

  • […] Continual Learner 50 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do […]

  • I agree with the “How to start a fire”. My mother in law told me a story once that my brother in law and a friend of his tried to start a fire for something, probably a camping trip, and no matter what they did they couldn’t get one going. So maybe this is something I should show him. LOL

  • One to add is at least once have something delivered in a transfer truck your your self i suggest a safe.

  • This is the best compilation of very useful life-long tips I have come across. I call it “one-stop learning shop” Thanks.

  • Thank you Marc for putting together such a wonderful list of useful knowledge. Your time and effort will make a positive difference to many who take the time to explore these resources.

    I came to your site via StumbleUpon and I am glad to find you.

    I write about self-development, living with purpose and about progressive ideas to empower.

    Have a great week,

    Joseph
    http://www.ExploreLifeBlog.com
    http://www.peace-together.com

  • Such a useful post.. loved it! thanx alot!

  • How to hold a baby? How to flirt without looking stupid? How on your list of great things to do did you fail to mention the most important? Where are your parenting tips? Childcare? Teaching? Love? Relationships? Is this a male list of what is important in life? It certainly seems that way, I am not saying its not a good list its just patriarchal one.

  • I would like to add banking online. With the way things are evolving, that is a must for young people.

  • Hmmmm might be gender neutral, but definitely not geographically neutral. Seems to me it’s more important to learn to ride ánd repair a bycicle than anything with car, it’s more important to learn to grow your own veggies than to select them, how to prevent pregnancy is definitely missing, purify drinking water, lose the word ‘driving’ in the directions, etc. etc. And who needs a home theatre?

  • Why is learning how to use google above learning CPR?

  • An other link in my bookmarks - thx

  • I think this is possibly the best “list of things” that has ever been posted on the internet

  • Fabulous list! I just found out I’m better off than I thought I was :)

  • @All:
    Thanks for keeping the conversation going. For those who have had questions on my rationale behind the order of the 50 things listed, this list is not put together in any particular order, nor is it meant to be completely comprehensive. Feel free to leave further additions of things people should know in the comments. I can see some of you have already. ;-)

    As for the questions regarding the importance of putting together a home theater system… There is no doubt that CPR, first aid, etc. are more important. However, I feel that in the 21st century it is quite important to have a basic understand of electronic components. Everyone should feel confident and be able to figure this kind of stuff out.

  • that is a great list. every adult should study it

  • Nice list! How about listing the necessity of understanding the basics of html and blogging? (Could be that these are ubiquitous now, though)

  • […] and Angel shared a list of 50 things everyone should know how to do. I think I have about half the list covered, so I’ve got some work to […]

  • […] out how to do things on your own, rather than paying an expert. This year I’ve managed to rescue a toy from the bottom of our […]

  • I too really enjoyed your list. I do agree with one comment above… Finding pure water or knowing how to purify water is important. I also feel basic knowledge of how to make electricity may be important for the future. 2 cents worth.

  • You rule, man! This article is the best thing that happened to me today. Keep up the good work! =]

  • Found the list to be interesting but how to tie a tie isn’t on there! No one ever seems to know how to do that and clip ons can only get you so far in life.

  • […] at Marc and Angel Hack Life says his list of “50 things everyone should know how to do” is far from inclusive. Oh dear, because there are a number of things on the list of 50 that we […]

  • While I appreciate trying to get people to learn how to drive standard transmission vehicles and parallel park, let’s not forget the basics:

    1. Learn how to drive, perhaps courteously? I know, I know, common courtesy is dead, isn’t it? (I didn’t get that memo I guess.)
    2. Master the four way stop sign…. So many can’t do it. I hate when you look at me and question who’s going when it’s YOUR turn.
    3. Learn how to park your giant SUV/truck in ONE parking spot. See how big the spots are? Yes, it honestly only takes one. Not one and a half, not two, ONE.

    Just a couple of my driving pet peeves, the basics you and I take for granted that it seems SO many people can’t do… (At least in the lovely state I live in.)

    Oh, and besides, if you can’t drive a manual, you can’t steal either of my cars. :) So I think we should keep those skills to a minimum, you can get almost anything in an automatic these days. (Except for a beautiful S2000 like the one I’ve got!)

  • I think an addendum to remembering people’s names could be to develop a sense of humor so that, when you get to the age where remembering even your own name is a problem, you will be able to admit that you don’t know a name and make it a positive situation. But then if you’ve mastered numbers 7, 9, and 30 that will take care of itself.
    Great job with the list. Thanks.

  • Awesome site.. helps with alot of lifes modern and not so modern challenges.

  • Marc,
    This is an incredible list. I am grateful to have found it. You have great content and I will definitely be referring my readers to this blog. I like the fact that you put in a lot of time and effort to offer value to your readers. That is inspiring.

    The other lesson I would add to your list is the capacity to sell or persuade others because in life everything is about selling. Those who have that capacity always get a competitive edge. Thanks again.

  • Wow. This just made the top of my regularly visited sites list. Great list. Great Job. We should teaching our college kids stuff this too. This is truly as ‘essentials’ list. It is amazing at how much of this we have forgotten as adults. Please keep it up.

  • @All:
    Once again, thanks for the kind words and insightful additions to my list. There really is an extensive list of things we should all know how to do. Thanks for pointing more of them out. ;-)

  • You can learn all of these in the boy scouts :)

    …except the personal alcohol limits…depends on your group.

  • How about “Conserve Resources,” or more specifically, “Conserve Electricity.” Basic thriftiness will save you — and the world — a lot.

  • WOW!! I am pretty proud of myself I can do and have done most of these already. Did I mention I’m just a girl?

  • […] 50 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do.  I need to add air conditioner repair to this list.  Ours went out this morning and it is already 80 degrees inside our house!  Thank goodness for emergency funds! […]

  • This is a terrific site!

    Living for the past 11 years in Phuket, Thailand and teaching as a volunteer, I often talk about some of the topics listed in this site and discover, time and time again, how strong this culture is in rejecting in part or all of it, that what seems so obvious in the West.

    They will not even leave a message on my answering machine because,”… we don’t like to talk to machines.” Even though it is in the Thai language! Given the waiting and waiting in Canada to get a live person on the line, I agree with the Thai people to some extend. At home, no machine no talk! Too technical, too impersonal. I prefer Thailand! (plus the fabulous beaches, food and low prices, but above all the gentle loving people.)

    The best to all you readers.

    Tony

  • Done with them all!

  • Milla Valkeasuo
    July 17th, 2008 at 4:23 pm

    They’re in wrong order! :D

  • Very nice!!

  • This is great!!! I should print this out and cross out everything I know how to do. It would be interesting to see the differences across age groups…. like for example, my grandparents don’t know anything about computers but damn can grandma remove a stain haha.

    Barbara

  • This was a great post! I will be sharing this post around to my friends, and referring to it on my blog as well.

    Very comprehensive. Good job.

    Sally
    http://www.drsallywitt.com

  • Great resource!

  • Wow, I actually know a lot of these items. Need to brush up on my geography skills, though…
    Number 5 is especially handy if you’re coming to visit Europe, we don’t drive automatic cars, just manuals…

  • 50 Things Everyone Should Know is a great list, very comprehensive and well thought out, molto brava at ya. But one thing troubles me: Why do the members of your website’s (presumed) target audience need to have a list in the first place? Is that demographic group so motivationally impoverished that they would NOT acquire these skills after 30-or-so years of life if your list was not here to enlighten them? A scary thought, that.

  • Nice post. It’s very useful. Thanks!

  • […] 50 Things that you Should know how to do (I love this. The list touches on such things like sewing on a button, how to paint a Room, change a tire and remember names.) […]

  • […] 50 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do Time and time again I Stumbleupon a site that says “# of ____ to ___” and it annoys me.  Example.  “10 ways to save money on gas!” or “15 life hacks you can’t live without!”.  But when I stumbled upon this, I gave it a shot.  And I must say, most of these are very good and I’m glad I read.  Some things I don’t agree you need to know (that’s why it’s titled SHOULD know not NEED to know).  Like selecting good produce… who cares if you get a bruised banana, shit happens.  But things like “how to start a fire” or “swim” etc, these are vital things that when in a bind you should definitely know. […]

  • Great Site. Great Info. The Brain is an amazing thing, and I believe in exercising it.

    It is important to keep it active!

  • […]This fantastic list of 50 things that everyone should know is a good read. If you don’t know any of them maybe you should learn […]

  • Very good resource for living successful life. I think it covers every aspect of healthy life. Though list is very long, but again success doesn’t come that easily. You have to work hard to achieve anything significant. I am quite surprised that I myself actually don’t know most of things listed here. So sad :(

  • excellent list and well structured!

  • Great guide!! It’s very useful. I’ll comeback for more great info.Thanks

  • I guess I can file this away under ‘things you are going to need to know how to do one day in life.’ I mean, seriously, this is like a resource you can hand your children and tell them ‘when you are older, you will understand.’ Great list.

    http://yinvsyang.com/

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