Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down Which Useless Skills They Totally Excel At

People Break Down Which Useless Skills They Totally Excel At
Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

I can do many things. Things that are astonishing and mean nothing. Like so many of us we all harbor skills and abilities that others wish to be experts in but... they're mostly useless.

I can balance and catch ten quarters off of my elbow and then catch them when I throw my arm down. Someone call Guinness, and not the beer.

I promise there is no reason to put that on a resume. But don't ignore special skills, because they are perfect to be the life of the party. And being the life of the party is a skill.

Redditor u/dawnsic wanted to hear about everybody's hidden talents that may (but probably won't) change the world, by asking:

What useless thing do you excel at?

Let's find ways to excel. We need that, especially now. No matter how insignificant, tell us all about it. Anything can be a conversation starter.

Bumps

Drew Barrymore Goosebumps GIF by CBSGiphy

"I can control my goosebumps. Science says I shouldn't be able to control an autonomic response. But here I am, killing it."

- EmperorOfFabulous

I recognize...

"I can recall and recognize to this day people that I was in preschool with or have seen very briefly. When I was dating my ex I would see someone that I recognized and would walk up to them and do the whole "aren't you so and so from blank?" It gave them (my partner) extreme anxiety because strangers and what if I was wrong but I am always right, every time."

- That1GuyNate

Top Marks

"I was the top Latin student in my high school and always got top marks on the national Latin exam. Too bad I had no interest in studying classics, but I'm holding out hope that I'll be able to time travel to Ancient Rome before I die."

- anderjp1

"Chances are you wouldn't be understandable anyway since it would be hard to know how any commoners spoke."

- TheSpookyGoost

CLICK

"I can click my tongue REALLY loudly."

- dabunny21689

"My friend's daughter is like this! It was a natural talent practically from birth (she's only 7 now). I chuckled that it feels like it has to be genetic because she was adopted as an infant but is ethnically Xhosa, which is one of the languages that uses clicks."

- arcinva

Make a Wish

Happy Birthday GIFGiphy

"Remembering birthdays. I remember people's birthdays even if I haven't talked to them in over 5 years."

- DiamondCore77

So far, I'm intrigued. I would love to control my goosebumps. And remembering birthdays is a gift. I've given up on trying. Tell me more...

I See You

Watching You Tina Fey GIF by Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtGiphy

"Being able to perfectly recreate facial expressions of other people from memory that they do, that no one else really recognizes until I do an impersonation of them. It's a great party trick that gets lots of laughs especially if a few people know that person."

- sandgoon1235

Tongues Out

"Touching my tongue to my nose, however this has gotten me a free drink at a bar."

- LifeIsConfusing24

"You know that game where you catch a stack of quarters off your elbow with the same hand? Apparently my dad used to go to bars with NO MONEY whatsoever and get his whole bar tab paid by doing this lol. Turns out it doesn't have to be so useless."

- EducationalKoala7

People Share Which Social Norms Absolutely Baffle Them | George Takei’s Oh Myyy

Do You Hear?

"Vibrating my eardrums."

- ArnassusProductions

"HOLY FREAKING CRAP!!! I have tried to explain this to other people my ENTIRE LIFE and no one understands what the hell I'm talking about. And now I find out that not only do other know about this, but there's a name for the body part responsible for it. I freaking love you beautiful reddit people!"

- UndefinedSpoon

LETTERS

"Word searches."

- everybodyloveshank

"I used to be a word search demon in elementary school, especially if prizes were involved. Especially if they have those word searches that give you backwards diagonal words, you know it's going to be a banger."

- Withinmyrange

Memory Loss

Will Smith Memory GIF by STARZGiphy

"I am amazing at keeping secrets because I forget them immediately."

- Iamabot123456

Hidden Talent

"I am fantastic at folding a standard piece of paper into thirds, brochure style."

- sockylocky

"Maybe you could do a Twitch channel (asmr category). Maybe spa music and pleasant paper folding. If it is profitable, think of deducting the paper as a business expense and potentially launching a cute brochure template on Etsy."

- Reddit

I Know Them

"So I have photographic memory with actors in films. It's like a photographic recalling of what film they were in and what role they played. Even if I saw the film years and years ago. I remember their voice and body language; it's usually a particular line they say which I try to use as an anchor for placing them. It's odd because I'd say I'm very tuned in to people's body language and general mood which may have something to do with it."

- MildlyAgreeable

Fly High

northern ireland football GIFGiphy

"Flags, I know flags and can describe them from memory."

- BaconBear36

The Notes

"Memorizing songs after just listen to them once."

- thi_mazthithi

"Ah that's what I was gonna say, my boyfriend will show me a song for the first time and I can sing along to the second chorus. The only way this would be useful is if we were in theatre or something?"

- mellb00

"I hate this. I listen to songs a few times, I remember everything, and then I sing them in my head for the whole day, then that song becomes boring, and i start hating that song. it's completely useless and it's just taking space in my head, but i can't stop it from happening."

- PlasticCupboard007

9 to 5

"I thrive at looking busy at work while doing absolutely nothing."

- Jjay_11

"I would argue this is not a useless skill especially since most jobs I have had in my life I am given 10-20 hours of work to do in a week and I am expected to be there for 40. This is why I am loving working from home."

- galad2003

Info Wars

"Retaining loads of absolutely useless information. It's my true talent but a waste of brainpower."

- gooqie

"You must be my long lost sibling, I too, am full of useless information. Information that I drop on unsuspecting people every chance I get."

- HIGHsolated420

Look Close

Cat Staring Contest GIFGiphy

"I can win a staring contest against anyone. I consecutively beat 6 people without a break. I've held my eyes open for about 10 minutes without blinking, I've made people uncomfortable in every sense of the word."

- TheOnlyRealDregas

Classic Moves

"Remembering useless and obscure information from video games I've played over twenty years ago."

- Darthaerith

"I was playing Zelda II on an emulator when I was 18 or so, so like 2004. My dad walks by, looks over my shoulder, and says "move five blocks right and one up." And there's the secret hut! We hadn't had the NES even set up in MANY years."

- CuteCuteJames

"This ability for me at least has also migrated to TV Shows and films. Haven't seen a TV show in a few years, catch literally a few seconds of the show and I instantly know what series and episode it is."

- Fewster96

Face Off

"Facial recognition. Some profs from the UK developed a test to study it. I'm in the top 0.1% apparently. I've recognized people i stood in line at a Starbucks beside years later while they were zipping by in a car. I have not found a use for this. Greenwich University is where the study was done."

- Hank___Scorpio

Virtuoso

Season 2 Dancing GIF by The Fresh Prince of Bel-AirGiphy

"Learning something fast, but not good enough to excel in it. I've learned basic guitar, piano, cooking, drawing, basketball, shooting, video games on my own. I never get really good at it, but I can do it. Except maybe dancing. I just look bad when I dance."

- MiiHanazono

Be great at all the things you can be, no matter what. Even if your skills won't change the world. You never know if ten quarters on an elbow could entertain the Queen. There is a game changer.

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshot of Sanae Takaichi and Donald Trump
MS Now

Room Goes Silent After Trump Makes Super Tone-Deaf Joke To Japanese Prime Minister About Pearl Harbor In Shocking Video

The audience in the Oval Office went silent after President Donald Trump made a tone-deaf joke about the attack on Pearl Harbor to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi following a question about why he kept his attack on Iran a "surprise."

Trump was wrapping up a Q&A with reporters during a bilateral meeting with Takaichi when a Japanese journalist pressed him on why key allies—like Japan—were not notified ahead of the attack on Iran on February 28.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @torimosser's TikTok video
@torimosser/TikTok

Woman Says Stranger On TikTok Helped Save Her Life After Dangerous Medical Misdiagnosis

It is far too common for women's health concerns to be dismissed in the United States, especially when it comes to chronic conditions and pain levels.

Diagnosed with several chronic conditions, 23-year-old TikToker Tori Mosser reflected on years of painful stomach cramps and painful episodes when she finally was able to share that she'd received a diagnosis: Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS).

Keep ReadingShow less
Images from u/South-Basket-887's post in the 'Mildly Infuriating' subReddit
u/South-Basket-887/Reddit

Landlord Sparks Debate After Warning Tenant About Leaving Small Appliances Plugged In

Many of us have had to live in a rented space at some point in our lives and had to deal with landlords, some of whom can be very imposing and let the power of having tenants go to their heads.

But most of us probably didn't receive special notes from our landlords detailing the little observations they noticed about our lifestyles while doing a surprise inspection.

Keep ReadingShow less
Mark Zuckerberg
Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images

Meta Is Shutting Down Its VR 'Metaverse' After Spending An Obscene Amount Of Money Building It—And People Are Roasting Mark Zuckerberg Hard

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was roasted online after Meta announced they'll be shutting down Horizon Worlds, part of their virtual reality "Metaverse," this summer after spending close to $80 billion on the project.

The news comes five years after Zuckerberg declared the metaverse to be the future of Facebook, even renaming the company Meta to reflect that vision. In recent months, Meta cut roughly 10% of the workforce in its "metaverse" division and signaled a shift away from virtual reality for its flagship platform, Horizon Worlds, where users interact through avatars.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Rand Paul and Markwayne Mullin
C-SPAN3

Video Of GOP Senator Picking A Fight With A Witness Replayed During Contentious Senate Confirmation Hearing

Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul confronted his GOP colleague, Oklahoma's Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Homeland Security, over his "anger issues," even presenting video evidence.

Earlier this month, Trump announced he will replace Kristi Noem as Homeland Security Secretary with Mullin. Trump said Noem will instead take on the role of Special Envoy to the Shield of the Americas, a newly created organization intended to foster a right-wing alliance across South America.

Keep ReadingShow less