Easy Things to Teach Other People to Do

Self-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.

• How to Build a Fire
• Wilderness Survival Firecraft
• Build a Fire Without Matches or a Lighter (video)

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

• How To Help Someone Use a Computer
• The BBC's Guide to Using a Computer
• Mac Basics
• Windows Basics

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

• Google Guide
• Google Advanced Search Operators
• Google Web Search Features
• 20 Tips for More Efficient Google Searches

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

• Learn CPR
• How To Perform Adult CPR (video)
• How CPR Works
• How to Perform the Heimlich Maneuver (video)

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

• How To Drive a Stick Shift Instructional Movie (video)
• Learn to Drive a Stick Shift
• Learn to Drive a Car with Manual Transmission

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

• Cooking Basics and Tips
• Cooking and Baking How To Information
• Basics of Cooking Series

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

• How To Tell a Great Story
• How To Give a Great Speech
• Presentation Tips for Public Speaking

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

• How To Actually Win a Fistfight
• How To Win a Fistfight (video)
• How To Win a Street Fight
• How To Avoid Confrontations Like a Samurai Warrior

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

• How To Deliver Bad News in Writing
• How to Deliver Bad News to a Customer
• Good Ways to Deliver Bad News

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

• How To Change a Flat Tire (video)
• How To Change a Tire (video)
• Saturday Mechanic: Changing a Tire

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

• The 25 Most Difficult Questions in a Job Interview
• Job Interview Questions and Answers
• How to Handle Your Job Interviews Successfully
• 10 Sticky Job Interview Situations and How to Handle Them

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

• How To Manage Time and Maximize Effectiveness
• Managing Your Time
• 10 tips for time management in a multitasking world
• Time Management Tips and Exercises

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

• Learn Speed Reading
• How To Speed Read the Net
• Speed Reading Techniques

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

• How To Remember People's Names
• Tricks for Remembering Names
• 7 Hacks to Remember Any Name

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

• Moving Tips and Guidelines
• Moving and Relocation Guides
• Moving Tips

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

• Travel Light with One Bag
• Pack Light and Travel Happy
• Packing Light and Right

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

• What to Do If You're Stopped by the Police
• How To Handle the Cops if They Knock on Your Door
• How To Handle the Police

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

• How To Give a Complete Stranger Driving Directions
• How To Give Directions
• Giving Good Driving Directions

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

• First Aid Guide
• Understanding First Aid
• Common First Aid Topics

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

• How To Teach a Child to Swim
• Swimming Breathing Basics
• Find Swimming Lessons Near You

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?

• How To Parallel Park a Car (video)
• How To Parallel Park (video)
• How To Parallel Park

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

• Alcohol: Know Your Limits
• Know Your Limits
• Alcohol Consumption Info

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

• Produce Primer: Selecting the Best
• Tips on Choosing Produce and Keeping it Fresh
• Buying Fresh Vegetables

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.

• How To Safely Use a Hammer
• How To Safely Use an Axe (video)
• How To Choose and Use a Handsaw

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

• Money 101 – Making a Budget
• How To Make a Budget and Stick To It
• How To Make a Budget That Works

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%.

• Free Online Language Courses
• Learn a Foreign Language Online Free
• Language Learning with Rosetta Stone

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

• How To Do a Proper Push-Up
• Chris Comfort's Push-Up Workout (video)
• 19 Variations for a Push-Up (video)
• How To Do Sit-Ups (video)
• How To Do an Abdominal Crunch (video)

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

• How To Give a Good Compliment
• 5 Kick-Ass Reasons to Give a Genuine Compliment
• How To Give a Killer Compliment
• 10 Best Compliments a Man Can Give a Woman

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

• How To Negotiate Like an Indian
• Salary Negotiation Tips
• Win-Win Negotiation

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.

• Tips on Effective Listening
• Listening Tips for the Classroom Environment
• Techniques for Active Listening

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.

• Maps and Geography of the World
• USA Geography Map Games
• Test Your Geography Knowledge

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.

• Painting Tips (video)
• House Painting Guide
• DIY Painting Tips and Tools

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.

• How To Conquer the Public Speaking Fear
• Better Public Speaking and Presentation
• How To Write an Informative Speech

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

• How To Smile for the Camera
• How To Be Photogenic
• How To Smile with Your Eyes

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.

• Guide to Flirting
• Flirt Without Frightening
• The Rules of Flirtation
• The Science of Romance: Why We Flirt

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

• Various Note Taking Systems
• Note Taking Skills and Guidelines
• Take Study-worthy Lecture Notes

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

• 10 Ways to Be and Excellent House Guest
• How To Be a Good House Guest
• Have A Pleasant Visit By Following A Few House Rules

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

• How To Make those First Impressions Count
• Making a Great First Impression
• Tips for Making a Good First Impression

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

• How To Use a Compass Alone
• Using a Compass Alongside a Map
• Navigate with a Map and Compass

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

• How To Sew a Button
• How To Sew a Button On (video)

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

• How the Home Theater Works
• Home Theater Hookup
• Home Theater Installation Tips

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

• Online Typing Lessons for Everyone
• Free Typing Lessons for the Standard QWERTY Keyboard
• Free Touch Typing Program

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

• FTC's Identity Theft Site
• Identity Theft Info (video)
• How Identity Theft Works

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.

• 4 Steps to Protect Your Computer
• Security Basics for Home Computers
• SANS Basic Computer Security Whitepapers

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

• How To Detect Bullshit
• Identify a Lie with 6 Simple Questions
• How To Detect Lies

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.

• Tips for The End of a Date
• Tips for Ending a Bad Date
• How To End a Date Gracefully

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

• Effective Ways to Remove Laundry Stains
• DIY Cleaning and Stain Removal
• Stain Removal Articles

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

• The Keep-It-Clean Plan
• Keeping a Stress-Free, Clean House
• How To Keep Your House Clean in 20 Minutes a Day

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

• How To Hold a Baby (video)
• How To Hold a Baby

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

• Edmunds Jump-Start How To
• How To Jump Start Your Car (video)
• DIY: Jump Start a Car

Check out these books for more ideas on pertinent life skills:

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Source: https://www.marcandangel.com/2008/06/02/50-things-everyone-should-know-how-to-do/