Critical Skill Deficiency: The Vital Life Skills Most People Ignore

Life takes skill. From infancy, we’re taught how to navigate the world through schooling and real-life experience. Unfortunately, there are many vital life skills far too many people choose to ignore. 

Here are essential skills too many people lack. 

Financial Literacy

Woman looks at a bill and costs the palrty few dollars she has aina her wallet with a worried expression on her face.
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Many schools don’t teach financial literacy, so many people never learn it. They don’t budget, spend impulsively, and ignore major financial milestones like retirement or buying a house

Finding Information

A woman frustrated at her computer. She has her hand up and is staring at the screen looking annoyed.
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All humanity’s knowledge from history is collected in encyclopedias and stored on the web, yet far too many people refuse to conduct a simple search to answer their query. The information is at our fingertips, yet we don’t even know how to look. 

Separating Fact from Opinion

A woman looks unsure with her hand on her chin and her eyes looking up as if she's thinking about something serious.
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People spout opinions like hard truths, and far too many lack the critical thinking skills to tell the difference. 

A “feeling” about something doesn’t make it true.

Emotional Regulation

Man making a very angry face.
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Public freakouts wouldn’t be so common if people knew how to control their emotions. You can feel however you want about any situation, but please learn how to control yourself. 

Compromise

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Far too many people think “compromise” means the other person has to do what they want. If you refuse to budge, you’re not compromising. Comprising means finding a solution that works for everyone. 

Driving

A man experiencing road rage. He gestures aggressively and yells while driving.
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Millions of people hop in their 2-ton killing machines and nonchalantly swerve through lanes, oblivious to the dangers of high-speed impacts and the notion that other drivers share the road. 

Effective Communication

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Communication is far more than talking. People often forget that active listening and empathy are crucial to effective communication and wonder why no one understands each other. 

Self Awareness

A man looks unsure of himself as his eyes shift to the right and he bites his lip.
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The ability to examine yourself, see your faults, and work to fix them is sorely lacking in today’s society. Everyone thinks they’re perfect and blames everyone else for their own shortfalls. 

Swimming

A woman leaning against the edge of a swimming pool, relaxing. She's wearing a wide brimmed summer hat.
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Everyone should know how to tread water for a few minutes. Swimming is one of those life skills you rarely need, but you’ll be eternally grateful you cultivated in the rare case you do. 

Understanding Others

three mean people, a woman in front and two men behind her.
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Naive people everywhere constantly encounter manipulative jerks looking to take advantage. Learning to read people and understand their true intentions is worth cultivating, but only a few people do. They get used again and again and wonder what they did wrong. 

Empathy

What is an empath? Two women show empathy in the workplace while a collegue watches.
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Empathy takes understanding others a step forward. When you seek to understand with empathy, you can truly relate to a person’s perspective. 

If we started teaching and valuing empathy at a young age, many of our societal ills would vanish. 

Self-Advocacy

A skeptical woman dressed in a pink business jacket with her arms crossed.
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Far too many people cannot stand up for themselves. Whether in relationships or at the doctor’s, self-advocacy is a vital life skill that will ensure your needs are met. 

Grace and Tact

Woman looks sorry and is begging for forgiveness with hands clasped in front of her.
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People don’t know how to tactfully share sensitive information or react to that information with grace. We insult people when they’re wrong, and they lash out in defense. Nobody wins. 

We’d all be better off if more people knew how to explain things tactfully and accept things gracefully.

Delivering Constructive Criticism

Delivering construcive criticism to a collegue
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To be a succcessful leader, you must learn to coach your employees. Constructive criticism is essential. 

Here’s How To Deliver Constructive Criticisim Your Employees Will Hear

How To Lead People

smiling Female executive with arms crossed standing in front of a group pf blurred out workers.
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Far too many seek leadership positions for the higher paycheck but have to idea how to lead a team. 

Here are 10 leadership skills you need to master.

Being True To Yourself

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To live a happy, healthy, life, you must be true to yourself. It can be hard to be ourselves when society wants to force us to be something we’re not. Here are 16 ways to be unapologetically you

Time Flies – Savor Every Moment

sand running through an hourglass to represent quotes about time.
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They often say time flies, and that’s true. We’re often so busy we don’t even notice the days and years slip away. 

Yes Time Flies – But Here’s How To Savor Every Moment

Improve Your Life

happy woman dressed in yellow celebrating her accomplishments on a yellow background
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If you’re not ready for the hard work, take smaller steps that will help you improve your life starting today. 

Find out more: How To Improve Your Life Right Now
 

Source: Reddit 

Author: Melanie Allen

Title: Journalist

Expertise: Pursuing Your Passions, Travel, Wellness, Hobbies, Finance, Gaming, Happiness

Melanie Allen is an American journalist and happiness expert. She has bylines on MSN, the AP News Wire, Wealth of Geeks, Media Decision, and numerous media outlets across the nation and is a certified happiness life coach. She covers a wide range of topics centered around self-actualization and the quest for a fulfilling life.