Obsolete Skills

[Ineedaride2]

I think the "jack of all trades" type of people are dwindling entirely.

For instance, when I was growing up, my dad used to change his own oil, repair his own truck (most any type of repair), he built a tractor barn and a storage shed, lay bricks, landscaped his yard, repaired his own plumbing, tiled his shower, built his own deck, added stonework to his house, installed electrical wiring, repaired his own lawnmower, built a hydraulic/gas engine combo wood-splitter, etc. etc.

I mean, everybody couldn't do ALL of this when I was coming up, but more people than not seemed to take on jobs like this on their own. Now, it seems that people are much more likely to hire someone to do almost all of these tasks.

I'll be perfectly honest. I don't change my oil. I rarely repair my own lawnmower. I'd be hard pressed to build my own shed or run electricity somewhere.

I guess people are just more specialized / lazier than they once were.


Or maybe it's just me.

[Borodog]

[ QUOTE ]
I guess people are just more specialized . . . than they once were.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good thing. A very, very, very good thing.

[Anacardo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I guess people are just more specialized . . . than they once were.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good thing. A very, very, very good thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

But it doesn't feel good [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[Triumph36]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I guess people are just more specialized . . . than they once were.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good thing. A very, very, very good thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

But it doesn't feel good [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

because it shouldn't. it means you have less knowledge about the things around you.

everything i have a bizarre talent for - directions, spelling, math in my head, recalling obscure facts of all sorts - basically all tricks of memory - are becoming useless. at least there's still poker.

[suzzer99]

Casually slipping into the porno room at the video store w/o being spotted, then finding a good porno based on the cover, all while maneuvering in the cramped space to avoid making any physical contact with another dude. A lost art.

Of course all is lost when you're waiting in a line full of people and the clerk yells out to the other clerk "Are we missing Barely Legal Ass Pirates 7?".

[Borodog]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I guess people are just more specialized . . . than they once were.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good thing. A very, very, very good thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

But it doesn't feel good [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

because it shouldn't. it means you have less knowledge about the things around you.



[/ QUOTE ]

This is also a very, very, very good thing. Do you see why?

The last time everyone knw everything there was to know about all of the technologies that were utilized in their lives was probably the stone age. It is an extremely good thing that the fraction of known technological information that the typical person can master is going down rapidly.

[Triumph36]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I guess people are just more specialized . . . than they once were.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good thing. A very, very, very good thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

But it doesn't feel good [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

because it shouldn't. it means you have less knowledge about the things around you.



[/ QUOTE ]

This is also a very, very, very good thing. Do you see why?

The last time everyone knw everything there was to know about all of the technologies that were utilized in their lives was probably the stone age. It is an extremely good thing that the fraction of known technological information that the typical person can master is going down rapidly.

[/ QUOTE ]

Boro,

You keep saying this like it's true. I can't just will myself to not feel inept when I don't know how to do very basic things. The fact that I can live and exist without doing them is nice, but it doesn't make me feel any better when I can't.

[El Diablo]

Triumph,

"basically all tricks of memory"

Being able to recall details from just about any conversation I've had with someone still comes in handy. So does remembering relevant posts and specific phrases from years-ago 2+2 threads to search for and link to them!

[Borodog]

I think the key is that over time they get less and less basic. My engine looks more like something off of the Millenium Falcon than an engine these days.

[rwesty]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I guess people are just more specialized . . . than they once were.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good thing. A very, very, very good thing.

[/ QUOTE ]

But it doesn't feel good [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

because it shouldn't. it means you have less knowledge about the things around you.



[/ QUOTE ]

This is also a very, very, very good thing. Do you see why?

The last time everyone knw everything there was to know about all of the technologies that were utilized in their lives was probably the stone age. It is an extremely good thing that the fraction of known technological information that the typical person can master is going down rapidly.

[/ QUOTE ]

Boro,

You keep saying this like it's true. I can't just will myself to not feel inept when I don't know how to do very basic things. The fact that I can live and exist without doing them is nice, but it doesn't make me feel any better when I can't.

[/ QUOTE ]

The only thing I know how to do anymore is search on Google. This makes me one of the smartest people I know. It feels great.