Life skills that are no longer required

[Slow.Patrol]

Years ago, as an office junior, I was taught how to fold a sheet of A4 paper to fit in a DL envelope so the address correctly fitted in the window.

I think that envelopes are going to be a thing of the past at some point in the future.

I also read that one school had to replace their clocks with digital ones as some pupils were struggling to read an analogue clock.

[Quhet]

Joined up handwriting, spelling & mental maths come immediately to mind.

Essay writing will rapidly go out of the window too I reckon with AI becoming increasingly more prevalent

[Alex_225]

Quhet said:

Joined up handwriting, spelling & mental maths come immediately to mind.

Essay writing will rapidly go out of the window too I reckon with AI becoming increasingly more prevalent

Sadly I have to agree, the ability to simply write properly has diminished over the years and with AI being so prevalent now anyone can write a convincing e-mail. Although in the main, you can tell when someone has used AI to pen something.

[StevieBee]

Knowing how to correctly layout a letter and when to use 'Yours sincerely' and 'Yours Faithfully'.

Washing and polishing a car.

Basic car maintenance.

Small talk.

Shopping in an actual shop.

Knowing where to find free printed pornography.

Saving up to buy something you'd like.

[Doofus]

I can recite pi to 40 decimal places, but I can't remember the last time anyone asked me to.

I regularly remind people of my skill, so they know where to come when they need it, but it seems nobody does anymore.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Doofus said:

I can recite pi to 40 decimal places, but I can't remember the last time anyone asked me to.

Spooky!

I just walked past an electronic billboard and it had 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510

...it was an advert for McDonalds pie. I did wonder how many would get it

[Slow.Patrol]

Doofus said:

I can recite pi to 40 decimal places, but I can't remember the last time anyone asked me to.

I regularly remind people of my skill, so they know where to come when they need it, but it seems nobody does anymore.

I lost the ability to use a slide rule decades ago.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Slow.Patrol said:

Years ago, as an office junior,

When I was same I sat opposite a lady operating a comptometer. That's a skill that's deffo obsolete! (It was a wonder to witness).

[finlo]

Manners!

[vixen1700]

finlo said:

Manners!

I was going to post that together with courtesy and politeness, but didn't want to sound all 'old man shouting at the sky'.

It's true though.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Slow.Patrol said:

I lost the ability to use a slide rule decades ago.

At school, on the cue, we all pulled the slidey bit out and made pretend we were playing our slide rules like violins. It drove our maths teacher nuts

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

In my first proper job I worked for Philips.

The cheques were signed by a cheque signing machine that I operated. That's probably two things that are now largely defunct.

(I once caught my tie in the machine and had to explain to the treasurer why the serial numbers were one out )

[John D.]

Remembering phone numbers.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

Knowing when to gradually push the choke back in.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

John D. said:

Remembering phone numbers.

and remembering how to drive somewhere without a satnav

[Slow.Patrol]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

and remembering how to drive somewhere without a satnav

My niece always uses sat nav, even on a well travelled journey.

As a consequence, she has absolutely no sense of direction. Plus I doubt it she could get anywhere close if asked to point to Blackpool on a map.

I guess map reading is also a dying skill.

[hammo19]

The ability to look up and away from a phone screen.

Use a knife and fork properly.

Understand the value and cost of things.

[SlimJim16v]

Quhet said:

Joined up handwriting, spelling & mental maths come immediately to mind.

I disagree with you about spelling. We now communicate much more in writing, so your spelling tells people about your intelligence and education.
t

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I had to demonstrate the knowledge of hand signals when I took my driving test.

[CMTMB]

Slow.Patrol said:

My niece always uses sat nav, even on a well travelled journey.

I do that. I find it helpful to know my approximate arrival time and where there are multiple routes it tells me the quickest one on the day.