I don't think the principals behind paleo, primal, and self-experimentation stop at nutrition. I like to think that people could benefit from application of these ideals to all areas of life. And so I ask you: are you a useful person? If you take a trip to the beach and want to start a fire, can you? A lot of people quite simply aren't useful. They can talk your ear off about TV shows. Some can even get as deep as music, philosophy, religion, and literature. But actual usefulness? Increase your ability to do daily tasks and truly succeed at daily life? Nope. So as a public service, here is a brief and by no means inclusive list of things you should learn to make yourself a more useful person.
Swimming.
Recognizing drowning (it doesn't look like the movies) and being able to save and or resuscitate drowning victims.
Gardening.
Harvesting.
Preserving food.
Fishing.
Hunting.
Cleaning kills.
Cooking, especially without recipes. Knowledge of common cooking substitutions are useful too.
Sprinting and long distance running (to escape, to catch, to hunt).
Fire building.
First aid, both advanced and wilderness.
Child care.
Basic finance and investment knowledge.
Basic knowledge of the law and rights in your country (and any country you're likely to visit).
The confidence and ability to barter.
Driving, both automatic and manual.
Driving a boat, jet skis, snow mobiles, and motorcycles.
Basic anatomy and physiology.
Common childhood illnesses and injuries and their treatments.
How to cut wood.
Basic farm skills, like riding horses, milking cows and goats, and stacking hay.
How to change a tire.
Basic car things, like hitching and backing a trailer, jump starting a car, and getting out of mud.
Basic emergencies like how to help a choking victim, how to prevent and manage shock, and to not move a person with a possible neck injury.
Basic sewing repairs.
Laundry knowledge, like how to remove stains and keep fabrics lasting longer.
Household problems, like resetting breakers, checking the pilot light, and fixing leaky faucets.
How to paint a room (a *good* job).
Basic landscaping, like pruning plants, mowing, edging, pressure washing, and rototilling.
How to iron.
How to use a grill.
Basic animal care, like nutrition, checking for cysts, clipping nails, bathing, and checking for and removing ticks.
Tie a proper knot in a variety of situations.
Use a gun effectively and SAFELY.
Clear a room.
Counter a rip current in the ocean. Better yet, be able to detect an undertow before going in.
Find good water when needed.
Tie a tie.
Parallel park.
Ride a bike, and do simple repairs.
Use a camera.
Basic woodworking. If you can't build a chicken coop, you can't do much.
Take someone's temperature.
So that's it for now. Feel free to chime in with more! Some of these are everyday skills, some of them aren't. All of them make you useful.
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