# What do you suck at? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723 "2004-06-22T23:47:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![brachyrhynchos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brachyrhynchos/32/376_2.png) [@brachyrhynchos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brachyrhynchos)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/61 "2004-06-24T06:39:55Z")
I can’t remember bird songs. No big deal, right? I’m an ornithologist. :rolleyes: I can’t do any of the censusing techniques that rely on vocalizations. Maybe that’s why I specialize in corvids. I can’t sew either, but I did make a plaid vest for my dog when I was a kid. It even had a pocket. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/62 "2004-06-24T12:41:47Z")
I come from a family of mathematical genius with no sense of direction. I swear it’s genetic. We’re like Rainman when it comes to telling what day a particular date falls on, but can’t find things two blocks away. I can’t sing, don’t ask me. I am absolutely lost with glue and paste. I cannot even put a label on straight. I have no ability whatsoever. “Suck” doesn’t begin to describe my inability in this catagory. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/63 "2004-06-24T12:57:37Z")
I also cannot sing my way out of a paper bag. It’s a shame because I love to sing. So I only do it when I’m totally alone. I had to sing Happy Birthday to a friend last week and there were only three of us singing. Luckily the other two sucked as well and it’s a short song so we all just suffered through it. Higher math – I’m okay with basic math, algebra and some geometry. After that… forget it. I’ve always said I can’t count to 20 with my shoes on but I recently learned I’m not really as bad at math as I think I am. I think my real problem is that I might be borderline dyslexic. I tend to switch numbers around (get phone numbers wrong all the time) which messes with my arithmetic. As long as I have a calculator or Excel, I do fine. Any sport requiring an extension of my arm. This includes raquets, bats, clubs. No golf, tennis, baseball, softball, raquetball, badminton (sp?). I believe I have terrible depth perception so I can’t tell where the damn ball is to hit it. Sometimes I get lucky but mostly, I just avoid having to play sports like that. Individual sports, like canoeing, I’m great at. I’m okay at volleyball. Subtlety. Do not expect me to parse words, be subtle or beat around the bush in any subject. In my middle age, I’m learning to just keep my mouth shut rather than say whatever is on my mind. There’s no filter between my brain and my mouth. I can shut up or tell the cold, hard truth, but there’s no easing into a subject with me. This extends to me being not diplomatic at all. Sensitivity. Funny thing is, my feelings get hurt very easily. It is not hard to offend me over tiny stuff that most people would not even notice. But the other way around: I am completely oblivious to other people’s feelings. (See subtlety.) I blurt things out with no thought or consideration as to how someone else will take my words. (Hence, the learning how to shut up.) I attribute this to living alone too long and being single for far too long. And being raised by completely self-centered people. I really don’t think I’ve learned consideration or compassion very well – poor role models. I’m working on this, but it’s difficult. And, based on previous posts, here are the things I’m good or great at: cooking, sewing, giving directions/navigating, writing/editing, dancing, building/assembling things, storytelling, animal care, gardening/landscaping. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/64 "2004-06-24T12:58:56Z")
Oh, and I also suck at keeping my posts short. 'Cept this one. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/65 "2004-06-24T13:15:24Z")
Vaccuuming 😃 Seriously, music. And I’ve tried. I could read music fine, understood theory to some extent, but whenever it came to playing with others, BZZZT! My problem is, I think, I’m much too concious of it all. I can’t “be in it”. I’m somewhat mathematical, and I think I analyze too much. Can’t sing either. side note: as opposed to others, I basically always know what direction I’m facing and what direction things are in. It’s internal though. I couldn’t imagine trying to teach someone how to be like that. There are some places I’ve been where I get disoriented but I can always FEEL if I’m heading in the wrong direction. ---
**Author:** ![Dopef1sh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@Dopef1sh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dopef1sh)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/66 "2004-06-24T21:53:16Z")
Artistic things. I can’t draw, paint, sculpt, etch, write poetry or compose music. At all. ---
**Author:** ![shirt\_brown\_honesty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@shirt\_brown\_honesty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shirt_brown_honesty)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/67 "2004-06-26T04:31:24Z")
I have trouble with visuals. Most people forgive you if you forget names but I forget peoples faces. Not just casual aquaintences, but people who might even be in a friends category. Once I went home ffrom University and when I came back a nice guy in my dorm carried my bags to my room, then sat down and hung out talking to me. He was really cute, but kind of over friendly. I said look, Ive just got back, hey which floor are you on again?.. I’ll find you later. He seemed hurt a bit, but left, while I unpacked and wracked my brain… Ummm… who is this… (it took a while…) Uhgee, no one important just the guy I was kissing passionately the night before I left for Christmas vacation! True he had shaved his beard over Christmas. But I’d known him for a whole semester BEFORE he had even grown the beard. I once walked past someone in a mall thinking “she looks a bit like my mom” The woman was my AUNT, who I am CLOSE TO, and my mom’s sister that looks enough like her to be a twin. Of course some people think Im kind of aloof, but its just that I really don’t recognize you. I can not put together ikea type furniture if it only has picture directions. If it tells me to join bolt A in hole Z and has pictures and a narritive, Im ok. Once i faxed the instructions to my mother, who has a great sense of visual and she wrote out the directions and sent them back to me. Otherwise I would never have an assembled computer desk. I can’t “picture” where my car keys are, I have to tell a little story… I cam home, it was raining so I was wearing my black coat… nope keys arent there, I had groceries so I went in the kitchen, oh I brought the shampoo up to the bathroom… And, on a completely different note I cannot make rice to save my life, even when I do it exactly the way others tell me. (Oh God, I can’t get divorced, my husband always makes the rice!)Its soggy or burnt, or raw or dry or something. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/68 "2004-06-26T06:50:40Z")
I suck at so many different things, it’s hard to keep them all straight in my head. I suck at parking. Really. If you’re in a parking lot and you see a 2002 Toyota Tacoma askew in parking space, it’s probably me. And the bitch of it is I really do _try!_ ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/69 "2004-06-26T18:17:14Z")
Ha! That’s me!! Can’t park straight to save my life. Is this related to being directionally challenged?? Another thing I suck at- finding my way out of doctor’s offices. I’ll always go the wrong way and end up in somebody’s breakroom or something. Very embarassing. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/70 "2004-06-26T18:56:40Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > I cannot recognize or remember faces. > > Even if I see my own wife in a totally different context, I will likely spot her, but the delay will be long enough to offend her. > > Forget being able to recognize the normally white-lab-coated chemists at work in some different context, such as a chance encounter at the mall. > When I’m watching a movie, if there are multiple good guys or bad guys interacting, I have to pay careful attention to the dialog to keep track of who is who, and I often get lost. That’s pretty rare, I think. This is not my area of expertise at all, but I remember that some research indicates that facial recognition is so important that it is hard-wired. More here, if you are interested: [http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/aug97/866730544.Ns.r.html](http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/aug97/866730544.Ns.r.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/71 "2004-06-26T19:03:16Z")
The parking thing reminded me I am terrible at backing up in a vehicle. I just can’t do it correctly. I mean, I can back out of my driveway, but if you need somebody to back your car into a spot, (or back up further than fifteen feet), do not ask me to do it! I will hit every car in a forty mile radius. I also have a mental block when it comes to math. I’ve always been terrible at it, and age has not improved this disability. I suck at remembering names, as well. It irritates me to no end not being able to remember names. If I’ve known you for twenty years, then maybe I can recall it, but don’t bet on it. I will remember a face for the rest of my life, but rarely many names. My kids get sick of me going, “Um…um…hey, you! C’mere!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/72 "2004-06-26T19:05:38Z")
Oh, and I can’t take phone messages from an answering machine. By the time I have written down the first 3 numbers of the phone number, I have forgotten the rest of the number, or the name, or something. I have to listen to even short ones 3 or 4 times. Oh, and **minor7flat5** , in rereading my post above, I didn’t mean to come across as doubting you (or **shirt, brown, honesty** , for that matter). I just meant something like “wow, that’s unusual.” Sorry if it came across wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/73 "2004-06-26T20:22:46Z")
> [@dwc1970](#): > > **Remembering names:** This has caused me embarrassment on many occasions, especially when I meet the person again shortly after initial contact and can’t recall what his or her name is. :smack: I am good at remembering numbers, though. If we all went by our social security numbers I’d be better off. > [@RindaRinda](#): > > I can remember faces, but not names. This gets terribly embarassing when I’m talking to the person in question, then someone else I know walks up, and I am forced to introduce them. Maybe we can form a club, with **Big** nametags and so on. It embarrasses me no end that I still am fuzzy on the names of some people I’ve attended church with for years. I wish I could draw, but I totally suck at it. I’ve been participating in a “Finish the story” thread here on the SDMB, and I can _see_ the characters in my head, but have absolutely no hope in transferring them to a picture! ---
**Author:** ![shirt\_brown\_honesty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@shirt\_brown\_honesty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shirt_brown_honesty)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2004, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/74 "2004-06-27T03:00:12Z")
Brynda, I didnt take offense. I was glad to notice (after I’d posted, D’oh!) that mirror had the same thing. Its really bad because lots of people don’t remember names. But your boyfriends, etc sort of expect you to recognize them. Actually I am not as bad as I was. I was really frightened when I was in nursing school of making medication errors or other things, that I started making lists. Mrs Smith. Fine white hair short and straight. Part in center. Tweezed eyebrows. Starburst pattern wrinkles around eyes, thin eyelashes. Greenish eyes, ?cataract in left? The more detailed I made my notes after I met the patient the more I had to work with. Then, since I can remember almost anything I read, I would re read it several times. Im still not good with this, but I have overcome it to a large extent. I use the MAR binders with the picture and compare it and always do extra checks (where I worked last we don’t use arm bands, so that made it even harder.) But I still slip in social contexts…especially since then Im not taking notes. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/75 "2004-06-27T03:03:51Z")
I am a truly terrible basketball player, when compared to other short slow unathletic white guys who can’t jump. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/76 "2004-06-27T04:16:35Z")
No offense here either, **Brynda**. It really is reassuring to see that there are other folks around here with the same basic problem. I realize that this is hard-wired behavior, but it seems to be better hard-wired in others than in myself. The post by **shirt, brown, honesty** sounds just like me. Though I am not in such a position where I need to recognize faces, I am always forced to depend on obvious outward characteristics while somehow missing the whole _gestalt_ of the thing. If I were a nurse, I would be forced to make similar notes about the patients in order to keep from mixing them up. I liken this to how some folks have a good ear for language while others do not. I have little difficulty hearing the subtle sounds in a foreign tongue sufficiently to imitate and eventually learn a word. One friend of mine who is far sharper than myself and excels at virtually everything he takes on seems to be unable to hear the most basic of differences between his awful pronunciation of a word and the native speaker’s. So, when I become aware of just how poor I am at facial recognition, I imagine that others see faces with the same clarity with which I can hear language subtleties and imagine that others are quite surprised at how I lack this basic human skill. ---
**Author:** ![QuarkChild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c5a1d2/32.png) [@QuarkChild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuarkChild)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2004, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/77 "2004-06-27T04:43:09Z")
I have trouble recognizing faces out of context. One time my best friend of 20 years showed up at my dorm room unexpectedly. I didn’t recognize her until she opened her mouth. (I don’t have any problem recognizing voices, fortunately!) When my parents used to pick me up at school, I memorized their license plate number so that I would know it was them in the car and I wasn’t getting into some stranger’s red car by accident. Since I also can’t read non-verbal social cues (and have other social problems), my family thinks I have Asperger’s Disorder (a form of high functioning autism). The facial recognition issue becomes a problem for me when I teach lab sections. (I’m a physics graduate student.) I have to make and memorize long, complicated lists of traits for each student in order to be able to match their image to the correct name. Example: Patrick–tall, short black curly hair Edgar–short black straight hair, olive skin Sergio–crimpy short black hair, dark skin etc. Some quarters it seems like half a dozen of the students have short black straight hair, and then it’s just hopeless. I call people by the wrong names _all the time._ I’m also bad at being diplomatic. Don’t ask my opinion unless you want an honest answer. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2004, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/78 "2004-06-27T05:17:32Z")
Sadly, everything I attempt. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/79 "2004-06-27T05:21:23Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Sadly, everything I attempt. Aww, **Voodoo** , I’m sure that’s just not true. Look, you didn’t make any typos in that post. That’s something, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Lush\_Jinks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Lush\_Jinks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lush_Jinks)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2004, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723/80 "2004-06-27T08:10:58Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > And I still, at 27 years old, cannot tie my shoes the “grown-up” way. In my defense I’m left-handed and people (being righties all) couldn’t figure out how to show me the correct way…I’ve tried since, and I just can’t grasp what it is people are doing when they wrap ithe laces around their thumb. What is that?! So bunny-ears it is. What?? People tie shoelaces in a way other than the “bunny-ears” method? That’s news to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-suck-at/251723.md?page=5)