Just wondering, are you “world class” at anything? I got to thinking this when reading a Star Trek thread. I consider myself a pretty big fan of the series, but am humbled by the insane degree of mastery of minutiae exhibited by many on this board. And the same holds true for just about every topic. I am the veritable lake of knowledge that is miles wide but only a couple of inches deep. I know a little bit about just about everything, but am expert at very little. Same with performance. I am a decent golfer, but know many who can beat me consistently. And I am a pretty good fighter, but regularly work out with better.
Let’s see. I remember when in college a friend, who had no little experience in the area, told me that I took bigger bong hits than anyone he knew. And today, I present oral argument in federal appellate courts as well as anyone I’ve ever seen. I have a pretty big vocabulary and am an excellent speller - I’d probably say below world class in those areas - maybe state or regional level.
Public speaking. I can’t do anything else worth a good goddamn, but I’ll put my public speaking abilities up against any human being alive. In any competition I’ve ever been in I shredded the field.
Now, if only I could get my thick brain to think of something useful to say…
No, really. Other people are humble, but they’re just nothing at all compared to me. I’m the most humble guy I know. If there were a medal for humility, well, they’d HAVE to give it to me. Really, who else is more humble?
I know quite a bit about rock music from the last three and a half decades.
I find computers simple to use, and am able to usually figure things out without to much outside assistance.
I excel at learning ability, whilst suffering from a lack of application at times. I never finished high school, yet have always been able to become competent and well-versed in whatever area of study I have taken interest in. But I’m lazy.
I excel in seeing multiple aspects of arguments or debates. I form opinions, yet can often understand and accept why another has formed a contrasting opinion.
I excel in taking responsibility for my life and not blaming others for circumstances I created.
Thinking about this, I guess I have a couple other talents. At school I was always very good at standardized tests, whether in grade school, the ACT, or the LSAT. And I will be the first to admit that doing well on such tests is primarily an indicator of how well you do on such tests. But that is one skill that has actually been of use. Fortunately, my kids seem to have inherited this ability (which Mrs D lacks).
It’s hard to imagine anyone being a bigger procrastinator than me. A related ability is I am excellent at cramming at the last minute and turning out a decent product.
I’m also pretty excellent at failing to live up to my potential.
I’m Canadian. I’m allowed to use either method of spelling any word as long as I’m consistent within a document. Currently I’m going British in self-defense.
If you say an English (American) word to me, I’ll tell you how many letters are in that word faster than anyone else in the room.
Also, I can beat anyone to a spot on the sidewalk and avoid any collisions. This is only relevant to those who have to walk crowded city streets. Since I work in Manhattan, this is very helpful. When someone else’s path is going to cross mine, I can instantaneously determine whether 1) we will collide at all (in which case no change in pace needs to be made), 2) if the other person will be willing to yield to my pace (also no change in pace required), 3) if the other person won’t yield (I would speed up my pace), or 4) if the other person is seeking violent contact (speed up or slow down depending on who it is). Now, please understand that these decisions must be made hundreds of times during each of my walks from Penn Station to Times Square. And I’ve never had a violent collison.
Seriously though, I’m decent to good at:
a) Mental math
b) Trivia
c) (working on my) 400 meter dash (a sluggish 65 seconds)
d) Video games (any takers in Rogue Spear?)
Though I don’t have any incredible skills in any one area (that I know of).
I have an innate ability to make others look/feel good. Not through any noticeable effort at wholesale goodwill but usually by lowering myself to the lowest common denominator and then digging a hole for myself beneath them. I have the wonderful world class ability of making a gaff just at the appropriate time so that whomever I am with can only look better by comparison. This probably has something to do with that foot in mouth disease I seem to have contracted from somewhere.
Currently I’m going British in self-defense.