# What is obvious in your profession that YOU don't know? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 3, 2019, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634 "2019-09-03T16:39:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/21 "2019-09-04T12:13:41Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > I have no idea how much you make, but it sounds like you need an agent, or whatever they’re called in the art world. Someone that can speak both ‘artist’ and ‘owner’. Someone that can take what you do and sell it. Plus they’ll likely already have an in at the galleries and know where you’re work is likely to do best. The problem is, when you subtract the gallery’s fees and also an agent’s fees, it wouldn’t leave me with much. It takes me up to two months to create each piece, and I couldn’t price them so high as to net me enough income. I’m already working for less than minimum wage. ---
**Author:** ![Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/les_espaces_du_sommeil/32/308_2.png) [@Les\_Espaces\_Du\_Sommeil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Les_Espaces_Du_Sommeil)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/22 "2019-09-04T13:58:50Z")
Job #1 : I manage a printing service/bookshop in a business school. I have zero interest in photocopiers. Job #2 : Teacher. I’m introverted and I find talking to more than 2 people at the same time stressful. Still, I enjoy teaching tremendously and I’ve done this for years, but I get really nervous 15-10 minutes before the class start. Every. Single. Time. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/23 "2019-09-04T14:47:48Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > Inspired by [this thread.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=881071) > > So you’re a professional, you’re good at your job, been doing it a while. But everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. What is a part of your job that you’re not great at, or not as good as you should be? > > Hope mine isn’t too alarming… I’m a pilot. Used to be an airline guy, now I fly chartered jets. I have two weak-ish areas, which is to say I can do a workmanlike, even professional job of it, but it doesn’t come as naturally to me as to many of my colleagues. > > **I don’t have a great sense of direction** > > This is less of a big deal than you might think. When I was a teenager with a new driver’s license I got lost all the time. It’s actually much easier in an aircraft for several reasons, but I still had to work at it. When I trained for my instrument rating it got a bit challenging because you sometimes have to think in directions other than the one you’re currently going. > > Even today, I have to think for a moment when things get complicated. Whereas I see some of my colleagues can do it instantaneously without a thought. However, there have been times I’ve caught them in mistakes because they went too quickly. I make aeronautical charts for a living and I have a not so great sense of direction. Even with the GPS I sometimes I have to think which way is left or right. When it comes to my job, I have no idea what the hell all these frequencies are for on my charts. I can never remember which ones need to be charted and which ones need to be left off. I am always looking them up. And since they are constantly changing all over the place I’m always wondering if I got it right. ---
**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:** [September 4, 2019, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/24 "2019-09-04T15:05:08Z")
BTW, I worked in real estate for 26 years, and I have NO sense of direction. I mean absolutely none, a genetic trait I share with all the females in my family. While working real estate, I leaned how o give directions and on my current job, if anyone needs help in getting to anywhere they call on me. I think I could have learned Hebrew with less effort that giving directions. And I cannot follow them at all. I also have a great fashion sense, and people have paid me to put together ensembles for them. But I have zero interest in fashion and how I look. Yet people often complaint me on my outfits. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/25 "2019-09-04T16:09:43Z")
> [@Llama\_Llogophile](#): > > Inspired by [this thread.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=881071)… > **I don’t have a great sense of direction** > … Not my profession but I have a private pilot license and flew regularly for some years though don’t anymore. I also have a terrible sense of direction, a sort of compass dyslexia. East vs West vs compass headings vs bearings do not have any instant intuitive sense for me and I found I needed to triple and quadruple check _everything_ constantly. Runway 27? Wind 160? Turn to 80? Ummm…let me get my compass and map. Up vs down was ok though, I always got that 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eulalia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eulalia/32/457_2.png) [@eulalia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eulalia)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/26 "2019-09-04T16:11:23Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I’m an electrical engineer, and I’m bad at circuit design and analysis. If you show me a circuit diagram and ask me what happens if you swap capacitor C1=100µF with a resistor R1= 100Ω and a capacitor C2= 150µF or such like, I couldn’t intuitively tell you what would happen to the output voltage. Sure, if I had the equations remembered like I had when I graduated, I could figure it easily out, but only after crunching numbers. That intuition was never there, that’s why I straightly went into computers and IT, already with my thesis at college. Now, 25 years later, I’m a jack of all trades in IT, from programming over network to database administration, soft- and hardware support, and that’s ok, it covers a wide area, and I’m good at it. But I’ll never be the guy designing circuits in SPICE (that was the standard tool in 1994, please educate me if it’s obsolete ;)) and later realize it with a soldering ion. > > Oh yeah, that’s also true: I’m an electrical engineer and the worst solderer you’ll ever meet. > > ETA: I just noticed that this is a thing that always bugged and I have never really confessed to anybody. It reminds me of the impostor syndrome which I’ve read about lately in a different thread, but It’s not so bad in my case. I know what I’m able to and what not, and the things I’m able to are good enough, if specialized. I was an electronic technician, troubleshooting and repairing circuits designed by others, for over 30 years and I can tell you that MOST engineers I’ve worked with are lousy at soldering. They often would get one of us to do that for them. Really more efficient from the company’s perspective anyway. I was really good at troubleshooting and at training others, but I sucked at being a lead. My boss said I was too task-oriented. I think it’s because I may be a bit autistic or something. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/27 "2019-09-04T16:43:40Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Yet people often complaint me on my outfits. I’ll bet they do. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/28 "2019-09-04T16:59:25Z")
I’m a Life Safety and Security consultant, working with large corporate clients to design, install, and upgrade systems. Been doing it for over 30 years. I even teach (well-attended) classes on the subject. What surprises people about me? 1. I pay virtually no attention to the actual equipment that’s used. Most of the time, I just ask for a quote on whatever camera/control/electric hardware the installer normally stocks and finds reliable. It’s like old-fashioned telephones…the wiring and system are important, but the separate devices can be replaced or upgraded at any time. Cabling, network, and locations are the biggest expense and the most important part of the work. 2. I know nothing whatsoever about household systems, equipment, and services. When people find out what I do, they invariably ask me, “So, what’s a good home alarm system? Who should I get to put it in?” You got me. I couldn’t name a local home installation company if I was being tortured. I have no idea what you should buy and I don’t know if you are paying a good price. I don’t even have a home security system myself. ---
**Author:** ![DrForrester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@DrForrester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrForrester)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/29 "2019-09-04T17:19:13Z")
I am a chemist. I have spent decades in a really narrow field. This means that everything else has faded with time. Use it or lose it. The one thing that I really wish I could’ve mastered & used more effectively is organic synthesis. Luckily, I have a good collection of reference books & know how to use Google. Most of the time, that’s been enough to muddle through. Rarely, I have to resort to asking for help … or, gods forbid, actually put chemicals together to see what happens… Head for the hills! ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/30 "2019-09-04T22:28:51Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > I make aeronautical charts for a living and I have a not so great sense of direction. Even with the GPS I sometimes I have to think which way is left or right. > > When it comes to my job, I have no idea what the hell all these frequencies are for on my charts. I can never remember which ones need to be charted and which ones need to be left off. I am always looking them up. And since they are constantly changing all over the place I’m always wondering if I got it right. My brother-in-law talks about flying a C-130 to a primitive landing strip near the Korean DMZ. They didn’t have a proper chart, but another pilot had sketched out a rough map for him. Unfortunately, the pilot reversed the compass directions and my BIL and the co-pilot realized at the last minute they were about to land directly in front of a mountain. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/31 "2019-09-04T23:21:45Z")
I write financial/accounting software. I don’t know _anything at all_ about accounting. Debits? Credits? Who knows! ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/32 "2019-09-05T15:10:10Z")
Programmer - I’ve been trying to grok object oriented programmer for ~20 years, and I still don’t really understand all the concepts. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/33 "2019-09-05T16:26:44Z")
I’m a programmer. I struggle with negative logic. It takes me a long time to understand something like “if not (this or that) then …”. I usually draw up the matrix on paper so that I can figure out which cases are true and which are false. I avoid writing such code at all costs. I write it using positives if at all possible. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/34 "2019-09-05T16:52:07Z")
Man, even with the anonymity of this message board, I’m not brave enough to answer this question. Props to all of you people who are! ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2019, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/35 "2019-09-05T21:04:38Z")
Since we are admitting and confessing here in this forum - I worked in IT for 30 some odd years. Typical support/admin stuff, then got into coding C/C++. I still hunt and peck on a keyboard with two fingers, possibly 3 on a good day. If you didn’t know me, you might think I was incompetent. So to answer the OP’s question; what is obvious to a touch-typist doesn’t apply to me. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/36 "2019-09-06T04:55:51Z")
As some may remember I work in shipping for a major online retailer I lovingly call Da Jungle. Why do people need 24 hour delivery for the stuff they buy? Why do we even offer it? Medications I could see - maybe some foodstuffs. But shoes, anal lube, and inflatable kayaks? Really? Two day isn’t fast enough for you? Considering we’re totally remaking our system to do it, it must be a really big thing. But I am lost on the logic of it all. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/37 "2019-09-06T11:47:17Z")
What people think should be obvious… Me: I work in IT. Someone: I have a problem with my computer, can you help? Me: Yesterday I had a problem with my laptop, I searched on Google for a solution. Nothing worked. I took it to tech services. Me: I work in IT Security. Someone; What anti-virus software should I buy? Me: I buy it like everyone else. What names do I recognize, how much do they cost? I don’t want to spend too much money, but too low and it’s probably no good. Check the features on the box and try to figure out what they mean. Real things that should be obvious would be things like something that came up yesterday… Can a scalar function be run directly from the \_sys\_bic schema? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/38 "2019-09-06T12:00:10Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > But shoes, anal lube, and inflatable kayaks? Shoot! A fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff. Wait, that’s “kayak” and not “yak”? Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/39 "2019-09-06T12:23:05Z")
> [@Cabin\_Fever](#): > > Since we are admitting and confessing here in this forum - I worked in IT for 30 some odd years. Typical support/admin stuff, then got into coding C/C++. > > I still hunt and peck on a keyboard with two fingers, possibly 3 on a good day. If you didn’t know me, you might think I was incompetent. So to answer the OP’s question; what is obvious to a touch-typist doesn’t apply to me. I work with a guy who uses only his index fingers when typing. The right index finger taps out one character at a time. The left is used exclusively for holding down modifier keys (Ctrl, Shift, etc.). He’s been programming for over 30 years and he still doesn’t know where each letter is. He literally hunts for each one. He does it all with an exaggerated motion in which his finger travels about eight inches downward toward each key. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2019, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634/40 "2019-09-06T13:54:32Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Shoot! A fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff. > > Wait, that’s “kayak” and not “yak”? Never mind. Oh God ---- now you’ve gone and done it. With the other threads and all --------- now I have this overwhelming desire to ask one of my coworkers tonight if she wants me to shave her yak. What the Hell? Its my last day at this facility anyway. 😃 Our country reeks of trees our yaks are really huge and they smell like rotting beef ccarcasses [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-obvious-in-your-profession-that-you-dont-know/839634.md?page=3)