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Ask HN: What cool skill or project interests you, but feels out of reach?

124 points akktor | 5 comments | 09 Jun 25 12:41 UTC | HN request time: 1.13s | source

This question's for all those cool projects or skills you're secretly fascinated by, but haven't quite jumped into. Maybe you feel like you just don't have the right "brain" for it, or you're not smart enough to figure it out, or even worse, you simply have no clue how or where to even start.

The idea here is to shine a light on these hidden interests and the little (or big!) mental blocks that come with them. If you're already rocking in those specific areas – or you've been there and figured out how to get past similar hurdles – please chime in! Share some helpful resources, dish out general advice, or just give a nudge of encouragement on how to take that intimidating first step.

Let's help each other get unstuck!

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yu3zhou4 ◴[11 Jun 25 07:00 UTC] No.44244930[source]▶
Being able to spontaneously speak with people and slow thinking. I am ok at writing with people, because it gives me time to think and refine my message. But I really suck at live events and talking to people in real life. Did anyone overcome it? And how?
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1. monarchwadia ◴[11 Jun 25 08:31 UTC] No.44245425[source]▶
For me, it was a skill issue.Most people learn it when very young. Just repeated practice helped... and someone close to me coached me on things that seemed common sense to others, but were counterintuitive to me. But over time, my neurons rewired themselves. I'm fairly good at small talk now. People dont believe me when I say I couldn't even order pizza over the phone at one point.
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2. Yiin ◴[11 Jun 25 09:51 UTC] No.44245861[source]▶
can you share some of the things that seemed common sense to others?
3. letitbeirie ◴[11 Jun 25 16:10 UTC] No.44249081[source]▶
Are you young enough to have grown up in a house without a land line by chance?

I think land lines are where many current adults (who grew up before cell phones were ubiquitous) learned a lot of that common sense, because in order to get in touch with anyone you had to be willing and able to make small talk with whoever picked up the phone first - chatty mothers, asshole brothers, mostly-deaf grandfathers, etc.

replies(1): >>44249248 #
4. igouy ◴[11 Jun 25 16:28 UTC] No.44249248[source]▶
Before land line phones, in order to get in touch with anyone you had to be willing and able to make small talk with whoever answered the door first.
5. mkbkn ◴[12 Jun 25 01:29 UTC] No.44253534[source]▶
Could you share what you practiced that helped you?