I would say perseverance. We all have that period in lifetime where we everything looks like impossible or against us. I think all of them who are strong enough to fight against the circumstances can conquer whatever they propose. For this reason, I guess perseverance is an important skill too

Maybe persistent toward the goal, flexible in the means/strategies

I think it resilience is extremely important because it so easy to end up to become broken down or defeated by suffering. Some people probably have more inner strength than others which helps them face difficulties. It may be a people who are used to coping with difficulties have developed this strength and other coping skills for endurance, whereas those who encounter a sudden difficult change may not have the inner resources to cope so well. However, while people may develop resilience through obstacles, it may be that too much stress, without enough time of calm, can be detrimental because most people have some limitations and they may reach breaking point.

My current thought is that the most useful skill is the ability to adapt to change. Change is a most fundamental nature of this world. When we suiffer, it's usually in some part because of a failure adapt to change. We got to where we are as humans because we adapted. — Yohan

Change, when preceded by an acknowledgement of self-inadequacy, is invaluable.

My current thought is that the most useful skill is the ability to adapt to change. — Yohan

The mighty oak v. the supple grasses. I suspect you're more correct than you might suppose.

:up:

Most useful skill: opportune timing and interminable patience (complementaries).

On second thought, I can't conceive of a skill that is more useful than unlearning misery (i.e. habits of maladaptive judgment & conduct).

right answer: studying
wrong answer: masturbation

Being useless is the most useful skill. It enables one to avoid exploitation.

the most useful skill — Yohan

Sincerity. Once you can fake that, you've got it made.

:fire:

The most useful skill is how to acquire and keep a state. If Trump had possessed this skill he would now be Dictator of the USA, instead of a private citizen beset with interminable lawsuits.

We take it for granted, but how about reading?

Can you imagine being illiterate in 2021? It'd be easier to not be able to drive, not able to cook, etc.

You got me thinking very basic.
I think now as the most useful skills:
Being, awareness, action, and relating.

the ability to adapt to change. — Yohan

Is this a skill? I suspect it is a range of skills.

:ok:

I think most skills involve other skills. Eg. To read you need the ability to see, memorize, think etc.
Are there any skills that don't involve a range of other skills?

Is seeing a skill? :smile: I think what we call adapting to change is actually a range of different attributes and facilities. Are you essentially arguing that non-attachment is the overarching skill here; or resilience? Adapting to change doesn't greatly resonate with me. Maybe because I do it without anxiety or much thought?? I don't feel I have had to adapt to many changes in my life. Is adapting to change different to accepting change? What do you consider to be a change requiring an adaptive shift?

Personally I don't believe there is an answer to this kind of question, it seems entirely context dependent.

Seeing indeed involves a range of other skills. Think about how complex the brain is. You can't see without consciousness. To have consciousness the brain needs to have the skill of self organization , self management etc.
You also have to have the skill of receiving the light Into eye, skill of eye sending information to the brain, and then brain translating or making sense of the information...(rogh estimate abouthow seeing works, I don't know)

I guess I'm blind to the context you have.

Are you essentially arguing that non-attachment is the overarching skill here; or resilience? — Tom Storm

Here I agree it's context dependent or not answerable.

Is adapting to change different to accepting change? What do you consider to be a change requiring an adaptive shift? — Tom Storm

Well, it seems like you adapt naturally so you don't have to contemplate all that it involves.
Often foreign language learners ahnderstand the rules of the language better than native speakers becayise the natives follow the rules unconsciously.
I'm naturally very resistant to change and risk, so for me adaptability is a skill for me to learn.
I moved to a foreign country. Five years in I haven't even learned the language.

most useful skill — Yohan

Thinking well. Given everythjng else supervenes on this one skill, it would stand us in good stead if each and everyone of us honed it to perfection, if possible of course.

Adaptive ability doesn't quite cut it because it fails Kant's maxim. What if everyone adapated (to each other)? I would adapt to you and you would adapt to me but that doesn't make sense because if I adapt to you, you wouldn't need to adapt to me and vice versa.

Seeing indeed involves a range of other skills. Think about how complex the brain is. You can't see without consciousness. To have consciousness the brain needs to have the skill of self organization , self management etc.
You also have to have the skill of receiving the light Into eye, skill of eye sending information to the brain, and then brain translating or making sense of the information...(rogh estimate abouthow seeing works, I don't know) — Yohan

Not skills so much as the body doing its thing. I see a skill as something a human being can acquire or not. Being able to see in a particular way may be a skill. Being able to see in itself, not so much.

You say you are resistant to risk and change. Many people share this. I certainly don't seek out risks or changes. Some people have change inflicted on them is severe ways. Think Hong Kong. Or a natural disaster. But much of how we deal with this is psychological and wrapped up in our personalities.

Adaptive ability doesn't quite cut it because it fails Kant's maxim. What if everyone adapated (to each other)? I would adapt to you and you would adapt to me but that doesn't make sense because if I adapt to you, you wouldn't need to adapt to me and vice versa. — TheMadFool

Seriously?

Thinking well. Given everythjng else supervenes on this one skill, it would stand us in good stead if each and everyone of us honed it to perfection, if possible of course. — TheMadFool

How does everything supervene on thinking?
Most failure of understanding is due to an inability to see the obvious, rather from an inability to think.

Open-mindedness and discipline.

The two characteristics really compliment each other, if I only knew a person was open-minded and disciplined, I'd favour them to succeed in pretty much anything they tried their hand at.

Most failure of understanding is due to an inability to see the obvious, rather from an inability to think. — Yohan

Most? Can you provide some examples?

Humans mistake thought for reality.
That's why there are all these ideologies. That's why people go to wars. That's why people do so much harm to make money. That's why people believe lies.

Imagine you could somehow see everything.
Would you have any need for thought?
What would there be to think about if nothing was hidden from sight?
What can thought do but reach tentative guesses by way of inferences through symbols?

Not skills so much as the body doing its thing. I see a skill as something a human being can acquire or not. Being able to see in a particular way may be a skill. Being able to see in itself, not so much. — Tom Storm

I think a lot of the "skills" discussed here are not really skills. Perseverance, ability to adapt, open-mindedness, discipline, thinking well, resilience ... These are more character traits than skills. Now, skills:

• Flipping eggs without breaking the yolks
• Driving stick
• Sexual.... well
• Public speaking
• Finding food, water, shelter
• Sliding into second
• Meditation
• Swimming

Not necessarily in that order.

: I think that's fair and far better expressed than my version.

Humans mistake thought for reality.
That's why there are all these ideologies. That's why people go to wars. That's why people do so much harm to make money. That's why people believe lies. — Yohan

There's some truth to this but I was asking more about your idea about people's 'inability to see the obvious.' I don't think we can see without thinking. We see, then we process and put what we see into some context. This might be different if you were enlightened (a category of human I would consider contentious at best). And what is 'the obvious'?

You got me thinking very basic.
I think now as the most useful skills:
Being, awareness, action, and relating. — Yohan

Sure, those are good mentions. I tried to limit myself to activities we aren't born knowing how to do. It's easy to take reading for granted because we are trained to do it as children. I actually can't remember not being able to read, though I know that there was such a time. To be sure, we can become better at all of the things you mentioned, just as we can become better at reading.

What's the most useful skill?

The one you are using now.