A great thread started up in the Ask MetaFilter community, asking members to share common things they've discovered they were doing wrong—but suddenly, unexpectedly, late in life. We hate to steal a great question, but we have to ask.
Photo by TheGiantVermin.
The Ask MetaFilter thread is full of serious, funny, and halfway between insights from members on things they've never known they were doing wrong until one shining moment. There are a lot of pronunciations, a few links to a similar-themed Rob Cockerham post, and a few great tidbits to be found (our own emphasis added):
Tying my shoes
. No joke. I was nearly thirty years old before I learned that "right over left and left over right makes a bow that's tidy and tight."
Thank you, Ian!
I was always taught (and believed) that
putting salt into a pot of water will make it boil faster
. Apparently
that's not the case
, which I learned about a week ago
Nicholson Baker's
The Mezzanine
has several examples of this. The one that changed my life is
tucking your undershirt into your underwear before tucking your dress shirt into your pants
. Through some magic of friction, your shirt won't come untucked anymore.
We're wondering the same of you, Lifehacker readers. What types of things were you doing wrong for so long, then suddenly came to learn, whether on your own or through a great tip? Share your almost-too-late discoveries in the comments.
You were doing it wrong [Ask MetaFilter via @emiglio]