Things you are too embarrassed to admit you don't understand

[ClassicStripe]

I don't think I really understand what a fascist is.

If the earth's flat how would they work then? Not asking you personally to answer

Telephones. Much the same as the PP who mentioned the vinyl records - how does someone talk on one end and I can hear their voice on the other through a line. Boggles my mind. Same with my mobile. Can never get my head around it.

I understand sound waves and how they work but how does that happen through a line or the air?!

Maths. All of it. Every single piece. Even bought myself junior maths books. Any still no.

The difference between net & gross in terms of salary. Just can't get it to stick in my brain

Why people need to tell me about their ailments

Walking the dog or in the queue at the supermarket or on a train

With the boat one, put a bowl in some water, and try to push it down. It takes effort doesn't it. That's because you're having to push water out of the way. The bigger the bowl, the more water that has to be moved out of the way, so the more effort it takes.

It's the same with a boat. It's heavy, so wants to sink, but in order to sink it has to push the water out of the way. If it's not heavy enough to push the water out of the way, it floats. Too heavy, and it sinks.

The bigger the boat, then the heavier it is, but also the more surface area it has that is in contact with the water, so the more water it has to push out of the way.

Fucked if I know about the planes though.

RSUP / Long term incentives at work
woke = ???
misogyny = ???
See also: using a corkscrew to open wine. I duck it up every time.

I remember that net is what I catch and take home.
then I can use that to remind myself that gross is the other one...before they take loads of money before I can Net some and take it home

The difference between jealousy and envy 🤷

The procurement process at work. 8 years in and I still cannot get my head around po numbers and how they actually link invoices in the way they do it.

Gross is before deductions such as tax and social security.

Net is what you receive in your bank account.

if you’re paid something “gross” you pay the tax on it. If you’re paid something “net” the tax is covered for you.

i used to struggle with this too. The concept of a fishing net retaining the fish (leftover cash) after everything else (deductions) drains out helped me!

Gift aid.

I basically don't really understand taxes but especially gift aid. I just tick the box.

I've tried to read about it but I just can't get my head around it. I have a Master's degree!

When to use 'effect' and when to use 'affect'.

Communism. I mean understand the basic year 7 definition of what a communist is which I remember thinking was a rather good concept when I first read it?? ...but I don't really understand all the different movements and conflicts around it

You know, this type of thing is what should be appearing in magazines alongside inane Love Island crap. Because the people who like Love Island still need to know about taxes and pensions and all that. The first time you come across those terms is when you get your first job and someone goes "Make sure you're not on Basic Rate tax" and you think "well, I don't have a clue what you're talking about, I don't know how to find that out and what to do if I am, or what it means but everyone here seems to know what it is so I'll just ignore the issue for a while and hope it sorts itself out." It would help if HMRC was actually efficient.

Same with pensions. When you're young you get a leaflet about your workplace one and have no clue what all the jargon means, and all the detail just puts you off reading it. Also no actual clue what the importance of a pension is and what happens in 45 years' time when you want to retire and just assume it means you'll have enough money to live, or that if you need to retire early that it'll have an effect on your pension. The worst one is that most people have multiple jobs throughout their lives. And they don't have a clue what to do when given options to combine them or keep them separate. All your pension provider offers is "seek advice to find out what is best for you". Advice? From who?

Financial organisations are getting better at providing this sort of information these days, I admit. And Martin Lewis has been really good at helping people to understand personal finance in an accessible way.

I don't understand why the Bank of England has once again raised the interest rate. I have looked it up so many times and don't understand how the mini budget affected it in the first place. Surely the budget was just a plan as to how the monies were going to be spent

I'm with a pp on my pension. I briefly understood it at the point I took early retirement and had to decide whether to start drawing it or defer it. I made the decision and am doing what I decided but hell if I know why now.

I love this!

Why “plunder” sounds like wasting something but really means stealing something

I reckon envy is wanting what someone else has, and jealousy is not wanting someone else to have something you have.

So I'm envious that my neighbour has won the lottery. I don't care that they've got a million quid, but I want a million quid too. I don't want their money, but I do want money.

I'm jealous of that person flirting with my partner. If he likes her, then he'll leave me. He's mine and I don't want someone else to take him.

Cricket scoring and all the terminology.

Pretty much anything financial. Tax, pensions, mortgages, APR etc. My eyes glaze over.

Also, why does legal stuff have to be written in a way that anyone without legal training cannot understand?

@Ihaveaquestionn Because it sounds like "squander", possibly?

Pick up a ball and a toy plane (or car or something) and drive/fly it around the ball (Earth) and all will become clear!! Keep in mind, the plane barely leaves the surface of the earth.

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