Reality Check: Things People Think They’re Great At, But Aren’t

That moment when you think you've got something down pat, but then reality comes crashing in. It's like a slap in the face with a cold dose of humility. One moment you're strutting your stuff, feeling all confident and thinking, "Yeah, I've totally nailed this thing!" And then, out of nowhere you realize you're not quite the hotshot you thought you were. It's like living in a bubble of overconfidence that suddenly bursts. You go from feeling like a superstar to realizing you're not as great as you thought. It's humbling, a little embarrassing, and an opportunity to grow and improve.

Ranker, a popular polling website, surveyed people about things they think they’re good at but actually aren’t that good at. More than 500 voters participated, and the results were compiled to create a list.

According to the poll results, the number one response was being a good listener. It seems like people believe they're fantastic at it, but in reality, they might need to take a humble pill. Imagine dealing with someone who's a terrible listener. They're always interrupting, never fully tuned in, and constantly checking their phone or getting distracted. When you try to share something, they brush it off or turn the conversation back to themselves. It's like they're more interested in talking than actually listening.

In the poll, driving got the second highest number of votes, indicating that many of us might not be as skilled behind the wheel as we believe. And the statistics from the National Safety Council back that up. Their initial estimates showed that traffic-related deaths are still alarmingly high, with over 46,000 people losing their lives in avoidable accidents.

When it came to the poll, giving good advice, looking cool, and communicating got the short end of the stick with the least amount of votes. It seems like people aren't feeling too confident in those areas. Maybe those things aren’t as easy as they seem.

The list also includes other things like telling jokes, lying, sex, cooking, and people's jobs. If you're curious, you can check out the complete list to see what else made the cut here.

Misusing phrases is something that happens all the time. And there are a few reasons why it's so common. Languages are constantly changing and evolving, so what was right in the past might not be the case anymore. Plus, many of the phrases we hear being misused have become part of our everyday conversations. And we pick them up without knowing the correct meaning or usage.

When we're just having a casual chat, we tend to focus more on getting our point across quickly, rather than following strict grammar rules. But idioms and expressions can be super confusing, even for native speakers. You also have to consider that there are different regions and cultures that have their own ways of interpreting and using phrases. Misusing phrases is normal and a part of how language changes.

People mess up phrases more than you think. Those common sayings somehow get twisted and turned in ways no one ever intended. From funny mix-ups to downright confusing expressions. But what are some of the most common ones we all get wrong from time to time?

Here are some phrases that people mess up all the time, and you might've missed a few of them yourself.