Hidden Talents and Special Abilities

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I remember hating to do subtraction. I still do. It always took me longer than all the other kids to, so I found an alternative way for some problems. For example, 52-38 Normally you would carry the 1 to make it 12-8=4, but I did not like that. I found out that if you can carry, you can do it this way. The bottom number minus the top number; then take that number and subtract it from ten. 8-2=6 10-6=4 To me that was much simpler, and can easily be done in your head. Then of course you have to cross off one from five making four, so 4-3=1

The answer is 14 when you put the answers together.

I'm ridiculously good at unintentionally remembering things.
I can't memorise anything deliberately that well at all.
Like during uni I can just sit through all the classes and when it's an exam I always do really well, but I very rarely do any revision more than seeing what questions may come up.
I also am very very good at the sort of intentional but also unintentional witty humour sort of thing. I'm shockingly bad at jokes and that sort of thing though.

My talents: Finding people who can't be found (air search and rescue), law, history, and war gaming.

I used to be able to do math in my head really fast when I was 7, but they made me do it on paper a different way than I was used to, and I forgot how to do it the fast way. I wound up being pretty inaccurate at math thereafter.

I've always been able to spot anything that doesn't "fit" visually. Mom said that when I was a toddler, when I walked into a room, I would walk straight to any object that was moved or new in a room. I'm good at spotting typos or any visual errors, which helps me as a graphic artist and web site designer--I can spot objects that are off center or errors in the code. I can't explain why, exactly--it's like they are something that doesn't fit in the bigger pattern, and there is a kind of tension there. It's like those old kid's programs that would say, "which of these things does not belong?" Or, a bit like seeing a red bird on a snowdrift--our eyes are drawn to the red bird because it stands out. But for me, it's lots of things that others don't notice. My wife played a joke on me in which she intentionally made a picture crooked on her side of the bedroom to see how long it would take me to say, "Agghhhhh, I can't stand it any more!" and leap over to fix it. Gah.

I also have perfect pitch. I am a decent, but not great singer. It's pretty unpleasant sometimes though--I don't know why store owners at Christmastime insist on playing Christmas songs by pop stars who can't sing on key. It's like nails on a chalkboard. I'd much rather hear traditional Christmas hymns by people who can sing, like Pavarotti or the Vienna Boys' Choir.

I can glance at a document, such as a letter or an email, and immediately notice any errors related to punctuation, alignment and capitalization. For example, I can discern the difference between a comma and a period simply by putting the document in my line of sight, and understand whether that punctuation mark is used correctly. Regarding spelling, I can do a quick visual scan over each paragraph and notice if a word is misspelled, even before I understand the context in which the word is being used. Once I settle down to read the sentences, I find all grammar errors, as well as any other errors my quick glances didn't catch. I could be a copy editor's dream.

In a previous job, reviewing my colleagues' proposed letters actually became of one of my job requirements, and I loved it. I knew I had this special but inexplicable talent, and that I could show off that talent to others, particularly to my boss who was responsible for bonuses and promotions.

I taught myself to draw at school. Would go years without doing it. Taught myself to paint a couple of years ago.

I'm pretty good at howling at the moon.

^ lol.

You know, I hope those of you who are good at Mathematics are grateful/proud. So many people would kill to be naturally talented at anything, let alone Maths.

I'm currently taking Maths again as a mature student, and I'm having to work my ass off to keep up. I did a mock paper a couple months back and got a B. I did another mock last week and got a A, so thats nice. Fingers crossed for A this summer.

@helloarchy: I know what you mean, but I don't think it's that straightforward.

My ability to manipulate numbers and to find hidden patterns in just about anything has baffled many people over the years. I can multiply very large numbers on paper with no written working out (I created a 30-digit calculator using Microsoft Excel in order to test some of my more daring attempts), and I can calculate and convert any date in history between two different calendar systems. There are also a number of other examples that have cropped up over the years, and I honestly don't know where they come from, they seem to happen almost at random when I'm really focused. I'm actually trying to teach some of the methods I've discovered to my children, with varying degrees of success.

But I would trade all of that in a heartbeat just to be able to get through a week, or even a day, without feeling clumsy or foolish, or just to be able to do the whole social interaction thing without feeling so awkward. Don't get me wrong, I do have friends (although most of them seem to disappear after a while), but the amount of effort it often takes just to fit in can be really exhausting

Sorry for going slightly off-topic!

Does anyone else have any talents or abilities they would like to share?

^ If we could simply trade our hidden talents for better mental health, then that might be nice to do. But as you know we cant, and you're stuck as you are. However, when you compare your talents to those who don't have one, and the rest of the population who are average or below at Maths, surely you can be pleased with it? You can view it as a silver lining. Yes it sucks having issues, but at-least you are gifted with Maths. Many people have issues and no special ability.