Some things look relatively easy from afar but are in fact REALLY difficult when you actually try to do them.
Have you ever tried to play hockey before? The players on TV and in person make it look pretty effortless, but let me tell you that is really hard stuff.
In this article, AskReddit users talk about things that appear to be easy, but are actually really difficult.
Let’s see what they had to say.
1. Never thought of that…
“Playing the triangle. A lot of my non-musician friends joke about how easy it is to play it.
Then they actually hold the damn thing and look stupid.
I can still remember my band director…
‘You guys laugh about the triangle players, but you have no idea how hard it is to stay focused while counting 132 bars and not miss your cue.'”
2. I know I can’t do it.
“Whistling with your fingers.
I did it once like 6 years ago and haven’t been able to replicate it since.
Pisses. Me. Off.”
3. It’s a gift.
“Dancing. I wouldn’t say it looks “easy”, but when I see people do it, they’re so good at it and it flows so well it looks easy. But damn, I just CANNOT get my body to do anything more than a bop and maybe some stupid arm moves.
I’m 25 and dance like a 50 year old at a reunion.
Dancers are so delicate and make it look so easy, it’s honestly amazing. It’s just hilarious when I try to do literally anything and fail horribly.”
4. Not a fun activity.
“Digging.
Anytime its shown in movies or TV it looks easy AF but the second you have to grab a shovel and break dirt…. bleh.”
5. Not easy.
“Easy as pie? Pie is the most difficult thing I’ve EVER done/made.
Keeping the dough cold while avoiding overworking it, and somehow perfectly distributing the butter throughout the mixture so that there aren’t massive butter chunks…ugh, it’s difficult.”
6. Being a professional.
“Pretty much anything that a professional does. They make it look easy cause it’s their job. Throw a football 65 yards accurately? Psssh simple if you’re an elite athlete. Cut open a chest cavity to fix a few coronary arteries?
It’s just another day at the office for a surgeon. Frame up a structural wall within a 2000 sq ft house? Just a bunch of wood and nails is all you need. Make crowded teeth perfectly aligned? Surely it’s just a matter of wearing trays 1 through 55, voila! It’s all straight.
In reality, each of these tasks takes someone who trained for years to visualize the problem, solve it, and execute it to the T. It looks easy, cause they practiced the hell out of it.”
7. A difficult task.
“Maintaining friendships from high school/college after you graduate.
People get so busy with work and starting their own families that friendships get put on the back burner.
You stop talking to someone for a few months, then it suddenly hits you that you’re no longer friends with the person.”
8. That’s a hard one.
“Finding a career you’ll want to go to every day that won’t crush your soul.
I went to college, grad school, got a PhD and work in a senior role at a highly coveted company.
I still don’t feel happy.
The one thing I’ve learned after all these years is that happiness is not defined by title or company affiliation or number of letters after your name. My resume won’t be on my tombstone. But in many ways, I’m stuck because of the responsibilities I have now and all the people in my family and my profession I’m accountable to.
I feel like I’ll always be in the pursuit of happiness, rather than enjoying the moment I’m living in.”
9. Be one with the bees.
“Beekeeping. You see videos of these old dudes in their veils and beekeeping suits and it makes it seem so relaxing and easy. Turns out that bees aren’t so good at finding enough food on their own and they can get sick really easy and in the winter they can mold.
Have you ever seen moldy bees? Sometimes they’re not even dead…
It’s still worth it though.”
10. A lot of people feel this way.
“Socializing with people.
I have severe social anxiety, and even small interactions with strangers, and even some people I’ve known for a while are really hard for me. I don’t hate people or dislike being around them, but I’m just awful at keeping conversations going or initiating them.
Outgoing people make it look very easy, for me it is not.”
11. A hard time in life for many.
“Being in your 20s.
As a clueless kid I thought by now I’d have everything figured out and my life on track. I’m still clueless but now I also have depression.”
12. Golf is REALLY hard.
“Golf.
I feel like most people think they can just grip it n rip it and don’t take into account how hard it is to have a consistently good swing with solid contact.”
13. Married life.
“Marriage.
I think many people believe that they will be romantically in love with the person they are marrying. In many ways you do but most with long successful marriages will tell you it takes work to make a marriage last a lifetime. That level of commitment is hard to maintain.
The rewards are enormous and you’ll never be closer to another human if you’re doing it right My wife and I just celebrated our 40th and we’ve known each other for more than 45 years.
Planning on being together till end.”
14. Green thumbs.
“Gardening.
It isn’t just water it and you’re good; its constant attention, care and maintenance! It’s really a lot of work if you have a decent size garden but IMO well worth it once you’re eating what you grew.”
15. Much harder than it looks.
“An Ollie on an skateboard.
Started skating seriously at 27. I have been at it about a year now and finally feel comfortable with ollies. A lot of people make skating look simple. It’s so far from that.”
16. Rough and tough stuff.
“Riding horses. Like, more than just a trail ride. People who have been doing it for a long time make it look so effortless, but it’s such a workout.
Also you have to be strong and unmoving with half your body parts but loose and fluidly moving with the other half of them.”
I hadn’t thought about some of those things before. That was some really good insight!
Now we want to hear from you. From your personal experiences, what looks relatively easy but is actually pretty difficult?
Sound off in the comments!
