What are some skills or knowledge that can be quickly learned and are useful for the future? Why do some people choose not to learn them?

That the only thing you can control is your behavior. And your behavior is based on the information your brain has and the innumerable ways it connects it. and without the acquisition of knowledge and experience your reactions and justifications aren’t grounded in actual reality, but a limited perception of reality based on a narrow understanding with little experience.

This handicap is commonly known as ego. Understand that the more information you take in, both in book form and in observation, you will train your brain to crave new information. Your craving will grow as you see your behavior become ever more rational.

If you do yourself the unknown gift of telling nothing but the truth to yourself and others…. no matter what you decide to do from that point on, it will be useful.

It’s not that some people choose not to learn them, its that a human brain can’t understand that it doesn’t know what it doesn’t know. So it doesnt think there is anything else to learn.