[LewB]

I have no idea what made me start wondering about this, but here goes...
Neither one of my parents or their siblings ever exhibited any ability or desire to fix stuff or use tools, same thing for two 1st cousins.
Ever since I was a kid, I have always been curious about how things work. New toys were first dis-assembled before use (sometimes that rendered them useless but hey, how else do you learn ?).
As a teen I would hang pictures/window shades in my parent's friends' apartments. I then went to a 'technical school' and have been working on 'mainframe computers' for 30 years. I change the oil in my car myself, do home improvements (electrical/plumbing, etc, etc ...) I look at a rats nest of wires and can't wait to dive in. I'm mentioning all this not to toot my horn, but to give examples of what I'm talking about.
I marvel at people who have trouble with this stuff (look it's easy, here I'll show you).
Is being 'handy'or any other trait for that matter, something that your are born with, or something you learn, or ... ?

[Eric Peterson]

Interesting question.

I would say that you're born with an inquisitve nature which then propels you to explore how things work which in turn makes you "Handy". If that makes sense. I too consider myself "Handy", but I come from a line of "Handy" people.

[KurtEP]

I've considered this question a lot, and I've never come up with an answer. I'm very handy, but I had to be growing up. When my car broke down, my father's answer was always something like "you know where the tools are." I also worked on a farm as a teen for an old guy who still probably had the first penny he ever made. If something broke, I generally had to make a go of fixing it, and on the cheap too.

On the other hand, I've seen enough people who are not handy and can't seem to get over that hump no matter what they do to suspect that it is a knack of some sort. I used to think I could do a lot of what I can do just because I'm unafraid to tear into anything (computers, v12 Jaguars, the list goes on). However, I've seen some people try very hard and even tried to help some of them and have seen no progress. I'm guessing it's just a sort of natural talent that some have and some don't (with a million degrees in the middle).

[Patrick Sun]

My dad ain't no handyman, that's fo' sure. But I can fix stuff when I put my mind to it. I think it helps to have a mind that is able to focus on the task at hand and not get ahead of yourself. Some people just see a confusing mess ahead of them, and give up, others can see the mental flow chart that guide their actions from step-to-step.

[JonZ]

You can figure things out when you have to. When I bought my house, I had no choice to figure out how to do alot of things. I started watching home improvements shows, bought a few books, but most of it was seeing how things were put together while tearing it down - then putting it back up.

I dont mess with eletrical or plumbing though

[drobbins]

I wold consider my self "handy" Last year I built a house, When I was younger I built "monster" 4X4 trucks, I am a journeyman tool & die maker, etc... I consider it a God given talent. It is my strong trait and comes naturally. It has its down side though. My $$$ are a disaster because I am always working on projects that cost money. This year I am working on a weather station and web site.

[Jeff Gatie]

I was told it has to do with spatial thinking. Some people have an inate ability to look at something and see just how it is put together and/or how it works. When I struggled with multiplication back in the 4th grade, I had a great teacher who recognized I was a spatial thinker and taught me how to figure out my times tables on a number line instead of memorizing them.

Even today, as a Software Engineer, I often have to picture exactly what an application is physically doing to computer memory before I can wrap my head around it. Other SE's I work with do their best thinking in the abstract and if I try to explain to them how I visualize an app they look at me like I'm mentally defective. Now admittedly they are the types who can't change a lightbulb without a manual, but sometimes I do wish I could think like them.

[Michael Warner]

I'm handy because I'm a cheap bastige. I derive little pleasure from doing repairs and upgrades but I derive even less pleasure from handing over buckets of cash for jobs that I, a reasonably intelligent fellow, should be able to figure out. Living in an affluent community I shake my head when neighbors hire handymen to replace one or two slats on a fence or fix a leaky faucet. My Midwestern, blue collar upbringing just won't allow me to entertain such thoughts.

[Kreisler]

I would say, handy people were always encouraged to tinker and make mistakes.

Most of the non-tinkerers I know expect things to work the first time.

Most handy folks have gotten used to failing and just not afraid to tackle problems.

[JohnRice]

I've always liked fixing things myself as well. I just kind of get a kick out of it and have always had a knack for it. I think the spatial perception thing my be something. I have just always been able to look at things and see how they work. I'm also willing to accept when something is beyond me. One of the springs on my garage door broke. I'm not touching that job. Do something like that without really knowing what you are doing and you could lose a hand.

I was never encouraged to tinker, and my parents are the type who call a plumber to clear a clogged p-trap.<