3 Spy Skills That Actually Make Sense
There are plenty of spy skills that are a little out there, if you ask us. For example, Daniel Craig’s little parkour performance seems like an odd thing to spend time practicing for an international man of mystery. However, for every skill like scuba-diving or tango dancing that real spies would probably never have the time to learn (let alone master), there’s a skill like the ones below that are actually plausible. Of course, these skills are usually seen in the context of the admittedly implausible movie spy universe, so a little bit of leeway is given.
Being Excellent at Cards
If we’ve learned anything from watching spies at work on the silver screen, it’s that a spy absolutely must know how to play cards well. He is specifically expected to be a good poker player, able to swap tells with the best of the best. If you think about it, though, a lot of the abilities that a spy would normally want to possess (such as being able to read people, not giving himself away with ticks or facial expressions, and patience) are the same abilities that make one good at playing cards.
Seducing Women
No woman is capable of being around a spy like James Bond without instantly being smitten. Even the most hard-bitten femme fatales fall for him, leaving us to wonder how a regular woman could ever possibly resist even the smallest application of his charms. Let’s just say he probably gets great service at the grocery store and the bank.
Anyway, it’s not really that surprising that a man who spends his days risking his life for his country and hiding his identity behind a carefully manufactured one would also exude confidence and mystery. A properly trained spy also most likely has some experience with psychology, giving him the tools to turn even the most reticent woman into willing butter in his capable hands.
Looking Great in Swim Wear
Okay, so maybe this doesn’t really count as a skill, but we wanted to include it anyway… for science. Despite what the movies tell us, we figure that real spies spend just as much time filing paperwork and sitting behind desks as they do playing cat and mouse with bad guys in the less glamorous districts of major metropolitan areas. However, a spy must always be prepared, and that probably includes staying reasonably fit in case his physical ability is ever called upon. He probably doesn’t have time to work out at ridiculous Daniel Craig-esque levels, but on the other hand he’s probably not too shabby looking either.
