Hans Jørgen Olsen and his sister were walking in the woods near their house in Norway when they accidentally wandered into a moose’s territory. The moose did not appreciate this. It charged straight at them. Hans was 12. His sister was in danger. And the only thing that came to mind was something he’d learned from World of Warcraft. In the game, there’s a move called “taunting” where you distract an enemy to pull its attention away from your teammates. Hans decided to try it on the moose. He taunted it, the moose focused on him instead of his sister, and she got away. A young boy plays a video game. Photo credit: Canva When Next Nature asked Hans if taunting a real moose was different from doing it in a game, he admitted he was terrified. “Animals are highly unpredictable. It was a high gamble. I could have tried to run, but I might have been trampled. I was really hoping my plan would work since moose are herbivores.” Herbivores or not, moose are huge and can absolutely kill you. The fact that Hans thought to use a video game tactic in that moment, and that it actually worked, is kind of wild. Hans told the outlet that video games had taught him more than just combat tactics. “There’s a lot of math in games. It’s helped me with budgeting and understanding how markets work, thanks to in-game marketplaces and auction houses,” he said. He also credited games with helping him learn languages, cooperation, and strategy. A K12 survey backed this up. They polled working professionals and found that 53% said their childhood gaming experience helped them build career skills. Problem-solving and strategic thinking were the top ones, and 44% had used a skill from a video game in real life. Hans doesn’t play World of Warcraft anymore. He’s moved on to Elden Ring, Toxic League, and Valheim. But he did offer some advice for other gamers: “Do your best, learn as much as possible, and don’t take verbal attacks from others online to heart. Just take a deep breath and play your best because you won’t perform well if your mind is clouded. And most importantly, have fun.” Oh, and one more thing. His biggest takeaway from the moose encounter? “Stay the hell away from an enraged moose.” The post Moose charged at his sister. The 12-year-old remembered a trick from World of Warcraft. appeared first on Upworthy.