Windows 7: Playing with the style ribbon

Hi I have never used the style ribbon at the top. I can pick on a style and choose modify the problem is I am limited to what I can modify. I have copied the text at the bottom which annoyingly IS NOT editable.

I have First line: 1 cm, Line spacing: single,
What these do I have no idea Space Before: 6 pt, After: 6 pt,



but I am only allowed to change the font, size, bold etc. I can change the gap between paragraphs but only in fixed sizes. There is no point control and there is a lack of tool tips on these things. This is so frustrating. I also have different documents with a completly difrent set of styles even though I initial set up a page and select use as default.

I also have a style based on an old delete probably style. How does this work?