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re: Why are people so bad at maps and geography?
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:10 pm to 0x15E
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:10 pm to 0x15E
quote:
I mean, it’s a skill, just like anything else.
A lot of people are conflating ignorance with stupidity. Map reading is far less of a useful skill than it was in the past considering almost everyone has a GPS system in their pocket. Long ago I threw away all my street atlases and city maps because of their lack of utility.
People lament the large numbers of people never developing this skill or that skill but in the end, people generally identify and build skills based on primarily on need.
Geography is more useful I think but for the vast majority of people it really isn't as much a useful as it is trivia. I've been coming to LA regularly for 24 years and have had a camp there for almost 18 years but I still don't know where a lot of parishes and small towns are in LA, I can get around central London or Paris better from memory than I can outside of BR and NO in LA.
0
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:11 pm to cbree88
We moved around through several states long before gps and as the male child it fell to me to be navigator. I remember dad teaching me 1st to read folding maps from gas stations and later how to use an atlas. I had to pay attention to the highway signs to keep him up to date on the next intersection we needed.
Talking I started reading maps before I ever went to school (mom’s got a secondary education degree and with 2 older sisters I started reading at like 2-3 years old).
Talking I started reading maps before I ever went to school (mom’s got a secondary education degree and with 2 older sisters I started reading at like 2-3 years old).
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:13 pm to cbree88
There are a lot of people who can’t point to where they live on a map. I see it all the time during weather events. The National Weather Service or another meteorologist will post a map related to whatever weather event is happening and people will ask “What about X city?” when that place is clearly covered in the map.
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:15 pm to cbree88
I don’t get it either. Even back in grammar school I was curious about geography and loved looking at and studying maps.
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:19 pm to notiger1997
quote:
I don’t get it either. Even back in grammar school I was curious about geography and loved looking at and studying maps.
What was your favorite thing about maps? I liked to follow the rivers.
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:22 pm to notiger1997
I was the navigator as a kid and have always been fascinated by maps. An Atlas is a great thing to have in every bathroom. Some folks just have a hard time related and 2D representation to what is in front of them.
With GPS in everyone's car, map skills are probably in further decline, but I use both maps and GPS. I have found good routes looking at a map that GPS never showed me.
With GPS in everyone's car, map skills are probably in further decline, but I use both maps and GPS. I have found good routes looking at a map that GPS never showed me.
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:23 pm to cbree88
Me : I’m moving to Japan.
Her: What language do they speak?
Me: Japanese.
Her: Now is your gf Japanese?’
Me: No she is Vietnamese.
Her: Do Vietnamese and Japanese speak the same language.
Me. As far as you know.
Her: What language do they speak?
Me: Japanese.
Her: Now is your gf Japanese?’
Me: No she is Vietnamese.
Her: Do Vietnamese and Japanese speak the same language.
Me. As far as you know.
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:24 pm to ThatMakesSense
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:25 pm to RogerTheShrubber
quote:
Geography is something I'm obsessed with.
Same.
It's been a passion of mine since I was a kid.
I was B2B Geography Bee champ in middle school.
This post was edited on 5/18/24 at 5:29 pm
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:25 pm to cbree88
No excuse for geography.
When it comes to driving, most people use GPS now, and when you use direction finder, you aren’t actually learning your way there.
The cheat prevents anyone from learning directions.
When it comes to driving, most people use GPS now, and when you use direction finder, you aren’t actually learning your way there.
The cheat prevents anyone from learning directions.
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:26 pm to cbree88
Some people would have a very difficult time with land nav in the Army!
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:27 pm to cbree88
This little kid has The Gift.
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:29 pm to cbree88
quote:
My buddies and I were going to a bachelor trip in Biloxi. One of the wives said “why don’t y’all go somewhere out of state?”. We said Biloxi is out of state; it’s not in Louisiana. She was quite surprised by that.
I’m betting this woman looks great in a bikini.
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:31 pm to cbree88
quote:
Thirdly, if I ask someone to locate a city or a state on the map, they usually have no idea where it is
Umm, how often do you ask someone to point out a location on a map???
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:32 pm to cbree88
I don’t get it either. I treated atlases and highway maps like books as a kid. Nothing better than cracking open that year’s new Rand McNally atlas. If I go somewhere one time I never need to look it up again.
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:34 pm to cbree88
quote:
My buddies and I were going to a bachelor trip in Biloxi. One of the wives said “why don’t y’all go somewhere out of state?”. We said Biloxi is out of state; it’s not in Louisiana. She was quite surprised by that.
She’s not bad with maps, she’s just really stupid.
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:47 pm to cbree88
quote:
Why are people so bad at maps and geography?
Though, at a certain point it becomes a question of personal responsibility and just general ignorance.
A disturbingly high percentage of people cannot even pick out the county they live in on a map of just their area (as in during severe weather or hurricanes).
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:51 pm to Scruffy
quote:
When it comes to driving, most people use GPS now, and when you use direction finder, you aren’t actually learning your way there.
The cheat prevents anyone from learning directions
I dont understand this.
If I go somewhere with GPS, I still am building a map in my head. Go somewhere once and I have a good idea how to do it again, beside some details.
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:51 pm to cbree88
quote:
It just perplexes me how people can be so ignorant of geography and maps. It’s quite frustrating.
It blows my mind how many people don't know the difference between "worse" and "worst."
Or how many people can't hear themselves speak and have no idea how thick their accent is until they hear themselves played back in a recording.
Or how many people can't tell that country music is basically the same three songs re-written over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Just change the key and write different (simpleton) lyrics.
Turns out, people's minds work differently.
I was good at organic chemistry in school. Not many people were. A lot more were good at physics, which I struggled to keep an A in.
Most people kind of have a clue that variability of aptitude is the case by the time they get to be adults.
Posted on 5/18/24 at 5:53 pm to GatorPA84
quote:
Umm, how often do you ask someone to point out a location on a map???
Right before he murders them
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