Do You Have A Sense of Direction? Yes? No?

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If you said yes – you have a sense of direction – you may not fully understand those of us who said NO!


fork-in-the-roadWe come to a sign like this and have to go through these thoughts

  • which way did I go the last time I was here?
  • was the correct choice?

Only after we make the choice this time – can we remember if it was correct…because if it wasn't we are lost.

And the no-direction brain often makes the same wrong choice because that WAS what we chose the last time.

A multi-directional sign is more challenging.

It does feel like this image.

If the words are north, south, east and west -watch out –

we WILL get lost

It's not a brain function we can fix – so please understand that.

We need other kinds of cues to get our path correct…if you are our passenger, yelling directions at us only makes it worse..and ensures our getting lost.

Our brains process differently than yours does...

 

Thoughts? Comments? Thank you

 


Comments

5 responses to “Do You Have A Sense of Direction? Yes? No?”

  1. Carolina HeartStrings Avatar

    So if someone makes the same mistakes over and over I would assume that means they have no sense of direction. If they claim to be unhappy with the consistently bad results why can’t they change?

    1. Lynn Dorman, Ph.D. Avatar

      Thanks for the comment.

      Maybe they do know they have no sense of direction. I had no idea [having grown up in NYC where streets are parallel and perpendicular and numbered.] Then I moved to Boston – that’s when I figured it out.

      I have notes on a small clipboard to remember some choice points and have a compass stuck on my windshield.

      We can’t fix it as it is a brain function [or lack of] so you learn to work around it in ways that work for you..

      Ask that person if they are aware of this and let them know there is no point in getting flustered.

  2. Rossandra White Avatar

    That would be a definite NO for me and I was a letter carrier for awhile. Ooh, it just struck me, that would make a good blog posting. I’ll have to link back to you as inspiration. Anyway, as I was saying, I often joke that I get lost going to my own bathroom. Not really a joke.

    1. Lynn Dorman, Ph.D. Avatar

      LOL Rossandra – yes you need to do a post on that….glad to inspire you

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