[brains] navigation

[wispfox]

Because y'all might be interested, I point to something I wrote in response to a query on nonverbal:

How do you drive/not get lost? How do you learn directions to places?

I'm not sure my comments will help the original poster, since I (now - with much effort, mostly involving forcing myself to learn to get places via driving or public transit) have more than no nonverbal memory. Not much more, mind.

But, perhaps, the above link will help explain why I dislike driving, and why I get stressed when I need to go to unfamiliar places.

Comments

[jim-p.livejournal.com]

I remember having a fascinating discussion at a party once on the subject of maps and navigation. It turns out that some people simply cannot make the connection between map and reality. Makes sense in a way, since a map is an abstraction and there's a (pardon me) mapping function that takes place to translate the lines and squiggles on the page to points and directions in 2-space.

In short, for some people even a map is little help. Many such folks, after a time and with great effort, can make use of a map. They do so the hard way, working through all the translations from page to reality explicitly.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

In short, for some people even a map is little help. Many such folks, after a time and with great effort, can make use of a map. They do so the hard way, working through all the translations from page to reality explicitly.

This is probably me, yes. In that I _can_, now, but it's not by any means quick or easy. But it's easier than being lost all the time, or not being able to go anywhere.

There's a reason I prefer written, step-by-step directions.

[bridgetester.livejournal.com]

Does turning the map to face the way you're going help?

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Yes. If I don't turn it, I probably can't use it at all. (There are times, now, when I can, so I am still slowly improving)