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Irulan
The Borg Queen
Joined: May 18, 2007
Age: 24
Posts: 1879
Location: Poland
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 Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:46 am Post subject: Sense of direction |
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What about your sense of locality? It wasn't until maybe two days ago when I started to ponder this issue on a level of consciousness even though I always realized my problems in this area.
Every time I was on a school trip, I used to choose joining some group instead of being on my own for fear of getting lost - even if I have already walked around some reference point of an area - some store, house or characteristic tree I am able to recognize, I encounter problems concerning estimation if I should turn now to the right or to the left to get to a place which I am looking for. Knowledge of those characteristic buildings I saw before, simply doesn't help me in finding a proper way, doesn't tell me too much, even if examining this issue from a purely logical point of view would claim something else.
I happened also ten years ago, roaming the streets, to get to such areas of my own town I had never visited before and despite the fact I could catch sight of familiar buildings from a place I was standing, but from a different perspective, from the back, I couldn't treat them as a sign showing me how to get out and I had to rack my brains for some moments how to leave  , I remember. And it was only a small park .
Also when I'm asked by strangers where they might find some place they're looking for, I can't give the answer, using a fake excuse that I'm not of these parts because I simply can't create such a mental image of a way leading to that place I was asked about in my head to explain it properly and be understood.
During holiday trips, summer camps, even after two weeks of living in a resort and going the same way from a resort to downtown and back at least once a day in a group of other kids, when I had to return on my own, I always had problems with finding the place where we were accomodated and I was forced to ask people I met.
I also have problems with judging distance when I want to get to somewhere.
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PilotPirx
Sea Gull
Joined: May 09, 2008
Age: 38
Posts: 203
Location: Amsterdam, NL
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:14 am Post subject: |
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If I'm new in an area I have terrible problems not to lose my way.
But as soon as I've created a mental image of an area it's better than any map. I can create a video in my head that follows my intented way and checks out landmarks or a virtual view like google eart with lots of details. Works even for places I haven't visited for ten years or more.
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Irulan
The Borg Queen
Joined: May 18, 2007
Age: 24
Posts: 1879
Location: Poland
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:43 am Post subject: |
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| PilotPirx wrote: | | Works even for places I haven't visited for ten years or more. |
Once I was on holidays in the same place where I had spent holidays two years earlier and I couldn't recognize that area, its roads, cosy paths using which we could return to our resort faster. Btw, speaking of your username - we discussed Tales of Pirx the Pilot when we were sixth grade students and NOBODY in the whole class liked it - it was soooo boring 
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Hector
Phoenix
Joined: Mar 11, 2008
Posts: 704
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:45 am Post subject: |
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| I have practically no sense of direction. There are people I know who seem to have a good idea of how to get back to where we were after a ten or fifteen minute walk. This is certainly not the case for me, unless I know the area particularly well. |
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lou1978
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: Jul 03, 2008
Posts: 50
Location: uk
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:45 am Post subject: |
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my sense of direction is horendous! i have lived in my town for 13 years, and a while ago someone stopped me and asked me how to get to the post office, i used my stock answer, of "im sorry im not from here", and off they went. i turned round, and what did i see...the post office, the same one used to get my giro from every fortnight when i was on benefits!
that is bad! oh and just dont ask me for directions! |
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Sora
Love all, trust a few
Joined: Sep 16, 2006
Age: 20
Posts: 2644
Location: Europe
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:13 am Post subject: |
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I have an excellent sense of direction.
In my head, there's always a map, either sketchy or full of details. I don't get lost anywhere, new or familiar area.
Though, I cannot follow complicated verbal directions without making a map in my mind. Nor can I verbalise what I easily see in my head. I usually just silently stare like an idiot, because my brain won't comply to form words and I'm left mute.
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malithion2
Sea Gull
Joined: Jun 16, 2008
Age: 21
Posts: 207
Location: Albuquerque, NM
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:58 am Post subject: |
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I can never remember street names I don't even know the names of the streets of the nearest intersection from my house, even though I've lived here my whole life. It just never seemed important because in my mind I found it easier to have like pictures and memories of landmarks in my head than street names. This makes me horrible at directions, it seems like people want specific street names. For example this is telling my friend how to get to my college: "turn left at the bus stop by the bush thats six street lamps down from the stadium...".
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Marrshu
Raven
Joined: Oct 12, 2006
Posts: 109
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:19 am Post subject: |
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I have an amazing sense of direction. I can find my way pretty much around anything... 
My photographic memory and ability to create a map within my head (similar to what Sora said) might have something to do with it too... |
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forallotherthings
Blue Jay
Joined: Jun 22, 2008
Posts: 78
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:31 am Post subject: |
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| I have an awful sense of direction, I can get lost in small houses! It's really embarrassing cos I get lost quite regularly and can't give directions or anything. |
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2ukenkerl
Phoenix
Joined: Jul 20, 2007
Posts: 4607
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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| I am, TO A DEGREE, sora and Marrshu, but I can get lost if it is my first time, things have changed too much, etc.... |
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CyclopsSummers
Raven
Joined: Jun 22, 2008
Age: 21
Posts: 103
Location: Mokum, the Netherlands
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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I can COMPLETELY recognise what Irulan said in the starting post. Even the 'I'm not from around these parts' excuse is something I've used.
That being said, a while back I took the effort to memorise a couple of street names in my neighbourhood and their location, and that of course helped a great deal in enabling me to navigate myself and others.
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BallisticMystic
Raven
Joined: Jul 01, 2008
Age: 47
Posts: 106
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 2:05 pm Post subject: |
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I'm the worst at finding my way around. I have a very poor sense of direction and remembering what turns I've made. On top of that I'm usually getting really frustrated by all of it compounding the problem. I also hate driving at night when I'm not familiar with the route.
I even have a lot of dreams about being somewhere and not knowing how I got there or how to find my way back.
I also over plan stuff to make me feel safer. Like today, I want to go bicycling but I'm in a new area so I'll probably drive to where the trails start first to make sure the map was accurate (it's like 3 blocks away). Then, I'll likely stay on one long trail with no turns to forget the first few times out. After I get bored with that I'll add one or two turns at a time to my route. Either that or I'll drive to the lakes where I used to bike and know the trails.
It really limits everywhere I go.
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Greentea
Bull in China Shop par Excellence!
Joined: Jun 15, 2007
Posts: 2210
Location: Middle East
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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I have a harder time learning directions than other people, but I do learn.
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lastcrazyhorn
Bat-Chick
Joined: Oct 11, 2007
Posts: 1219
Location: Texas
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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I rarely get lost. It may have something to do with the fact that my parents were divorced and in two different states while I was growing up, requiring me to fly a lot by myself. I've been navigating crazy airports on my own since I was 11.
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