Seriously, don't do it (or trust)
This scene, (ironically very recognizable by certain members of the Traveler staff, including myself), has been part of my life since my mother decided that she could travel the world on her own. At first, we couldn't even get hold of Google Maps; then came the smartphones, and it was almost more ridiculous to see us walking four hundred meters only to realize that, oh surprise, we were going in the wrong direction. Are you feeling identified? Now that the technology is quite advanced in this regard Why do we keep skipping GPS directions? in the car?
Sometimes, not knowing how to read the GPS is the least of your problems...
WHAT WE DO WRONG
The matter is very interesting, but not very useful for those of us who do not work going around from one place to another, but rather give them because we have no other choice.
We spoke with Jesús Bermejo Cristóbal, Professor at the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences at the UAM, to give us a bath in harsh (and necessary) reality.
1. Informative overbooking . "The main mistake we make is give too much data. We indicate elements that have nothing to do with our objective. For example, things that we will pass by and that they just confuse us when memorizing directions".
two. We take EVERYTHING for granted. "Another mistake is to think that the other person knows the same data as us, such as the relief or the shape of the crosses. It is very typical to indicate saying phrases like 'Go down to the end of the street and go up to the right', or say, for example, 'When you get to the roundabout, turn left'; these expressions are very subjective before the eyes of a person who doesn't know the area".
3. disorganization of ideas "More very normal errors: misorder instructions, even if the content is good." For example, we say: "You have to turn right and go down some stairs, so when you get almost to the end of the street, you go into the alley. You'll see a fountain." Instead, we should say, "Follow this street almost to the end; When you see a fountain, turn right into the alley and go down the stairs."
Four. Craving. "Something that happens to all of us is start giving directions quickly, sometimes for fear of being thought we don't know, when we really do know where the destination is. This means that we do not filter all the information and give more and incorrect data".
5. The traffic light as a reliable reference. "Another very common thing, and that is not entirely effective, is rely on unclear or volatile reference elements, such as traffic lights, zebra crossings or crossroads. These are very easy to miss by the person we want to help, and most of the time, we ourselves ignore these elements because They go unnoticed in our daily lives. In this way, we give an erroneous and unreliable indication". Example: "You have to go through seven traffic lights and, at the next intersection, you turn". Is it the intersection just after the seventh traffic light or the intersection after the intersection of the seventh traffic light? Doubts, doubts and more doubts. As if he saw it.
6. Distances, in your mind, are not real. "In relation to the above -continues Bermejo-, we could say that it is a mistake to rely on the calculation of distances . We usually calculate them quite lightly, and it is a very subjective assessment, especially if the indications are on foot".
"Come, come, it's this way..."
HOW TO SOLVE IT
As they say to kick a habit it is best to realize that you have a problem and ask for help , we find the X-ray made by the Professor of our sidereal oversight. Now, as not everything is going to be list the mess we are , also proposes some guidelines to improve our spatial skills. Namely:
1. Take your time: "This will make us organize our ideas and discard data that is not important. The person who listens to us will appreciate that our indications are clear and direct. We must use simple phrases that they can be well remembered by the person who listens to us".
two. Summarize the directions in three or four. "For this, it is very important to filter the information and discard what is unnecessary and that only supposes noise for the listener's memory. We will avoid phrases like 'You will pass a red door, then a square with some benches and then some gardens with yellow flowers...'".
3. Lean on obvious references. "We will use unique elements and, furthermore, easily recognizable by other people who can complete the instructions later. Traffic lights, crossroads, forms, gardens, etc, there are many, but elements such as cemeteries, churches or singular buildings they are unique and known by more people".
Four. Use stop lines. "As additional information, we will indicate to the listener a element that warns us that we have passed , and that address is not correct.
5. If you don't know where the place is, don't even try. " If in any way we realize that we do not know the destination, we must s recognize it without problem or shame . In the same way, our help can be very valid to bring the person who listens to us closer something more to the place of arrival of her, and tell them to ask again once they get there".
There are buildings that have no loss, like La Teta Enroscada
**THE TAXI DRIVER, THE BEST INDICATOR (seriously)**
Does any of the readers not feel identified with the above? We've got you, taxi driver . Pablo Ruisoto Palomera and Karin Sidney Chellew Gálvez, Professors of the Department of Psychology of the European University of Madrid (UAM), reveals a fascinating study on how the brain of veteran taxi drivers works differently from yours or mine: "A study carried out on taxi drivers in London showed the difference between the professionals who had been there the longest and the most novice . This guild was chosen because it is constantly tracing routes and moving in space, and thanks to this experience, it develops its ability to orient itself and give or receive directions much better than a person who usually only walks the same route".
"The study determined that, indeed, in these professionals, the visuo-spatial aptitude (the ability to orient oneself in space) was very good, as it was much more evolved in those who had been in that job for more years . This reached such a point that they were able to identify the parts of the brain that are involved in these functions, so that it was seen how those taxi drivers with more experience had hippocampus more developed (structure of the brain in charge of these visuo-spatial attitudes) . Namely, had undergone anatomical changes in this part of the brain , which works as a kind of neural GPS", they explain.
Nothing else, but the directions are very clear
IF YOU ARE NOT A TAXI DRIVER... TRAIN
1. Get a map of the city you know best
This is the case of the boys behind Walk With Me , a publisher specializing in the development of unconventional maps and guides (and beautiful!) who, before starting their studio, lived abroad for a while and... did nothing but get lost over and over again.
"Before launching Walk With Me we lived for a while in London and, although it was only five years ago, at that time there was no Google Maps; we had to plan the route at home, and go everywhere with the street map in tow. We always got lost. We came from Barcelona, where, basically, the only thing you have to know to get your bearings is ** if you are on the sea or mountain side, or on the Besòs or Llobregat side.** But when we got lost, we always did something interesting discovery . I am sure that the idea of Walk with me was conceived in one of those endless walks", they comment, optimistically.
Nowadays, they explain to us that they do not leave the house without their own guides (wink, wink) , although, as they are sincere people, they also confess that they occasionally use cool technology : "With Maps it often happens to us -I suppose like everyone else- that we can't guess where the little arrow points of the browser and we find ourselves taking steps back and forth to check the correct address. in these always we remember Chiquito de La Calzada and his Jandemooor ". (We must say that this last statement was accompanied by a gif that made us laugh out loud . Thanks, pals).
With guides like this it's nice to get lost
two. explore your city
However, these product placement geniuses are right about moving around with city maps to improve the ability to give and receive directions. ** Alfonso Barragán, Trails Technician qualified by the Spanish Federation of Mountain and Climbing Sports** (FEDME) since 2001, teacher in the same training and with no less than 26 years of experience in areas that sound so much like a movie to us of action such as hiking, sport climbing, classic climbing, mountaineering, skiing, mountain biking and ice climbing, he corroborates it.
"There are people who have a more developed spatial configuration because in your brain visualizes space better and therefore, seeing it more clearly, they can decipher it more clearly. If we don't see something clearly, we can hardly explain it" (Raise your hand who, like me, feels super identified with this !)
"You have to control what direction we are on when we have turned several times to the right or left and that, although it is not easy for some people, can be trained. For example, using guides from the city where we live. Being a known terrain, we will be able to better visualize what the lines and polygons of the map mean, which will help us when interpreting the space and giving directions", he concludes.
Something similar is suggested by the explorers of Walk With Me: "One of the ways to improve our ability to give directions is taking an interest in the city, touring it and observing it. For example, a while ago, in the studio, we set out to adopt the bike as habitual transport , and since then we have made great discoveries; It is much more exciting than getting into the subway tunnel," they comment.
Getting lost in London is more than allowed in case of zombie virus
BUT SOMETIMES, EVERYTHING FAILS
Don't you feel much better now? Like what you can never be wrong again ? So don't sing victory yet : We also make mistakes when we receive the instructions. These are what Professor Jesús Bermejo tells us:
"Normally, the ignorance of our destiny makes us being impatient and not paying adequate attention to directions . Also, for some unknown and inexplicable reason, we think that the person who has indicated us is wrong, and once we started the route we decided to blindly take our own directions" (HAHAHAHAHA, that is YES) .
Solution, doctor? "Something that will help us memorize directions is review out loud what we have been told together with the person who is trying to help us , before thanking you for your attention. Perhaps all these indications are not enough to avoid getting lost, but they will greatly help us to find our destination sooner than expected", concludes the Professor.
And we, as if we had just been given a wonderful master class , we can do no more than try to memorize everything like good students.
And, now yes, go out to explore. **I have Maps as my witness that I will never get lost (or lose others!) again**
Leaving an airport and having no idea where to go, a situation that will never create anxiety again
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