Maps... logic to men, incomprehensible to women!!
By cacophonix
@cacophonix (238)
India
December 25, 2006 8:28pm CST
i think it has something to do with the differential development of brain in men and women.
more often than not, i find men very comfortable with handling a map and finding their way out, judging distances and time repuired to travel based on it.
but very often i find women using their instinct to guide them rather than maps!! show them a map and they will look right through it! trace out a route on the map for them and they stare at you blankly... as if saying 'why the hell do i need it, or for that matter, why the hell did i even ask you the direction?'
i agree, maps are not incomprehensible to all women, but surely the large majority of them cant figure out north from east!! if you are a woman and if you read maps regularly, you are among a minority!!
3 people like this
42 responses
@misskatonic (3723)
• United States
26 Dec 06
Huh. All my experience has been the exact opposite. I've done a lot of road trips, and it was always when the men drove and handled the maps that we'd get lost and they'd have no idea what was going on. One guy was reading the map backwards. But everytime a woman has handled the map, we've never had a problem. And it's funny... I was talking to a mental gender professional at one point, and he commented that poor map/direction skills were a trait of a masculine mind. On the other hand, I can awlays tell exactly what direction I'm facing without the aide of a map or a compass.
Funny how experience varies like that.
4 people like this
@armywifey (882)
• United States
26 Dec 06
I agree with this very much. It seems like verytime I have went on a trip the man has always gotten lost at some point, and then they are also to stubborn to stop and ask diffrents. I am very capable with a map and my family has made me the permanent map reader when I go on a trip with them.
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
26 Dec 06
Yea same here! though my hsuband is great with maps as well of course but I have no trouble using a map and actually get a kick out of finding new places to road trip too via a map which we'll be doin this summer hopefully..But when it comes to road tripping (actually being in the car on th road) I've always been the one to use the map...Why would I shy away from it and have the driver pull over so he or she can do it when I'm sitting there not doin anythign anyway...doesnt make any sense to me...
2 people like this
@chiquita1977 (1706)
• United States
26 Dec 06
I am a women and i can read a map i think the reason guys can read a map is because a man will not stop and ask for directions even if he is lost he would rather drive around in circles for hours.sorry but its true.a women on the other hand knows how to read maps and if she is lost is not afraid to ask for help.well women are smarter than women when it comes to making decisions like this anyhow.
3 people like this
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
true! the male ego doesnt allow him to admit his inability and ask for directions.
please go through my reply to the response no.1.
thank you for your response!
1 person likes this
@LovingIt (5396)
• United States
26 Dec 06
My experience has been the opposite. I'm femal and I read maps very easily, but most of the men I know refuse to use a map and rather travel from instinct. There is no way I would try to travel without a map.
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thanks for the response!
please go through my reply to response no.1
1 person likes this
@scorpius (1792)
• India
26 Dec 06
first o9f all i do ahe to disagree with your surmise that only men read maps very well.actually women too can read maps quite well.as a matter of fact my mum does it very well.she does not depend on instincts but actually measures the distance as wella s the time taken and then chooses which mode of transport would suit the family to travel that distance.so as far as i know women too can ead the maps very well.sorry to diappoint you!
of course the links tha ti have given below support your point of view on this!
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=768822006
http://channels.isp.netscape.com/news/package.jsp?name=fte/womenmaps/womenmaps
@scorpius (1792)
• India
26 Dec 06
you are most wecome.maybe it is the women here who are attuned more differently.but maybe the women today are slowly becoming more independent and can take care of themselves and depend less on just instincts.either way if i am lost i would be glad to have my mum with me.she sure can find her way even out of a jungle.of course i get hoelessly lost even in a short trip.thank you for having chosen me.have a nice day!
1 person likes this
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thanks for your response!!
it is certainly the best response that i have recieved till now! may be the women in your part of the world behave differently compared to those in my country.
and tons of thanks for the links! i have used them in my reply to response no.1. do go through it!
2 people like this
@brightbluesea (1143)
• United States
26 Dec 06
Yeah, I'm with the other responders here-I totally disagree and think that the statement is pretty broad and without much merit. It may be partially true that women tend to go with their instincts more, but I'm sure some men are highly tuned into their instincts too.
As for the map reading part-I am always using maps when I want to get somewhere new, and I can read them. The women that I know are completely capable of managing a map, and knowing north from south.
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thanks for the respnse!
please go through my reply to the response no.1
1 person likes this
@speakeasy (4171)
• United States
26 Dec 06
I have found this is the just the opposite in my case. Give me a good map and I can go anywhere but a lot of guys won't even look at a map. Or if they do they still get lost and drive twice as far to get back on track because they don't check or get things backwards.
1 person likes this
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thanks for the response!
please go through my reply to response no.1
1 person likes this
@remaster74 (4064)
• Greece
26 Dec 06
I think you are not right. Maybe the women you know have problems with maps. But the women that I know they all know how to use a map and I know also. Sorry to spoil the dream.
1 person likes this
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thanks for the response!
please go through my reply to response no.1
1 person likes this
@pendragon (3349)
• United States
26 Dec 06
I had two female navigators my last road trip, maps and all, and we did not take one single wrong turn.It's men wishing for the stars to guide them and never pulling over for solid directions.
1 person likes this
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thank you for the response!
please go through my reply to respnse no.1
1 person likes this
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
26 Dec 06
I am the complete opposite. I love to read maps and I am usually the one to map out out route when we go on vacation. My husband gets frustrated with it and usually hands it over to me. Of course he doesn't need to be reading the map when he is driving. So he calls me his co-pilot and that is my responsability when we are on a trip. I think it is fun. I love to read the map while we are driving seeing how much futher from this town to that without looking at the signs. So I am not sure if all women fall into this category but I guess I am in the minority.
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thank you for the response.
please go through my reply to response no.1
1 person likes this
@onesiobhan (1327)
• Canada
26 Dec 06
Sexist baloney.
I am female and I have zero problems with maps. My ex-husband was hopeless. I'm also a much better driver than he was, so I had to both drive *and* navigate any time we were going anywhere.
The ability to read a map has nothing to do with gender. Maybe you just attract stupid people.
1 person likes this
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thank you for the response!
please go through my reply to respnse no.1
1 person likes this
@jeepstergirl (396)
• United States
26 Dec 06
Hmmm... interesting. IF you can indeed read a map, you're the only man I've ever heard of that could. My experience has always been that women have to explain to men how to get anywhere.
Regardless, I hope that you're not actually this sexist... I hope you're just trying to start up a debate.
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
i am not sexist at all, dear friend! i guess i should have kept the tones of my language a little more subtle! thanks for pointing it out!
and thanks for the response. since your response matches that of several others, i have posted a common reply.
please go through my reply to response no.1
1 person likes this
@southernpixie (741)
• United States
26 Dec 06
I'm a woman and I can read a map very well, better than my husband. He is the one who looks at the map like "what the hell is this?" I'm also pretty good instinct wise too.
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thank you for the response!
please go through my reply to response no.1
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
26 Dec 06
In my own experience with men, they have two reactions to maps: they won't use one and, if they try, they can never fold it back up again! ;)
Personally, I have no trouble using a map... I do feel like I have a good instinct for direction but I prefer to use a map to be sure. I hate to waste time getting lost. I love to be able to print out driving directions online too ... I've gone a few places using those and, thankfully, they've always been totally accurate. I did an 8 hour road trip and went door to door without getting lost once. It was great!
1 person likes this
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
that is great to hear! it sure does feel good to be able to use a map!
thanks for the response.
please go through my reply to response no.1
1 person likes this
@ptk2k5 (127)
• United States
26 Dec 06
i have had the same experiences. i would drive with my girlfriend and we would be a mile or 2 away from her house and she would be totally disoriented and lost. i would ask her to point out which direction her house is and she would point in a random direction. i can figure out my directions really well. i think guys are better at directions and navigation.
1 person likes this
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thank you for your response.
please go through my reply to response no.1. your beliefs will be reinforced!
1 person likes this
@sudiptacallingu (10879)
• India
26 Dec 06
no stupid, pls dont generalise like that. i think women were and are still confined mostly to their homes so they dont need to look at maps too much. also since time immemorial, men had done all the travelling so i think their brain is also more accostomed to tracing a map. (you won't find any female travellers just coz men wouldn't allow them to venture out leaving home and hearth!)but this doesnt mean women cant trace maps, why since school days girls all over the world are taught to trace maps and i've never heard them faring poorer than boys!
1 person likes this
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thank you for the response.
your thoughts are very similar to many others'. so i have posted a common reply.
do go through my reply to response no.1
1 person likes this
@jangali123 (245)
•
26 Dec 06
i am agree with that.me and my husband have some time long discussion on that,when he draw a map and tell me go there according this,i feel very unhappy,angered,it's better if i will ask some one in the way,map and directions it goes up from my mind.
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thanks for the response!
please go through my reply to response no.1
1 person likes this
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thanks for your views and the response!
please go through my reply to response no.1
1 person likes this
@Maryam_Nazir (249)
• Pakistan
26 Dec 06
I dont agree.Ive never had a problem with a map ever.so I dont know what you are talking about.
1 person likes this
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thanks a lot for your response!
but please go through my reply to response no. 1
1 person likes this
@dyingsheep (56)
• Taiwan
26 Dec 06
no offence, bt statistically , men shows a greater intelligence compare wif women, men r described to b logical, calm and smart however, women r totally opposite as they r more likely to b emotional and easy to fool around~ lol
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
lol!
thanks for the response!
please do go through my reply to response no.1
1 person likes this
@cacophonix (238)
• India
26 Dec 06
thank you for the response!
please go through my reply to response no.1
1 person likes this
