Getting from point A to point B is not an easy task for some, if not a real feat. “Topographic cretinism” – they jokingly call this serious problem, sometimes adding that women suffer from it more often than men. What is the reason for such disorientation in space and how to deal with it?
“I park my car in front of a hypermarket and then I can’t find it, I walk around the parking lot with a cart, looking out. Even harder to find it in the city. Avenues, squares, right-left… Everything is confused in my head,” 34-year-old Alyona is sad. Familiar story? Many women and men move around the city as if through a maze. “There really is a sense of location,” explains Gestalt therapist Serge Ginger. “But it is not associated with a separate organ of perception (unlike the other five senses), it is not inherent in us from the very beginning, but is the result of information processing produced by the brain.”
I’m low on testosterone! “The male hormone testosterone promotes the active development of the right hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for our spatial perception,” continues Serge Ginger. “Thus, despite the fact that men have worse visual memory than women, they have an “internal sense of space.” Anthropologist Marina Butovskaya confirms the importance of the amount of testosterone in the blood: “When the level of this sex hormone in the blood of women increases (this happens during periods of menstruation), they begin to navigate the map better. But in general, men are more successful than women in completing tasks that require spatial thinking.” However, keep in mind that researchers are comparing averages: there is a wide range of opportunities for both men and women.
Is evolution affecting me? Navigating the terrain is not the same as being able to read a map. This feeling helps us just in those cases when there is no map at hand. For example, he tells us in a foreign city how to get to the hotel. Women and men have different search behavior strategies. Women are usually guided by specific landmarks. Men are guided by a “sense of direction”. These different types of behavior are developed in the course of evolution: males were predominantly hunters and often found themselves in unfamiliar places, and female gatherers rarely strayed far from home alone. “While chasing prey during the hunt, the men did not have time to follow the trajectory of their movement, but at the same time they tried to return home by the shortest route,” explains Marina Butovskaya.
Tatyana, 38, tax inspector
“For a long time I could not remember the three turns from the subway to my new job. But once I bought a notebook, and now, when I can’t orient myself, I look around instead of panicking. When I notice something interesting, I make a note about it and write down the name of the street. Then I ask for directions or check the map. The notebook is always with me, and now I know amazing places in my city that many people don’t know about. Friends even somehow asked me for it to think over an interesting route for walking.”
About it
- “Gestalt. The Art of Contact” by Serge Ginger Methods of Gestalt Therapy as a tool for improving interaction with the environment, other people and oneself (Culture, 2009).
- “Secrets of sex. Man and woman in the mirror of evolution Marina Butovskaya To what extent does culture influence the behavior of men and women in different situations? Written in clear and lively language, the book is based on serious scientific research (Vek 2, 2004).
I don’t trust myself. The ability to navigate can be developed. But it is difficult for those who tend to panic and underestimate their abilities. “Confidence in oneself could have been suppressed in childhood by authoritarian parents, but there are other reasons,” says family psychologist Inna Shifanova. “Firstly, for centuries women have been told that men are superior to them in abilities, and these patriarchal prejudices are still very strong. Secondly, it must be admitted that for many of us such “involuntary confusion” is a way to linger in childhood, feel helpless and evade (at least for a while) responsibility. As long as it’s coquetry, there’s nothing wrong with it. But this play of helplessness can narrow our horizons. Then it’s time to remember that we are adults, independent people and are able to seek and find solutions to the problems that confront us. And for this you have to learn to treat yourself with trust and respect.
What to do?
Keep calm
If we evaluate the situation from the point of view of common sense, it is obvious that we have practically no chance of getting lost in the city or losing the car. The more calmly we treat the problem, the more successfully we will cope with it. After all, difficulties with orientation can also be viewed from an optimistic position – as an opportunity to once again take a walk and take a closer look at what surrounds us.
Forget GPS
This small electronic device that tells you when to turn right and when to turn left can be our true friend. However, it makes sense to resort to it only in difficult routes. Otherwise, our “internal compass” runs the risk of rusting idle. After all, he, like our other abilities, needs constant training.
Play!
In the form of a game, it is much easier to learn anything. For example, games of tracker, “treasure hunt” on the map, or even orienteering courses are great ways to develop a sense of orientation in the area.