why does my otherwise generally intelligent sister have absolutely no sense of direction whatsoever?

Answer 1

Sense of direction and intelligence are not linked so it's quite possible to be super intelligent and utterly hopeless with directions.

The human sense of direction is pretty poor in comparison to many animals - think of migratory birds that return to their nesting grounds despite flying thousands of miles or of salmon returning to their spawning grounds after negotiating thousands of miles of oceans and rivers. These display a truly remarkable sense of direction and are something we do not understand.

Of all the animals in the animal kingdom the common brown rat is probably the one that is most comparable to humans when it comes to sense of direction. And whilst it's true that there are some incredibly dumb people around I think it's safe to say that the average human is considerably more intelligent than the average rat.

Even going back thousands or millions of years, there's nothing to suggest that humans have ever had anything more than a basic sense of direction. Maybe because of our superior intellect we don't need a good sense of direction as we are generally able to navigate our way around using visual signals.

Some people do have a better sense of direction than others and it's a characteristic more prevalent in males then females, this is thought to be a result of brain chemistry and historical biological conditioning - i.e. it was the males who went roaming and hunting and needed to develop some basic navigational skills.

Some people have an 'inbuilt compass', nobody knows why or how it works but it enables some people to determine direction with ease even in an unfamiliar environment. The current school of thought is that it has something to do with earth's natural magnetism but why some people should be receptive to this and not others isn't understood. However, I know from my own experience that this theory is fatally flawed. Recently I was almost right on the equator but was able to point out north to within an accuracy of about 2 degrees; theoretically the north and south magnetic fields should cancel each other out in the equatorial regions.

So... lack of a sense of direction has no bearing on intelligence and for reasons as yet not understood by us, some people have a sense of direction and others don’t.

Answer 2

I have common sense, am intelligent but no sense of direction. It is now a joking point with my friends!

If i'm made to read a map on my own and figure it out I get there, any other way (Ie following, being shown with someone driving, no chance will I manage the journey again), but have a habit of getting panicked and flustered when I get lost. Which I hate. Its probably due to confidence and lack of practise. Because I hate getting lost, I dont do that many unknown journeys.

I am getting better though!!

Answer 3

Well there's multiple/different intelligences people can have..so u can b gifted in one area and totally clueless in another.. plus.. there's intelligence n there's personality... she might b intelligent but lazy too.. or bored..it's hard to say jus like tht..

Everyone has there own set of experiences which makes it so complicated to pinpoint.. but people also change, so tht shld give u hope.. jus set a good example, b there for her n mayb things will jus take its course...Conversely.. ave u considered the possibilty tht ur idea of no direction.. is some sort of direction for her?

Answer 4

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I would guess that sense of direction comes from a certain part of the brain. And everybodies brain is different. Some areas are stronger in some people and not so strong in others. It could be the abstract thinking part that isn't as strong. I'm not certain. But I'm sure that it doesn't reflect anothers intellect in any way.

Similar to the fact that Einstein would get lost walking home, some areas just are not prominant. I've known people who are very intelligent but are lacking in the common sense area. I've known peole who are intelligent but for the life of them, struggle with basic math. While I would admit that some of these people exceed my intelligence, there are areas that they struggle with. And I'm no different than they.

Not sure if this is your answer but it is something to think about. Good luck in your search. I hope this helps.

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Answer 5

Intelligence has nothing to do with sense of direction. Having a sense of direction is a talent, like being able to carry a tune, or being a good dancer.

Of course, if you are tone deaf, there is nothing you can do about it. But you can improve at sensing direction, with training, if you work at it.

Answer 6

Because she thinks predominately with one part of her brain. I for example have a MENSA IQ, I believe it was 133 last time I checked.

However, I am goofy as hell. You can bet your pay check I will bump into something, stub my toe, burn myself, or fall off my porch into the bushes before the day is out.

Now give me some statistical problems or a contract for review and it will come back with Judge Judy's approval.

Some savants are like that. They once showcased a man who could carve million dollar figurines out of wood, but he could not spell his name or be left alone to care for himself.

I think the right side of the brain is more for analytical thought, and the left side is for creativity. Sometimes there is an imbalance of chemicals or PH in the brain that causes one side to work more than the other.

Hope that helps!

Diva

Answer 7

The most intelligent people have the least common sense. I thinks it's because the brain has not yet evolved enough to handle power on both sides.

Answer 8

The simple answer is : Because she does not care. Its true each individual is smart in some aspects and can seem utterly dumb in regards to other. it all relates to what they put preference on. Like a Genius Scientist who probably can do complex mathematics in minutes could be seen at a very formal dinner party wearing 2 different color socks. he doesn't care about his socks as much he cares about numbers. Hope this helps.

Answer 9

Allot of times you will see people that may be the smartest people in the world, but they are the ones that have absolutely no street smarts, and usually are the ones that have the hardest time figuring things out.

Answer 10

It's actually very common. A sense of direction is something we are either born with or not and intellegence has nothing to do with it. It's much like common sense.... the same applies.