How come certain people have a good sense of direction while others have no sense of direction regardless of?

Question

Intelligence??

Answer 1

Which way is...?


Several experiments on this have been conducted and it has been proven time and again that humans just do not have an innate sense of direction. What some people do posses is a keen sense of observation that enables them to pick up clues that other people miss when trying determine which way any given direction is. Any one can improve their ability to determine which direction is which by being familiar with terrain and gaining a fundamental knowledge of the natural world through personal experience.

Answer 2

Intelligence has nothing to do with it. It's a motor reaction in the brain. Some folks can stand in a dark closet and know instinctively which direction they're facing. Others, like me, have no sense of direction whatsoever. They all look and "feel" alike -- north, south, east, west -- no difference. When I drive in an unfamiliar area, I either have to go by landmarks or the position of the sun. I had a compass in my car, but it was one of those stick-on kinds, and kept falling off. No directional sense can be a real handicap at times. You're either born with it, or not....My daughter can go to a strange city and find her way around. I get lost in a restaurant. When I have to use the ladies' room, I usually end up in the kitchen on my way back, and forget where my table was. Honest!

Answer 3

I've no idea. I only know that I have a hopeless sense of direction and need a compass or the sun to orient myself on land or sea. But curiously I have an excellent sense of time and usually can tell what o'clock it is within 10 or 15 minutes even on an overcast day or at night, although I hold clock time in some contempt. Why or how beats me. But I can live with mysteries.

Answer 4

I think it has to do with the way one thinks. A logical person would most likely have a good sense of direction, carefully noting where they are and looking at clues such as the position of the sun and landmarks, etc to find their way. Others who are creative, free thinkers have their minds in other places, perhaps imagining their new painting, or creating characters for a novel in their head, all the while driving in circles completely lost. However, there are others who are just plain stupid. I actually worked with a guy who did not know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Honest. This argument came when I told him to make a right turn on East 21st Street. He had no idea how to head east. I told him that since it was morning, turn toward the sun. He didn't know what I was talking about. Thats when he argued with me about whether or not the sun rises in the east. What a dope.

Answer 5

I am sure you will get scientific answers but imo it is simply where one focuses one`s attention. I have seen people driving cars in traffic in a state which can only be called totally asleep. I have done this myself a lot while driving long distances and apparently the trick is to keep the eyes open just enough to allow the instinctive part of the brain to do the work. I don`t recommend it because the amount of time required to drive off the road at high speeds is very little. I have been awakened and found myself heading straight for a bridge abuttment. That changes things a bit. The point of all this is to illustrate that the amount of attention we are giving in any given moment can vary a lot. I can recall that bridge incident some twenty years ago like it was now, including what my various thoughts were, where that bridge was, the buildings on that road, and all sorts of other details including my emotional state before and after the bridge. Of course if I am going to be thinking about what I am going to wear to the party, who will likely be there, what they will say to me and what I will say to them, I won`t see that 7-11 I just drove by and that I was supposed to turn at that intersection.

Answer 6

Direction, as in their direction in life, might be effected by which one you WANT to take, and which one your environment is pressuring you to take. Instead of goign with the flow, you might resist! Because everythign might be setting you up to be a doctor, but you want to be a teacher. So you resist all the events, and your trying to force your way to becoming what you want. And then it seems hard, because not only are you somewhat resisting, you are also forcing your own path. It could also be because those who have the good sense of direction, don't really care about the way their life is heading. So no matter which direction they take, it is a good one. So it's pretty much saying all directions are good, so no matter which direction he takes, it will be good.


Now if you mean the travel direction, it might be experience and intellegence. Also it might just be good luck xD

Answer 7

There is always this individual differences.
Good sense of direction is formulated within one's mind through observance of his future path. What is it that he wants to achieve? Where does he want his journey to take him to? Oftentimes, one loses himself in HASTE and PANIC. His reasons and judgments get distorted. It isn't because of his level of intelligence, but his inability to get a clear map of where he is heading to. He gets intimidated with almost everything around him, so he loses direction. I think what he needs is one step at a time, so he can examine the future while learning from the past.

Answer 8

Something in the head or nose that can sense the earths magnetic field, or get a sense longitude or magnitude, i guess.
Some amount of iron in the nose...i guess if a person has more iron in their diet, they are better at directions...

Answer 9

I wish I knew. I have the worst sense direction in the world. I still get turned around in my hometown!

Answer 10

I don't know...I have a great sense of direction and my husband has a poor one...if you find out let me know