You can address someone who is good with directions as a navigator, or a guide.
It is very important to note that most of these names are not directly related to the question above but yet they further define the person in a relative term for better understanding.
Furthermore, a person good with direction is generally-described as someone with a good “Bump of direction”.
This refers to a part of the brain that I believe is responsible-for-directions-presumably.
What are people who give directions called?
A guide is someone who gives another person directions whether they receive pay or not and also whether the guider is an employed worker or just a good Samaritan.
It doesn’t take a lot or some special abilities for one to be a guide, if you have ever given anyone directions to anywhere before then you are also a guide.
Basically, anyone who has helped and showed you the way to a location or a place you are heading to is your guide, it doesn’t have to be all the way.
Why are some people good with directions?
There are many reasons why some people are good with directions, sometimes it is just luck and nothing more but sometimes it is way beyond luck and more of a practice and dedication as the case may be.
Let’s check out some of the reasons that make some people good with directions.
- Good Observer
- A Geographer
- A local
- Just Luck
Good Observer
When someone is a good observer of their environment then they can be good with directions.
I used the word “CAN” because being a good observer does not necessarily mean that one is good with directions, as there are many other things to observe and pay attention to and not just directions.
However, if you are good at observing things, you have an upper hand to not forget things easily including directional markings, which put you in a better position to give someone else a detailed direction towards their destination.
A Geographer
A part definition of a geographer says these are scientist that deals with the physical aspect of science.
Being a geographer means you have to be familiar with your environment and since your environment insists on where you are at the moment, you will be in luck when you walk into one of them.
Even if they don’t know where you are heading, they are likely to have a local map which they are in a better position to read and point you in the right direction.
“A Geographer unaccompanied with a map is like an Agriculturist without a plow.” ~ YJ Salasi.
A local
People who are also good with directions are people who live in that locality, although this trait is limited to their own locality.
Just Luck
Just luck is when I have been there and happen to remember how I got there, I am in the right position to point you in the right direction, oh, and yeah this is a bit funny!
What does it mean to have a great sense of direction?
Having a great sense of direction means you will always find your way and not get lost.
You hardly get lost because you have a good sense of direction.
Knowing exactly where you started and where you are going
It takes a lot to have a good sense of direction. You have to be able to read and understand a map or directional markings for you to not get lost and be categorized as someone who has a good sense of direction.
Sometimes you have to make markings on trees and poles in order to not miss your way when coming back and also assist others who might want to travel the same path after you.
Use of the sun
As funny as this might sound, it takes someone who is good at working with the sun to have a good sense of direction, for instance you already know that the Sun sets in the West but rises in the East right?
Good, this is a good starting point as you can work with this to not get lost and further navigate your way through.
Good sense of distance
This works more like knowing how many kilometers you need to walk under this or that circumstances.
This is also an important characteristic when considering what it takes to have a good sense of direction.
When you are supposed to walk for 30 kilometers under 1 hour and you end up walking for 2 hours, you should be able to tell the difference in the sense of the time spent and also be able to pinpoint exactly where you are on the map in order not to get lost.
There are many other characteristics but these three are more like a foundation that anyone who is aiming at being good with direction should make sure they possess.
Are people born with a sense of direction?
Yes, everyone is born with a good sense of direction including animals as the case may be.
In the brain, an accurate sense of reasoning and direction is generated with the help of some brain cells that are known as head direction neurons.
This is made possible by the brain cells by merging two of the main streams of information which are known as the positional estimates and visual landmarks that are gotten and built based on self-movement.
The brain cells responsible for this tend to gather information from our whereabouts.
They gather data from our travels, and our movements and turn it into information.
Then they store this up in our brain so that when next we take the same course our brain brings up this saved data and then relays the information to serve its purpose.
However, the fact that one is born with these cells that form up these senses does not guarantee one to be good with directions and this is actually a field that we will venture in, in the next part of this article.
The answer however remains the same this is the fact that every living thing is born with a sense of direction.
How do you Refer to People who lack a sense of direction?
There are actually many names for people like this, some of these names are;
Topographical Agnosia
This is the inability to recognize landmarks, in other words when you cannot recognize directional markings then you have Topographical Agnosia.
Topographical Disorientation
This is the inability to navigate your environment in your daily life.
If this makes you feel better, then I believe you can call someone who doesn’t know direction an “Unguider”, and this is because we refer to someone with a sense of direction and who knows how to give one a “Guider”.
Can you call someone who doesn’t have a sense of direction a dullard?
No, personally I feel the word “Dullard” is not friendly to be used on anyone especially a grown-up, and especially to their face with regard and acknowledgment that we all have our shortcomings and inabilities hidden somewhere.
The definition of a dullard goes like this: “A Slow and a stupid person”.
It can be one of the two or the two but regardless, the fact that one cannot navigate their environment does not mean they are dullards.
Sometimes we have a lot on our minds that we lose focus at the moment and every other sense in our brain might seem to malfunction at that time and that doesn’t mean we are dullards, just not in the right sense at the right time,
Furthermore, research has shown that there are people with weak signals in the entorhinal cortex which makes them liable to suffering from navigating their environments.
The Entorhinal Cortex is an area in the brain Allocortex that is responsible for memory, navigation, and also the perception of time.
When you have a weak Entorhinal Cortex, your senses will not function well, including the navigation senses.
It is unfair to call anyone who has a poor sense of direction a dullard. It is inhumane as they can be going through a lot.
Instead of being insulting, being kind and helpful will go a long way.
Fun fact: You can call someone who has a poor sense of direction or who doesn’t have a sense of direction at all, an old person, either grandma or grandpa, it depends on their gender.
This is because when anyone at all grows old, they lose track of time and direction.
It is funny to receive a call from your neighbor when your old folks get into their house thinking it is your house.
Conclusion
“The journey of a thousand destinations begins with knowing the directions to each and every one of the destinations.” ~ YJ Salasi.
The ability to know your direction means you are focused and you know where you are heading to.
Do not feel bad if you cannot navigate well, you should contact a medical professional for a better understanding of your situation.
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