One of my dreams is to be able to explore the world. There are just so many places with many different interesting cultures and sites to see and gain new experiences at that the idea of forever staying in a city is absurd to me. I would never be satisfied but before I extend my wings and fly high with the birds, I have to learn how to learn how to use my wings. I guess you could say everyone everyday explores someplace new or learns something new. We are all explorers and that's an exciting thing to be. Whether you go to a new store at a mall or a different restaurant, you have a certain expectation that you have created from other sources like what people around have said. Let's say we are going out to dinner together to this new Parisian restaurant that just opened down town. Before going, we ask our friends if they have ever ate there before; if so, what they thought of the place; or if not, what they think the place will be like. This idea or expectation of an unknown place is what is called a Map.
Like an explorer needs a map before exploring some jungle or mountains, we as human need one too but there's a hidden trap in these maps just like Indiana Jones has them too while exploring. The trap is that not always a Map is accurate of the Territory, the unknown place, that it pictures. Just because our friends said the restaurant will be dirty because there are a few trashcans outside of it, might or might not be true, just like a map sold at the side of the highway might or might not accurately say all of the exits up to date. But how will we know if the map is reliable? That's easy. You experience it yourselves. You take a step forward and find out if those expectations made are true or not. In our date case, we would go to the restaurant regardless of what our friends said and find out for ourselves if the restaurant is to our liking.
These map and territories concepts can be applied to humans and the way we live other than fpr physical guidance. Alfred Korzybski was first to do this. He defined maps and territories as the following:
Maps- are reports and involve the Verbal Intensional World (The I-Think-This-Will-Be World.) that could or not be correct about territories.
Territories- are the actual experiences one encounters and involve the Extensional World (The What-It-Really-Is World.) that could disprove or prove a map.
The possible unreliability maps have make things really adventurous and add a lot more fun to our world. What purpose would visiting a place fulfill if everything that's there you could find it on a map?
P.S Indiana Jones is AWESOME.
Jose.
Like an explorer needs a map before exploring some jungle or mountains, we as human need one too but there's a hidden trap in these maps just like Indiana Jones has them too while exploring. The trap is that not always a Map is accurate of the Territory, the unknown place, that it pictures. Just because our friends said the restaurant will be dirty because there are a few trashcans outside of it, might or might not be true, just like a map sold at the side of the highway might or might not accurately say all of the exits up to date. But how will we know if the map is reliable? That's easy. You experience it yourselves. You take a step forward and find out if those expectations made are true or not. In our date case, we would go to the restaurant regardless of what our friends said and find out for ourselves if the restaurant is to our liking.
These map and territories concepts can be applied to humans and the way we live other than fpr physical guidance. Alfred Korzybski was first to do this. He defined maps and territories as the following:
Maps- are reports and involve the Verbal Intensional World (The I-Think-This-Will-Be World.) that could or not be correct about territories.
Territories- are the actual experiences one encounters and involve the Extensional World (The What-It-Really-Is World.) that could disprove or prove a map.
The possible unreliability maps have make things really adventurous and add a lot more fun to our world. What purpose would visiting a place fulfill if everything that's there you could find it on a map?
P.S Indiana Jones is AWESOME.
Jose.
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