maps aren't territories
and what to do about it
While listening to an audiobook on meditation, the author said:
“The map is not the territory”
My exact reaction that followed:
“What the hell does that mean?”
He used the phrase casually, as if everyone knew what it meant, but I had to look it up.
It means our mental representations of reality (maps) are not actual reality (territory). Our perspectives aren’t what’s true; they are only unfaithful portrayals of true reality, tainted by our past experiences, false memories, whether we were hungry at the time of recall, etc. Once I understood the phrase, I immediately dismissed it as obvious. “Oh, I already knew that. Scott Adams has a similar take in one of his books.”
But I couldn’t let go of the idea. I viscerally felt there was deeper truth hiding in plain sight. Thinking more, I slowly realized that I didn’t fully understand the extent to which the phrase is applicable.
It is always the case that we don’t have access to true reality. It’s “hard to really get to know something,” to paraphrase Feynman.
We should always assume that we are working from unreliable data, and maybe that means we should question more. We should question our beliefs, how we live, the foods we eat, our relationships, and the language we use in an attempt to correct the catastrophic errors we are currently living by. After all, wouldn’t the “Future You” be thankful that Present You questioned the core aspects of how you view yourself? Which ultimately led you to reimagine your potential and capabilities. Maybe you fix the relationship that was broken from a misunderstanding, maybe you finally start flossing your teeth.
But that’s a lot of work. The thought of questioning all your assumptions, all the time, is exhausting. Of course our interpretations of reality are distorted, they’re like mirrors in a funhouse. But questioning everything all the time, that wouldn’t be fun. We would never get anything done!
So why bother. Personally, I believe Socrates was right when he said “the unexamined life is not worth living.” Drifting through life is a tragic waste of life. Life has a miraculous amount of detail. It shouldn’t be scarfed down. It should be savored like each course of a Michelin-star meal. And savoring requires a slowing down of time. It’s an active process where you engage all 5 of your senses and try to see what is (territory), not what you think is (map).
How do you do it? By asking questions, lots of questions. “Lead with curiosity” isn’t just a trite corporate tagline, it’s actionable advice.
When do you do it? When you notice that you’re too quick to judge. When the situation matters and you assume too much. When making one-way door decisions.
This will be difficult. Pausing, thinking, and questioning doesn’t come naturally to us. Our brains are wired to reference past experience. It’s easier to react than to inquire. But you are trying to live an examined life. You’re interested in becoming right, not being right.
If a sales rep says you gotta get the extended warranty, ask why (even if your immediate reaction is “nah dawg”). If someone says something has to be done and you don’t know why, ask (unless it’s your wife). You’ll be surprised at what you learn and the sheer depth of reality. You won’t live till 80, you’ll live twice as long, because life is twice as richer when you pause to seek the territory.
Yours,
-Rahul
P.S. a reminder you can reply directly to oldmanrahul@substack.com, or you can tweet me @oldmanrahul about this edition. Thanks for reading and supporting my writing :)