Map is not the Territory

The map is not the territory

💡 The basic idea of this modal is that be a hyperrealist and keep updating your map according to the actual territory. Looking at things without any filters or preconceived notions can help us see things more clearly and the way they are.

• D.H LAWRANCE

This modal simply means that the description of a place is not the actual place. Or simply put whenever we try to compress the real information some bits of information is lost.

1. Two people can go to the same places at the same time with each other at the same time. But in the end they both will have different explanations and experiences of the place.

2. One example of it is given in fs.blog. Where a person who has built the format of apple stores and with massive success, tries to build stores for the retail chain. He had the map about how can he do it again. He did everything the same way he did at apple. But this time the map he was holding was not the actual territory. He failed to try to build those same stores for the retail chain.

https://fs.blog/map-and-territory/

So I think now I got it!

The map is not the reality means that what you think is not how it really is. According to the map you were walking on terrain and you must meet a road ahead. But as you go ahead you don’t find any road. But it's on the map. This metaphor is used to illustrate the difference between the real world and how we perceive it to be. Reality exists outside of our minds but we all carry around maps of the territory.

What can we do about it?

We should edit our maps so we can keep them as closely aligned with the actual territory as possible. This Reminds me of the Principles book by Ray Dalio. Where he has written-

Embrace Reality and Deal with it

“Be a hyperrealist”

“Truth - or, more precisely, an accurate understanding of reality - is the essential foundation for any good outcome.”

Being a hyperrealist will help you choose your dream wisely and achieve them.