Is geography important to an adult?

Canis Lupus

I was amazed today. My colleague who is genuinely an intelligent guy (no really) doesn't know on a map where literally any country is.

Russia, it's kinda big. Nope. Portugal, nope. Fraaaance????.... finger hovers over Germany for a second and then lands correctly but for the most part he's completely clueless.

His excuse? Well I never really bothered to learn. What's more baffling is we both work in the largest money transfer business around and whilst he understands the trends on each country he doesn't actually know where they are.....

Embarrassingly enough I couldn't really give him a reason as to why he should know where countries are apart from it just being 'expected' that an adult of 28 should know these things. He's also completely oblivious to news. So for example apart from not being able to point out Egypt on a map he hadn't a clue they basically just overthrew the government etc etc.

I find it difficult to say the least that an adult can be clueless about these things! I really need to stress apart from these 'failings' he's a smart fella. Is anyone elses general knowledge as appalling as my friend or is he a bit special?

partyatmygaff

Canis Lupus wrote: »

His excuse? Well I never really bothered to learn. What's more baffling is we both work in the largest money transfer business around.

Drug trafficking?

Cheap Thrills!

Bizarre!! Is he American?

*runs*

Canis Lupus

partyatmygaff wrote: »

Drug trafficking?

well I'm sure we facilitate it but it's not a core part of our business

Canis Lupus

Cheap Thrills! wrote: »

Bizarre!! Is he American?

*runs*

No British (maybe just as bad :P )

ejmaztec

Canis Lupus wrote: »

I was amazed today. My colleague who is genuinely an intelligent guy (no really) doesn't know on a map where literally any country is.

Russia, it's kinda big. Nope. Portugal, nope. Fraaaance????.... finger hovers over Germany for a second and then lands correctly but for the most part he's completely clueless.

His excuse? Well I never really bothered to learn. What's more baffling is we both work in the largest money transfer business around and whilst he understands the trends on each country he doesn't actually know where they are.....

Embarrassingly enough I couldn't really give him a reason as to why he should know where countries are apart from it just being 'expected' that an adult of 28 should know these things. He's also completely oblivious to news. So for example apart from not being able to point out Egypt on a map he hadn't a clue they basically just overthrew the government etc etc.

I find it difficult to say the least that an adult can be clueless about these things! I really need to stress apart from these 'failings' he's a smart fella. Is anyone elses general knowledge as appalling as my friend or is he a bit special?

This from someone living in Bunny Land, wherever that is.

Canis Lupus

ejmaztec wrote: »

This from someone living in Bunny Land, wherever that is.

It's down the rabbit hole silly billy.

Latchy

Geography was one of my favorite subjects at school and you might find me at home looking up the atlas so I'm clued in as to were most (if not all ) countrys are located .As an adult I see it to be important now as as ever .

ShamoBuc

ejmaztec wrote: »

This from someone living in Bunny Land, wherever that is.

Says Mr. Palookaville:D

Canis Lupus

Latchy wrote: »

Geography was one of my favorite subjects at school and you might find me at home looking up the atlas so I'm clued in as to were most (if not all ) countrys are located .As an adult I see it to be important now as as ever .

Yeah but why I know this knowledge is expected but he said "why do I need to know? I want to go to a country I just book a flight and I arrive there".

Sticky_Fingers

ejmaztec wrote: »

This from someone living in Bunny Land, wherever that is.

Well isn't it obvious, he's in Spain, Land of the Rabbits

ejmaztec

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Says Mr. Palookaville:D

It's next door to Rebeland.:P

ShamoBuc

Sticky_Fingers wrote: »

Well isn't it obvious, he's in Spain, Land of the Rabbits

Where's that?

ShamoBuc

ejmaztec wrote: »

It's next door to Rebeland.:P

Never really noticed, must really be a happening place;)

ejmaztec

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Where's that?

Fuck knows,

ShamoBuc

ejmaztec wrote: »

Fuck knows,

Ask him so!

Terrontress

Knowing where countries is is just awareness. Geography is about the formation of the Earth and why it changes. I love geography.

You'll probably find this guy has never been around Europe. He might consider himself well travelled if he has been to New York, Sydney and Bangkok.

Where To

Its hardly all that suprising

Sure most people in the pale think donegal is part of Northern Ireland:rolleyes:

ShamoBuc

Terrontress wrote: »

Knowing where countries is is just awareness. Geography is about the formation of the Earth and why it changes. I love geography.

You'll probably find this guy has never been around Europe. He might consider himself well travelled if he has been to New York, Sydney and Bangkok.

I consider myself well travelled but I have never been to Palookaville - and that's right next to me:eek:

bonerjams03

It is bad. It implies an overall ignorance of those and that around him.

Latchy

Canis Lupus wrote: »

Yeah but why I know this knowledge is expected but he said "why do I need to know? I want to go to a country I just book a flight and I arrive there".

I guess some people dont put much value on needing to know were this or that country is but as part of our History alone , I think it's pretty important to know or at least have some knowledge . Americans are often accused of not being very clued in on were other continents and countrys are to .

helimachoptor

Cheap Thrills! wrote: »

Bizarre!! Is he American?

*runs*

I had a Texan try to convince me Hollywood/LA/California was part of Mexico, in fairness she was blonde and her name was Mindy

ShamoBuc

helimachoptor wrote: »

I had a Texan try to convince me Hollywood/LA/California was part of Mexico, in fairness she was blonde and her name was Mindy

was she fit?

Azureus

I hadnt a clue where anywhere bar the main cities in Europe/America were til I started travelling. Now I'm the type of person who google maps a country/place if I cant immediately picture where it is.
As for not having a clue about whats going on in Egypt etc, thats just cultural awareness and something I think everybody should have but thats just my opinion.

Still the funniest thing ever was while friends and I were travelling across Europe my friend looked at a map OF EUROPE, pointed to Turkey and asked 'Is that Australia?'.

Canis Lupus

IRcolm wrote: »

It is bad. It implies an overall ignorance of those and that around him.

I agree but I do stress the fella is intelligent. He admittedly isn't well travelled. He's been to a few countries but by and large he said he booked with a girlfriend and just got on a plane.

You're probably right... It's more like a 'little America' he has everything he needs so he doesn't look 'outside' for anything.

bonerjams03

Canis Lupus wrote: »

I agree but I do stress the fella is intelligent. He admittedly isn't well travelled. He's been to a few countries but by and large he said he booked with a girlfriend and just got on a plane.

You're probably right... It's more like a 'little America' he has everything he needs so he doesn't look 'outside' for anything.

Yeah, I just don't think intelligence equates to awareness or any such thing.

It annoys me especially in Ireland when you say the name of a rural town and there is a complete disregard for it. Just very patronising, in a way, to external things.

I also think that it would effect my opinion on his views of political matters as he clearly isn't that aware, even if we're only talking about Geography. I just read into it like that. But I may be excessive. Two of my pet hates are people who litter and those with a disregard of regional geography. But anyway...

helimachoptor

ShamoBuc wrote: »

was she fit?

Yep, met her in Fiji so she spent pretty much all of her time in a bikini, but man she was by far the dumbest person I have ever met.

bonerjams03

where do i go from here wrote: »

Its hardly all that suprising

Sure most people in the pale think donegal is part of Northern Ireland:rolleyes:

I've never heard that before.

Azureus

where do i go from here wrote: »

Its hardly all that suprising

Sure most people in the pale think donegal is part of Northern Ireland:rolleyes:

IRcolm wrote: »

I've never heard that before.

I work in tourism and hear that one A LOT.

We also use sterling here in the republic doncha know!

Topper Harley01

I once met an airhead from D4 who genuinely had no idea where Kildare was. Although she was able to blurt out she thought it was 'sorta near Dublin?'...

The more that I think about it, I should have stabbed it in the uterus to prevent its genes from contaminating the pool.

eastbono

Canis Lupus wrote: »

I agree but I do stress the fella is intelligent. He admittedly isn't well travelled. He's been to a few countries but by and large he said he booked with a girlfriend and just got on a plane.

You're probably right... It's more like a 'little America' he has everything he needs so he doesn't look 'outside' for anything.[/QUO

He is intelligent... but he is English per an earlier post from you and in the UK in secondary school there is not the same standard subjects like we have here up to junior cert... in irl its maths, irish, english, history geography, science, language plus 3 more subjects... the same does not apply in the uk so less of a broader education... he probably did not do geography for gcse last time he did geography was probably in primary school and people in uk go into second level at age 11

bonerjams03

Azureus wrote: »

I work in tourism and hear that one A LOT.

We also use sterling here in the republic doncha know!

I saw someone in a chipper in Meath, not at all far from Dublin, genuinely shocked that the staff weren't accepting his ten pound sterling note. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

bonerm

I think with Ireland being a small island with tradition of emigration we are generally more interested in other countries then people from bigger and more autonomous countries like the UK are.

That said tho I find most people here would struggle identifying countries in South America and as as for Central Africa or most of Asia just forget about it.

You see it every day anyway people familiar with subways. You can get from A to B using (I think?) Euler topology but as to knowing where some of these places are in their city or how far from one to another well that's another loss.

Basically I think it boils down to necessity. You don't really need to know any of this stuff.

El Siglo

I told a girl from Antrim that I'm from Laois and she said she didn't know where it was. She's doing a PhD in Geography...:pac: