The Map is NOT the Territory

The metaphor "The map is not the territory" represents my skills as a critical thinker. The metaphor illustrates that maps does not represent the territories of the world in reality. To me, the metaphor means that our impressions of reality is actually our own interpretation of how reality is rather than reality itself. This is because everyones sees things differently through their own eyes and their five senses. Our interpretations are often inaccurate, just like our maps which inaccurately and incorrectly show the territories of the world because they are based on the interpretation of cartographers (map creators). Representations of reality are created in our minds according to what we feel, through our sense perception, emotion, intuition, etc. but the actual reality is still out there in the bigger picture. The metaphor of the map also shows that in frequent cases, people find it easier to accept the truth that has been told to them than thinking about it critically. In maps, different cartographers have drawn the map in different ways, with countries being drawn in different sizes that it actually is, or position of specific countries on the map, top and center being the most powerful and bottom edge being the weakest. These factors would manipulate our minds and since we are taught that this is the "truth", we unconsciously accept it as the "truth" and make assumptions without even realizing. This metaphor would be useful for this course because in Theory of Knowledge, students tend to discover and expand their understanding on the ways of knowing what is reality and what is not and also allows students to really question and reflect on their authenticity of their knowledge, whether they really know what they have claimed to know. 

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