I’m quite incapable of doing that too. I find the confusion an interesting experience, because the reasoning required seems quite simple—but I can’t do it. I suspect it’s a module that’s under-developed in me.
I also am bad at visual thinking in general. A simple test for any readers who want to indulge me: close your eyes and think of your kitchen. How would you count how many cupboards do you have in it?
I have to think of what’s in the separate cupboards, and do other similar kinds of reasoning. Most people seem to be able to call to mind an accurate picture of the kitchen, and count as though they were standing in it.
On the back wall: One over the sink, with two doors and one shelf-surface. (Does one usually count the bottom surface of a cabinet as a shelf? I’m doing so.) One over the bit of counter space with the dishwasher under it, narrow, with one door and three shelves. One over the stove, with two doors and one shelf.
On the front wall: Two under the counter, two doors each, and each one has a half-depth shelf in addition to the bottom surface.
Some of how I do it is visualization, but some of it isn’t—for the cabinets I don’t usually notice by sight, it’s more a kinesthetic, ‘how would I position myself to get to this’ kind of thing. I also asked myself ‘if I had a thing to put away, where could I put it?’, to help bring up the relevant information and make sure I didn’t forget anything.
I’m quite incapable of doing that too. I find the confusion an interesting experience, because the reasoning required seems quite simple—but I can’t do it. I suspect it’s a module that’s under-developed in me.
I also am bad at visual thinking in general. A simple test for any readers who want to indulge me: close your eyes and think of your kitchen. How would you count how many cupboards do you have in it?
I have to think of what’s in the separate cupboards, and do other similar kinds of reasoning. Most people seem to be able to call to mind an accurate picture of the kitchen, and count as though they were standing in it.
On the back wall: One over the sink, with two doors and one shelf-surface. (Does one usually count the bottom surface of a cabinet as a shelf? I’m doing so.) One over the bit of counter space with the dishwasher under it, narrow, with one door and three shelves. One over the stove, with two doors and one shelf.
On the front wall: Two under the counter, two doors each, and each one has a half-depth shelf in addition to the bottom surface.
Some of how I do it is visualization, but some of it isn’t—for the cabinets I don’t usually notice by sight, it’s more a kinesthetic, ‘how would I position myself to get to this’ kind of thing. I also asked myself ‘if I had a thing to put away, where could I put it?’, to help bring up the relevant information and make sure I didn’t forget anything.