Embarrassed with lack of geographical knowledge =(

[Gunther]

Originally posted by: BornStar18

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: Linflas

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: sygyzy
Link

Sweden was the most geographically literate country; the US was second from bottom, above only Mexico, says The Guardian.

Take the survey here It's actually quite astonishing how geopgraphical retarded the US responders were. You'd think they were educated in shacks in the jungle based on some of the answers on there.

Ok I did. 20 of 20 and I am native born American. So much for stereotypes.

19! Got the religion one wrong.

That's the only one I got wrong too. I'm not sure why I didn't go with my instinct because it was correct.

Lol that is also the same question I got wrong. I was thinking hmm it might be christianity, but the U.S. only has a fraction of the world pop so it might be something else...

Personally I have horrible geographical knowledge in terms of specifics such as states and capitals. I can do countries and what not, but anything more specific then that I have a hard time. But the main reason I am like this is that I just don't care. I know where california, nevada, and new york are. Those 3 states are the only important states to "me". I don't even know one province in Canada and its because I really don't care about the geographical layout of Canada. All I need to know about canada is that it is north to me. Someday I will go take a trip up there and at that time I will actually research its geographical layout so I know where to go. So if someone doesn't know where a state or country is I really don't care because to me it doesn't matter, but if someone doesn't know where their own country is... then I just cry.

 

[tk149]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: sygyzy
Link

Sweden was the most geographically literate country; the US was second from bottom, above only Mexico, says The Guardian.

Take the survey here It's actually quite astonishing how geopgraphical retarded the US responders were. You'd think they were educated in shacks in the jungle based on some of the answers on there.

19/20 - got the religion one wrong.

Who the heck do they survey to get these results? Do they ask people who hang out at the cafeteria for the mentally handicapped or what?

 

[alkemyst]

Well many people that probably take the survey just want to see the answer and pop in whatever to see the results.

I am sure many here have had alot of statistic classes and know how the general public messes things up.

 

[tk149]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
Well many people that probably take the survey just want to see the answer and pop in whatever to see the results.

I am sure many here have had alot of statistic classes and know how the general public messes things up.

But that doesn't explain why the U.S.'s results are consistently on the bottom of that survey. Or why Sweden's are consistently near the top. Did the surveyor's hang out at one of Sweden's top universities and one of the U.S.'s high-school dropout lounges?

I seriously have trouble believing that most Americans are really that ignorant.

 

[waylman]

I seriously have trouble believing that most Americans are really that ignorant.

Why is that? As I mentioned somewhere in this thread before, I take calls all day on a helpdesk. The people I talk to have to have a degree in order to work for the company...As part of my job, I have to ask them their time zone. Without exaggeration, 25% of them do not know their own time zone...and these are people with college degrees!

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: tk149

Originally posted by: alkemyst
Well many people that probably take the survey just want to see the answer and pop in whatever to see the results.

I am sure many here have had alot of statistic classes and know how the general public messes things up.

But that doesn't explain why the U.S.'s results are consistently on the bottom of that survey. Or why Sweden's are consistently near the top. Did the surveyor's hang out at one of Sweden's top universities and one of the U.S.'s high-school dropout lounges?

I seriously have trouble believing that most Americans are really that ignorant.

That's because you're american!

Anyway the results in that survey are showing you what the highschool responders got, not based on a continual tab of internet answers AFAIK.

 

[alexruiz]

Originally posted by: tk149

Originally posted by: alkemyst
Well many people that probably take the survey just want to see the answer and pop in whatever to see the results.

I am sure many here have had alot of statistic classes and know how the general public messes things up.

But that doesn't explain why the U.S.'s results are consistently on the bottom of that survey. Or why Sweden's are consistently near the top. Did the surveyor's hang out at one of Sweden's top universities and one of the U.S.'s high-school dropout lounges?

I seriously have trouble believing that most Americans are really that ignorant.

In the majority of surveys (geography, math, etc), the scandinavian countries are always at the top, while the USA is at the bottom of the developed countries....

Convince yourself, try it wity the people you know.....

 

[lowtech1]

It is strange that the majority of the people that complaint the most about the American ignorance;
1 ? Work in the tourist industry (they only get to meet with the wealthier class & some spoiled snobs).
2 ? Canadian that work in the US.
3 ? People from Quebec, Ontario & BC (tend to be people from lower class to lower middle class).

 

[alkemyst]

It has a lot to do with foreign countries being more trained / educated about america than their own countries.

America is the important country it seems. However as American's it's not so important for us to know about it since we are already here.

I know my states, forgotten most of the capitols, but I can drive to them and find out along the way.

I can figure out where places are in Canada or in Europe as I visit there....I don't waste my time filling my head with locations and places that will have no more value than trivia knowledge to me.

I really think political knowledge is far more important that geography.

 

[tk149]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

Originally posted by: tk149

Originally posted by: alkemyst
Well many people that probably take the survey just want to see the answer and pop in whatever to see the results.

I am sure many here have had alot of statistic classes and know how the general public messes things up.

But that doesn't explain why the U.S.'s results are consistently on the bottom of that survey. Or why Sweden's are consistently near the top. Did the surveyor's hang out at one of Sweden's top universities and one of the U.S.'s high-school dropout lounges?

I seriously have trouble believing that most Americans are really that ignorant.

That's because you're american!

Anyway the results in that survey are showing you what the highschool responders got, not based on a continual tab of internet answers AFAIK.

Actually, it's not high-schoolers - the site says:

National Geographic commissioned the Roper survey to test the geographic knowledge of 18- to 24-year-olds in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Great Britain, and the United States

Seriously, I think I learned most of what's in that survey back in grade school. I don't believe my memory is any better than average. I went to public grade school - nothing special.

I just have to question the accuracy of that survey when I can score well on a test like that with no preparation (and it's been over 15 years since I had any world geography classwork), yet most recent high-school graduates/college students cannot.

C'mon, has any American in this thread admitted to scoring poorly on that survey? Don't tell me that ATOT is populated by geniuses...

 

[alkemyst]

seems most are getting 18+ out of 20...with most probably getting higher if they didn't rush through it like me.