“Just Follow the Signs” (And Other Helpful Lies) Why common advice doesn’t work for everyone

If you’ve ever admitted that you struggle with directions, chances are someone has smiled kindly and said:

“Oh, just follow the signs.”

It’s usually meant to be helpful, encouraging, even. The problem is — for many people, it simply doesn’t work.

And that's not because they aren’t trying. It's not because they aren’t paying attention. It's because navigation is not the same experience for every brain.

And today, we’re going to talk about why.

The Myth of Universal Advice

Most navigation advice assumes that everyone processes space the same way.

"Follow the signs."

"Remember the turns."

"Retrace your steps."

"You’ll recognize it when you see it again."

For people with a strong internal sense of direction, the above suggestions make perfect sense. Their brains naturally organize space into a mental map. Landmarks connect. Routes stick. The environment feels stable.

But for others, space feels fluid.

Two corridors that look slightly similar feel identical. A sign seen once disappears from memory moments later. A left turn remembered later, becomes a right turn under pressure.

When someone says, “Just follow the signs,” what they often mean is:

“Use the navigation system that works for me.”

And that system may not be yours.

Why Signs Aren’t Always Helpful

Signs assume several things:

1. That you notice them.

2. That you read and process them quickly.

3. That you remember them long enough to act on them.

4. That you can translate the instruction into movement.

That’s a lot of steps.

For someone who struggles with spatial orientation, one missed step breaks the chain. The sign was seen — but not connected to action. Or remembered — but not anchored to place.

Add stress, noise, crowds, or time pressure, and the brain shifts into survival mode. Attention narrows. Details vanish.

Ironically, the moment someone most needs clear direction is often the moment signs become hardest to use.

The Confidence Trap

Here’s another problem with common advice: it often increases shame.

When everyone else seems to manage easily, getting lost feels like a personal failure.

You may hear yourself thinking:

“Why can’t I do something this simple?”

But navigation is not a measure of intelligence. Many highly capable, creative, and analytical people struggle with orientation. Their strengths lie elsewhere — language, ideas, problem-solving, empathy, creativity.

The brain prioritizes differently.

And that’s okay.

A Better Approach: Build Your Own System

Instead of forcing yourself into advice that doesn’t fit, try building a navigation style that works for you.

Some people rely on:

• Anchor points instead of signs (“the café with the red awning”).

• Sequences instead of directions (“past the bank, then the park”).

• Technology as support, not as a crutch.

• Pausing intentionally, rather than rushing forward uncertainly.

The goal isn’t to navigate like everyone else.

The goal is to navigate successfully

A Gentle Truth

Many well-meaning phrases sound simple because they come from people who have never had to think about navigation consciously.

For them, direction is automatic.

For you, it may be learned — step by step.

And learned skills are not weaker skills. They are often stronger, because they are intentional.

Affirmation for Today

I am allowed to learn my own way. I move forward with patience and confidence, one step at a time.