Why doesn't the world look like this?

 If you didn't immediately recognize it,
this the Earth turned upside down.

Did you ever wonder why we call ourselves the "West" and others "East"? Or use terms like "third world," "south of the border," etc?

And why "North America"? There's no scientific reason that the north pole should be "up" or at the "top" of a map.

The "why" of course is that the people who modeled magnetism, created maps, or described unfamiliar cultures, did those things in reference to existing frameworks and predispositions, their own Weltanschauung.

Why did this controversial Absolut ad cause such a fuss?

Controversial Absolut ad showing
rather different North American borders.

It violated the sensibilities of a culture whose Weltanschauung has molded most of our politics, mores, laws, taboos, etc.

Let's not get self-righteous over others who did the same in the past based on what their understanding of the world was at the time.

We live out our ignorance every day. It filters everything we say or do, perhaps everything we can say or do, and since we can't change it (very much), how about we learn to celebrate the diversity in creates?

[2014-07-10]

c0