# Why do so many people seem to have difficulty following simple instructions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612 "2005-09-27T02:34:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/41 "2005-09-28T05:57:17Z")
One more thing, I have the “left/right” impairment myself- I have to remind myself that “left” is the side with the Man in the Moon tattoo on my well-defined pectoral, and right is the Jesus Fish on the back of the shoulder, so I am willing to cut slack in that department (I give clients directions to my workplace by telling them, “You want to head North on Valley View, then turn West on Sahara”, which really knocks them for a loop, then they ask me, “is that left or right?” because apparently they don’t know what direction the sun rises and sets in" then I have to make a virtual map of Vegas in my head, stand inside it, which is really difficult, what with the size of my body being much larger than the space inside my head, plus since my brain, which does the information processing, is also inside my head, I have to get my head inside the virtual map in my head, then remind myself that “left” is the side with the Man in the Moon…) But still, if turning right will take you back out into the concourse of the mall, you’d think that most folks would deduce that left must be 180 degrees from the direction they’re facing and go that way, then look for the blue sign. But they don’t turn right, realize they’re facing away from the door to the theater and turn around. They go straight ahead and go into the theater with the yellow sign. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/42 "2005-09-28T06:24:19Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > Are you kidding? People don’t read signs either. I can have signs all over my booth at outdoor fairs, and people still ask, “Who do I make the check out to? Do you take credit cards? Is there tax on this?” All of which are covered by the sign right in front of them. > > I answer them politely, but Good God Almighty. Why do they even bother teaching reading in school? Sorry, just trying to be helpful. 🙂 They may be teaching them reading in school, but they aren’t getting it. I had orientation today for a new job, and each one of us had to do a bit of reading out loud to the others. I was SHOCKED at the reading level of the group. For some, English is their second language, but for the others? Sheesh. ---
**Author:** ![petalpusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@petalpusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petalpusher)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/43 "2005-09-28T12:10:19Z")
**Carlotta** > [@](#): > > Anybody tells me to go left (or right for that matter) my brain immediately freezes. Oooh, I get to fight ignorance at last! An easy way to learn to distinguish right from left is simply hold out your hands, palms down and extend your ring fingers and thumbs in “L” shapes. The left hand forms an “L”. Now, did everyone follow directions correctly? Funny aside, my junior high gym teacher gave us all a test to see who could follow directions. It was a paper with at least 25 “to do” items on it. Instruction #1 was read the entire list first. Numbers 2-24 were inane things like shout out your name, jump up on one foot, spin in a circle, etc. Number 25 was don’t do #2-24, simply right your name on the top of this paper and wait. I think I was the only one sitting and waiting. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/44 "2005-09-28T14:48:36Z")
> [@Harriet the Spry](#): > > I think the timing or order of the information is important. People don’t need directions to their specific theater until the hallway forks, so they ignore the ticket taker’s premature directions. People don’t need to know where to hang their clothes until they’re naked. People don’t need to know whether they should be over or under the sheet until they get up on the table. This seems to be the most prevalent part of it. People don’t look or listen for information until they actually want it. When the usher is telling them where to go, they tune them out as “small talk.” It’s not until they discover a need for the info that they become receptive to what the usher has to say. It’s also pretty insulting towards the usher: “I’ve got more important things to think about than what you have to say! I’m pre-deciding on the choice between Whoppers or Twizzlers!” It’s the same way with signs. Shoppers only see, “Buy 1 get 1 free” without looking at the words, “When you buy 2.” And lord help you if you actually show them their mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/45 "2005-09-28T15:36:55Z")
> [@petalpusher](#): > > **Carlotta** > > Oooh, I get to fight ignorance at last! An easy way to learn to distinguish right from left is simply hold out your hands, palms down and extend your ring fingers and thumbs in “L” shapes. The left hand forms an “L”. Now, did everyone follow directions correctly? I think you mean index fingers (your first finger). While a lot of people wear rings on their index fingers, the third finger on the hand is traditionally known as the ring finger. And to quote one of my favourite bits from the Dope past, “Why do they call them fingers? I’ve never seen them fing. Oh, wait, there they go.” I don’t remember the original poster on that little gem. > [@](#): > > Funny aside, my junior high gym teacher gave us all a test to see who could follow directions. It was a paper with at least 25 “to do” items on it. Instruction #1 was read the entire list first. Numbers 2-24 were inane things like shout out your name, jump up on one foot, spin in a circle, etc. Number 25 was don’t do #2-24, simply right your name on the top of this paper and wait. I think I was the only one sitting and waiting. I encountered this test somewhere along the way, too. I was also one of the few people sitting there waiting for everyone else to get it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_New\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@The\_New\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_New_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/46 "2005-09-28T17:57:13Z")
> [@Excalibre](#): > > Is there ever really any doubt? I mean, you know when you’re going in which type of business it is. For the record, I’m pretty sure **Asbestos Mango** doesn’t do that type of work. Uh, hello? Joke? Did you see the winking smilie? His name is Winkie 😉 ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/47 "2005-09-28T19:02:43Z")
> [@The Asbestos Mango](#): > > Well, it was worth a try, but I was really kinda hoping for something more than speculation on the part of individual posters here. But then again, it probably isn’t a hot topic for psych students’ doctoral theses. > > Still, if taken in aggregate, the speculation of many different individuals with differing views on the subject might possibly average out to the truth. Actually, Ellen Langer at Harvard has pretty much made a career out of it. Her theory is that people can go through a good deal of their lives on autopilot. They don’t tend to listen or observe very deeply unless it’s really something important, or unless something shocks them out of their routine. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/48 "2005-09-28T19:31:27Z")
I deal with cases of The Stupids all the time. Just this morning a particularly blank-looking girl came in, brought up a can that clearly said “SPRAY ADHESIVE” on the front, and asked, “Is this the fixative stuff we use to protect our drawings?” Me: “Uh, no. That’s spray adhesive. It’ll ruin your work.” Her: “Oh. How come? It’s not the same thing?” Me: “No. That’s glue that you have there. The fixative is not sticky at all, it just leaves a fine coating on the paper that will keep the pencil or charcoal from smudging.” Her: “Uh.” _blinks, holds up can again_ “But this stuff is cheaper!” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![LionelHutz405](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lionelhutz405/32/536_2.png) [@LionelHutz405](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LionelHutz405)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/49 "2005-09-28T19:40:00Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > I encountered this test somewhere along the way, too. I was also one of the few people sitting there waiting for everyone else to get it. Me, too. Although only because I thought something was fishy. Otherwise I’m sure I would have ignored the ‘read all questions first’ bit as well. To me, this is perfectly rational behaviour. You don’t make it through school unless you learn to filter out the important stuff from the BS stuff. Since on a normal test there is no way the teacher could know if you read all the questions first or not, students would rationally assume it was a BS requirement and skip it if they figured it wouldn’t help them do the test. (Assuming the teacher is just trying to impose how THEY like to take tests.) Blindly following instructions, without using your own brain first isn’t the answer. ---
**Author:** ![The\_New\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@The\_New\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_New_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/50 "2005-09-28T19:51:42Z")
That reminds me of the joke on “M_A_S\*H” when Henry is reading instructions on how to diffuse a bomb: “…and cut the red wire. But first, be sure to…” ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/51 "2005-09-28T21:33:50Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > It’s the same way with signs. Shoppers only see, “Buy 1 get 1 free” without looking at the words, “When you buy 2.” And lord help you if you actually show them their mistake. I dunno, I’ve read it several times now, and I’m still confused: Buy 2, get 1 free? (get one free, but you have to buy two to qualify for the freebie) Buy 2, get 2 free? (get one free for each one you buy, but you must buy at least two) That sign needs rewording. It’s like advertising a “50% Off” sale – and then in fine print saying that you have to buy X items at regular price first. It’s misleading, and I don’t blame people for being confused (and maybe even pissed off). ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/52 "2005-09-28T22:38:35Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > I dunno, I’ve read it several times now, and I’m still confused: > > Buy 2, get 1 free? (get one free, but you have to buy two to qualify for the freebie) > Buy 2, get 2 free? (get one free for each one you buy, but you must buy at least two) > > That sign needs rewording. It’s like advertising a “50% Off” sale – and then in fine print saying that you have to buy X items at regular price first. It’s misleading, and I don’t blame people for being confused (and maybe even pissed off). It’s the difference between buying one and getting one free and only buying one and getting 50% off of it. It’s “the same thing,” but most stores don’t run their sales that way. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/53 "2005-09-29T00:41:51Z")
> [@Avarie537](#): > > It’s the difference between buying one and getting one free and only buying one and getting 50% off of it. It’s “the same thing,” but most stores don’t run their sales that way. OK, that clarifies it, but I’d say that anyone who doesn’t understand the difference between “50% off” and “buy one, get one free” doesn’t have reading problems – they’re just a boob. (And the store is a boob for confusing the issue with “when you buy 2.” If I **buy** 2, then I haven’t gotten anything free, have I?) ---
**Author:** ![The\_New\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@The\_New\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_New_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/54 "2005-09-29T06:38:01Z")
Supermarkets often have signs that say, “Buy one, get one free”, that could either mean 50% off of one, or that you have to buy two. It just depends on the store. I always have to ask, because there’s no consitency to it. And I agree that “Buy one, get one free - when you buy two” is nonsensical. ---
**Author:** ![petalpusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@petalpusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/petalpusher)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/55 "2005-09-29T11:53:57Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > I think you mean index fingers (your first finger). Doh! That’ll teach me to fight ignorance! Of course I meant the index finger. I’ll just sink back into lurk mode now. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/56 "2005-09-29T15:42:53Z")
> [@LionelHutz405](#): > > Me, too. Although only because I thought something was fishy. Otherwise I’m sure I would have ignored the ‘read all questions first’ bit as well. > > To me, this is perfectly rational behaviour. You don’t make it through school unless you learn to filter out the important stuff from the BS stuff. Since on a normal test there is no way the teacher could know if you read all the questions first or not, students would rationally assume it was a BS requirement and skip it if they figured it wouldn’t help them do the test. (Assuming the teacher is just trying to impose how THEY like to take tests.) > > Blindly following instructions, without using your own brain first isn’t the answer. But when taking tests in school, the first rule is to read all the questions first and _then_ start answering. I consider myself somewhat of an expert in the field of exam writing, having written many exams at many institutions over many years, and reading the whole exam before starting to answer any questions is just good exam-writing practice - you do the easy questions first, to get your brain warmed up, you do the questions you know next, then you come back to the ones you’re iffy on. If you have problems getting an exam finished in the time allotted, you might need to make decisions on which questions have the highest marks, and make sure you don’t waste all your time on the one mark questions. Knowing how to write an exam properly isn’t the same as blindly following instructions without using your brain. Teachers don’t tell students to read the whole exam first before answering any questions just to mess with the students - it actually is the best way to write exams. **petalpusher** , don’t you dare go away. You come back and post or I’ll hunt you down and spank you. ---
**Author:** ![LionelHutz405](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lionelhutz405/32/536_2.png) [@LionelHutz405](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LionelHutz405)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/57 "2005-09-29T15:59:00Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > But when taking tests in school, the first rule is to read all the questions first and _then_ start answering. No, you are mixing up advice with instructions. It’s good advice to study beforehand, sit comfortably, don’t slouch, use a sharp pencil, relax, breathe deeply and a whole host of other things that will help you do well on the test. But there is no use cluttering up the test instructions with those pearls of wisdom. Since it’s obvious there is no way to check if you really did read all the questions first, the student assumes it is optional, and can be safely ignored. ---
**Author:** ![Boot\_To\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@Boot\_To\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boot_To_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/58 "2005-09-29T16:30:43Z")
Now here is another theory on non-comprehension – how many people have actually been taught to use a dictionary? Ya know, that thing with definitions of words in them. When I went to school, I got the old “get meaning from the context of the sentence” routine. Nice idea, but it doesn’t always work. My old man told me he used to read the dictionary to increase his vocabulary! Now I’m not saying that everyone should sit down and read the dictionary, but if there is something you don’t know, look it up. Hell, it is pretty easy these days with online dictionaries and stuff. Skipping over words you don’t know can make you look rather dumb at times as you may then blurt out something inadvertently which is totally wrong (not that I have ever done anything like that… :smack: ) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/59 "2005-09-29T18:17:47Z")
On a somewhat related note: How come when I e-mail someone with two or more questions, they e-mail me back and answer one question? It’s easier to send 3 freakin’ e-mails containing one question each, than to try to get someone to read and respond to it all at once. Of course, if you e-mail them with just one question, they can always pull the old “respond to a question you haven’t been asked, while ignoring the actual question” trick. I hate them. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612/60 "2005-09-29T18:18:59Z")
> [@The Asbestos Mango](#): > > I’m hoping that this won’t have to be moved to IMHO, but if that’s the fate it must suffer in the absence of any factually based info on how the brain processes information, well, such is life. In the book _What do YOU Care What Other People Think?_ by Richard Feynman, he conducts an experiment that involves counting up to 60 in his head (trying to count a minute of time consistently). He discovers that there are certain tasks he cannot do while he is thus occupied in counting. He can read, for example, but he cannot speak. His speculation was that the “talking” center of his brain was occupied while he was counting, as if he were counting “aloud” in his own head. A roommate of his could, however; he could speak aloud while counting, though he could not read. The roommate _saw_ the numbers as a passing ticker tape, rather than _hearing_ them in his head. Perhaps something like this is at work. While I’m reading, I literally cannot process speech that I hear; I know they’re words but my language centers are occupied with another task. I have to set aside the newspaper in order to hold a conversation. (The same thing goes here at work when I’m talking on the phone to a patient and there’s an impromptu meeting going on three feet to my left. I can’t process that much conversation at once.) However, I can read and play the piano simultaneously without problem. It could well be that when somebody doesn’t comprehend instructions, they actually didn’t hear you say them because their mind was occupied with some other process: reading the signs, looking at the paintings, recalling a previous conversation. Conversely, they do not see the “make checks out to XYZ” signs because they are busy processing spoken conversation. I’m not sure if any factual scientific studies have been done on how well the mind handles this kind of multi-tasking, though it seems clear not everybody is the same. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-so-many-people-seem-to-have-difficulty-following-simple-instructions/323612.md?page=4)