--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All maps are distorted, they are not…" description: "\"All maps are distorted, they are not literal fact.\" — Paula Scher" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/paula-scher-7840_distorted_all-maps-are-distorted-they-are-not-lite_1870719.png" --- # All maps are distorted, they are not literal fact. ![“All maps are distorted, they are not literal fact.” quote by Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/paula-scher-7840_distorted_all-maps-are-distorted-they-are-not-lite_1870719.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/paula-scher-7840_distorted_all-maps-are-distorted-they-are-not-lite_1870719.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/paula-scher-7840_distorted_all-maps-are-distorted-they-are-not-lite_1870719.png) > “All maps are distorted, they are not literal fact.” [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Maps simplify reality, so they are approximations, not exact representations of geography. **In simple terms:** Maps are simplified, not literal. Key Takeaway Remember maps are tools, not perfect replicas. Themes design perception representation Mood analytical cautious Type educational informative When to use this quote - navigation - education - urban planning - travel planning Key Concepts cartography visual communication Questions to Reflect On - When might a map mislead you? - How do you verify map accuracy? A Different Perspective Over‑reliance on maps can ignore nuance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Geography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/geography/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) ## Related quotes > [It is not a sentimental, but a grimly literal fact that unless we share this terrestrial globe with creatures other than ourselves, we shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-wood-krutch/it-is-not-a-sentimental-but-a-grimly-literal-fact-that-unless-we/) [Joseph Wood Krutch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-wood-krutch/) > [Our mental maps are distorted by who are the 'winners' of history and who are the powers of today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-davies/our-mental-maps-are-distorted-by-who-are-the-winners-of-history-and/) [Norman Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-davies/) > [I have bad vision, but it's not distorted. It's low power!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/i-have-bad-vision-but-it-s-not-distorted-it-s-low-power/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [For months, Obama administration officials attacked Snowden's motives and said the work of the NSA was distorted by selective leaks and misinterpretations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/for-months-obama-administration-officials-attacked-snowden-s-motives/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [Free enterprise capitalism has been the most powerful creative system of social cooperation and human progress ever conceived, but its perception and its role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/free-enterprise-capitalism-has-been-the-most-powerful-creative-system/) [John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/) > [“Eastwood was distorted for me, a picturesque place meant to lull its residents into believing that behind our gates and beyond our curfew, nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-schneider/eastwood-was-distorted-for-me-a-picturesque-place-meant-to-lull-its/) [Robyn Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-schneider/) > [“You see her as you see anyone in this world: distorted, warped, reflected, refracted, contorted, mutilated by time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-see-her-as-you-see-anyone-in-this-world-distorted-warped/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Black people don't have an accurate idea of their history, which has been either suppressed or distorted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/black-people-don-t-have-an-accurate-idea-of-their-history-which-has/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [“If you refuse to develop in the dark, you create a distorted picture of your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/if-you-refuse-to-develop-in-the-dark-you-create-a-distorted-picture/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/poetry-is-a-mirror-which-makes-beautiful-that-which-is-distorted/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [But love was strange. It distorted your perspective and played havoc with your logic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/but-love-was-strange-it-distorted-your-perspective-and-played-havoc/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [Whenever I write anything that sets up controversy its meaning is distorted almost instantly. Even the editorial writers of newspapers seem to be unable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/whenever-i-write-anything-that-sets-up-controversy-its-meaning-is/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [The atomic weapons race and the secrecy surrounding it crushed American democracy. It induced us to conduct government according to lies. It distorted justice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-udall/the-atomic-weapons-race-and-the-secrecy-surrounding-it-crushed/) [Stewart Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-udall/) > [“We don't know how to be women because we were taught it was not OK to be girls. Our most natural impulses were thwarted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/we-don-t-know-how-to-be-women-because-we-were-taught-it-was-not-ok-to/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The Icesave matter is complex and it is understandable that the issue has been oversimplified by many. Unfortunately some of the basic facts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-siguroardottir/the-icesave-matter-is-complex-and-it-is-understandable-that-the-issue/) [Johanna Siguroardottir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-siguroardottir/) ## More by Paula Scher > [Your work gets destroyed by dumb people and it gets enhanced by smart people and it really doesn't have anything to do with marketing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/your-work-gets-destroyed-by-dumb-people-and-it-gets-enhanced-by-smart/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [What makes me say "wow" is usually something I haven't encountered, in a new way... something I haven't encountered before or something I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/what-makes-me-say-wow-is-usually-something-i-haven-t-encountered-in-a/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [I find that I'm at my least creative point when I am doing something that I've done in repetition and I know all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/i-find-that-i-m-at-my-least-creative-point-when-i-am-doing-something/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [I think Apple is a wonderful example of spectacular marketing and I love having my iPod. There are the naysayers who say that "nyah,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/i-think-apple-is-a-wonderful-example-of-spectacular-marketing-and-i/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [I've become much more interested in architecture than I've ever been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/i-ve-become-much-more-interested-in-architecture-than-i-ve-ever-been/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [Some people are in stultifying environments where there are rigid rules and rituals and they need that to thrive, where other people are just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/some-people-are-in-stultifying-environments-where-there-are-rigid/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [Planning is design. As a designer what I tend to do, and what's different from being a painter, is that I interact with other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/planning-is-design-as-a-designer-what-i-tend-to-do-and-what-s/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [Great design is serious, not solemn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/great-design-is-serious-not-solemn/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [I love that the level of mediocrity rises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/i-love-that-the-level-of-mediocrity-rises/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [Words have meaning, type has spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/words-have-meaning-type-has-spirit/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [Beige is the color of indecision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/beige-is-the-color-of-indecision/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [To me what really matters is that it shouldn't matter to you what day of the week it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/to-me-what-really-matters-is-that-it-shouldn-t-matter-to-you-what-day/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [If people that made products didn't market them and sell them we'd have no economy and nobody would be working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/if-people-that-made-products-didn-t-market-them-and-sell-them-we-d/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [Planning involves considering how other people may use something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/planning-involves-considering-how-other-people-may-use-something/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) > [I'm most proud of the fact that I get to keep growing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/i-m-most-proud-of-the-fact-that-i-get-to-keep-growing/) [Paula Scher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) [Explore all 87 Paula Scher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/) ## More Distorted quotes > [The Icesave matter is complex and it is understandable that the issue has been oversimplified by many. Unfortunately some of the basic facts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-siguroardottir/the-icesave-matter-is-complex-and-it-is-understandable-that-the-issue/) [Johanna Siguroardottir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-siguroardottir/) > [“We don't know how to be women because we were taught it was not OK to be girls. Our most natural impulses were thwarted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/we-don-t-know-how-to-be-women-because-we-were-taught-it-was-not-ok-to/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [The atomic weapons race and the secrecy surrounding it crushed American democracy. It induced us to conduct government according to lies. It distorted justice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-udall/the-atomic-weapons-race-and-the-secrecy-surrounding-it-crushed/) [Stewart Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-udall/) > [Whenever I write anything that sets up controversy its meaning is distorted almost instantly. Even the editorial writers of newspapers seem to be unable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/whenever-i-write-anything-that-sets-up-controversy-its-meaning-is/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [But love was strange. It distorted your perspective and played havoc with your logic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-foster/but-love-was-strange-it-distorted-your-perspective-and-played-havoc/) [Lori Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-foster/) > [Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/poetry-is-a-mirror-which-makes-beautiful-that-which-is-distorted/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [“If you refuse to develop in the dark, you create a distorted picture of your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sanjo-jendayi/if-you-refuse-to-develop-in-the-dark-you-create-a-distorted-picture/) [Sanjo Jendayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sanjo-jendayi/) > [Black people don't have an accurate idea of their history, which has been either suppressed or distorted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/black-people-don-t-have-an-accurate-idea-of-their-history-which-has/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [“You see her as you see anyone in this world: distorted, warped, reflected, refracted, contorted, mutilated by time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/you-see-her-as-you-see-anyone-in-this-world-distorted-warped/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [“Eastwood was distorted for me, a picturesque place meant to lull its residents into believing that behind our gates and beyond our curfew, nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robyn-schneider/eastwood-was-distorted-for-me-a-picturesque-place-meant-to-lull-its/) [Robyn Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robyn-schneider/) > [Free enterprise capitalism has been the most powerful creative system of social cooperation and human progress ever conceived, but its perception and its role…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/free-enterprise-capitalism-has-been-the-most-powerful-creative-system/) [John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/) > [For months, Obama administration officials attacked Snowden's motives and said the work of the NSA was distorted by selective leaks and misinterpretations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/for-months-obama-administration-officials-attacked-snowden-s-motives/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [I have bad vision, but it's not distorted. It's low power!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/i-have-bad-vision-but-it-s-not-distorted-it-s-low-power/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [“If people would only do me justice that is all I ask, but it seems as if every word I have uttered has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-miller/if-people-would-only-do-me-justice-that-is-all-i-ask-but-it-seems-as/) [Sarah Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-miller/) > [Your doubts are generated by fear, and fear is a series of distorted thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leandra-medine/your-doubts-are-generated-by-fear-and-fear-is-a-series-of-distorted/) [Leandra Medine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leandra-medine/) Browse all 70 Distorted quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All maps are distorted, they are not literal fact.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Paula Scher" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/all-maps-are-distorted-they-are-not-literal-fact/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Distorted" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/all-maps-are-distorted-they-are-not-literal-fact/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/paula-scher-7840_distorted_all-maps-are-distorted-they-are-not-lite_1870719.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/paula-scher-7840_distorted_all-maps-are-distorted-they-are-not-lite_1870719.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e44/paula-scher-7840_distorted_all-maps-are-distorted-they-are-not-lite_1870719.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All maps are distorted, they are not literal fact.” — Paula Scher", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Paula Scher", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-scher/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "All maps are distorted, they are...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/all-maps-are-distorted-they-are-not-literal-fact/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-scher/all-maps-are-distorted-they-are-not-literal-fact/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```