The map of reality is not reality. Even the best maps are imperfect. That’s because they are reductions of what they represent. If a map were to represent the territory with perfect fidelity, it would no longer be a reduction and thus would no longer be useful to us. A map can also be a snapshot of a point in time, representing something that no longer exists.
A Mental model.
Related: The medium is the message, All models are wrong
Bibliography
Farnum Street. 2015. “The Map Is Not the Territory.” Farnam Street. https://fs.blog/2015/11/map-and-territory/.