"try tracing a straight line if you want a laugh" And on the Mercator projection, it too is also going to turn a straight line into a curved line. Draw a long enough line, and in a specific direction, it'll make an 'S' curve.

Personally, my favorite map to look at is the Goode homolosine projection. Also difficult for the usecase of navigation across oceans, but among continental comparisons, general shape and size, it's useful. Not all maps need to necessarily be used for navigation aeronautics, or seafaring.