Travel doesn't open the mind for all
Keywords:
Travel
Prejudice
Apr 15, 2018
Travel opens the mind of those who are broad minded. It doesn't open the mind of those who are narrow minded.
It is quiet common for people to drift from one experience to another and come back completely unaffected by their travels and with all their prejudice intact.
It actually gets worse as they expand their layer of hypocrisy to disguise their prejudice in the interest of fashionable political correctness and diversity.
Travel opens the mind of those who are already broad-minded. It doesn't open the mind of those who are narrow-minded.
A common misconception is that travel broadens the mind and destroys prejudice. This holds true only for those people whose mind already has very little prejudice and is open to new ideas.
It used to be generally true for most people some time ago, but is less true now.
It is quite common for people to drift from one experience to another and come back completely unaffected by their travels and with all their prejudice intact. It actually gets worse as they expand their layer of hypocrisy to disguise their prejudice in the interest of fashionable political correctness and diversity.
Travelers donate, volunteer, and drift from one experience to another, only to return even more prejudiced and hypocritical. It is at best Moral Self Indulgence. One can come home and claim they have had 'an amazing time and experiences and connect with other cultures'. However, they are just as narrow-minded and insular as they always were.
This behavior is cultural. People of some cultures travel well, others less so.
Here are some classic travel journeys taken by people for whom travel won't open their mind:
Entitled and privileged people on travels
Volunteering in Central America, South America, Africa, Asia
Working on a farm in Australia
Learning yoga in an ashram in India before starting yoga practice in the west
Anything to do with Bali, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, and East Asia
Any travel to Africa which involves visit to an African village
Most university students on gap year
Travel supported by inherited Trust Funds or divorce settlement
Travel as an escape
Travel for a blog with daily updates
Travel with a large group of people
Driving in a self sufficient big truck or Land Rover
Travel with a lot of 'gear' and equipment
Divers, mountain climbers, bungee jumpers, paraglider, kayakers, surfers, cyclists etc.
Adrenaline junkies.
Travel opens and broadens the mind when an individual or a very small group of 2-3 people travel with minimal luggage and even less emotional baggage. Travel opens and broadens the mind when travelers use local transport instead of fancy rented 4x4's. Travel opens and broadens the mind when travelers stay in small nameless homestays, listen to locals (not talk to locals, you learn by listening, not talking). Travel opens and broadens the mind when it is planned and researched. Travel opens and broadens the mind when it is paid (or sponsored) for by the person traveling. Travel opens and broadens the mind when the pace of travel is slow and travel is for a short period of time, rather than hopping for weeks all over a continent or the world.
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