There’s no lack of adages about why travel is good for you. “It helps broaden your horizons.” “You learn about other cultures.” “You grow as a person.”
Well, I’d like to add another:
Traveling eradicates notions of your own town’s/region’s/country’s exceptionalism.
And I mean “exceptionalism” in a neutral sense. We’re liable to think our place in the world is especially good, and we’re also liable to consider it especially bad. When we travel, we learn that it’s neither.
There are assholes everywhere. It’s not just a Massachusetts thing.
Pluckiness and determination are as common outside the U.S. as they are within it.
This isn’t to say places have no unique characteristics. Of course they do. And of course places have certain strengths and weaknesses. Some tendencies are more prominent in one country and less prominent in another. Just check out this fascinating work to learn more.
But what travel shows us is that very few traits are truly unique to a single place. When you get out there and see the world, you learn that humanity’s foibles and nobility are remarkably universal.
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Looking for more insights from an intrepid writer and committed travler? Follow Benjamin Clabault on Twitter and check out his website for all the latest news on publications, appearances, and more.
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