Hi Maya,
Hi Debbie,
you are perfectly right. Intolerance breeds barriers. If a culture or nation sees that others do not accept their traditions and identity (even if they might be questionable in the eyes of others) they will start closing.
But I do believe that monolithic cultures are slowly turning varied and fractured. The differences within some countries are greater than between countries.
The most important thing that I have learned traveling is that city-dwellers all over the world have similar values. A young professional in Warsaw sees the world in a similar fashion to a professional in London or Paris or Hamburg. Cities are growing an becoming more connected to each other. So the values of certain people in countries that have traditions that seem set in stone (Poland is very conservative in the provinces but very progressive in Warsaw or Gdansk) turn to the globalised values leaving their "old" national traditions behind. That is how travel has broadened my mind. People are not only defined by their nationality, but by the choices they make and the societies they want to associate with.
Neal Stephenson put it quite pointedly in "In the beginning was the command line" - through the cultural relativism in a globalised society people learn to ignore more than tolerate differences. This may be ethically quite questionable but it prevents wars between nations.
Can you believe it, that a little over 60 years ago Europe was swept by war and devastation and now we are one whole community - even though people still complain about the European Union being so centralized and bureaucratic.
The world is growing together and the values are also equalising - unfortunately it only works at the centers of communication i.e. the cities.
My experience traveling has shown me that even in the worst "rogue nations" (I have been to Syria and loved it) you choose the people and places you feel are right and stick to them. There are dumb and intolerant people even in the most modern countries.
Make mine city-travels!
Psemek
Reply to this Traveling has actually made me mad at my own country. How well we have things and don't appreciate things. The fact that we drive around in nice cars and have immense houses and toys (vehicles of enjoyment), says a lot of who we are here in America. Am I grateful that we can enjoy these privileges... absolutely not. I am not grateful that my neighbors and fellow citizens (not all, but generally speaking) live in a glass shell totally immune to war, poverty, and destitution. In fact, I feel sickened that if you travel deep into our own communities, we secretly rival conditions that I have seen in Mexico, the Caribbeans, the Philippines, and African nations. Until we learn from our own welfare, there isn't anything we can really learn from going "sight-seeing" in other countries.
I'm not sorry.
Ryan M. Rodriguez
Reply to this I feel some that same annoyance at people too. I sometimes wonder why they have to be so self indulgent. The ''needs'' of people where I live are becomming so complicated. They never seem to have enough in their own opinions, that is.
And more money is not improving their quality of life in my opinion. It just seems to be creating a society of shopping addicts, hypochonriacs.... We moved to Munich 4 years ago and we have hardly had to buy anything for our house because so many were eager to give away things they had barely used or did not use at all to make room for buying more.
I could make an effort to broaden my mind to be less judgemental of these people but it is a difficult one.
Reply to this Thank you for understanding Mel. It could be easily said that our wants (worldwide) quickly became our needs especially in the last 10 years. While there is genocide and war in so many countries (countries I have visited), we tend to value our Manolo Blanik's and Louis Vuitton handbags over helping people who are dying in our streets everyday.
-Ryan M. Rodriguez
Reply to this Wow... how embarrassing. I brought down the house on this topic. No one has said anything in the last 5 days? geeze.
Sorry,
Ryan M. Rodriguez
Reply to this It is just an old thread Ryan so most of those interested in it have already said all they want about it. There are some threads which just keep rising from the dead, but that is no harm. 😊
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I agree that travel really broadened our mind.If we go to travel at some place,there we can see many different things,we can get knowledge about that place,history,people,region,food and many such things.And all this things increase our knowledge.And with the knowledge we can improve ourself so travel become helpful in broadened our mind.
Reply to this It is better to see for oneself rather than to hear for many times. After I visited so many places, I do understand what it means. Before that I get all the information of the places from TV, Internet or what people say. But I do suggest that you visit a place rather than read a lot about it on the newspaper because the atmosphere will make you feel deeply of the place.
Reply to this Jack your right it is better to see it for yourself rather than watching on tv or hearing it from somebody else. It really does broaden your mind because you are able to see firsthand how other cultures interact and the way they in live in a certain country as compared to ur own country
Reply to this Hi all,
It is gratifying to see this thread still going after three years. In agreement with bluegreen, and almost a contradiction to something I said three years earlier, I too now feel there is no substitute for travel and real-life experience.
So folks, get out there and see the world before the whole damn thing becomes a McDonald's parking lot - or worse, a bomb crater in a McDonald's parking lot.
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