Read this blog below on how travelling can help diminish and even end cultural biases and poor assumptions that we may hold about others.
I have always wished if I could travel to Africa. One reason is that I want to see through my own eyes what Africa really is. Africa, I believe, will be something very different from what our books teach us, what the media preach to us and what we ‘assume’ about the continent.
‘Beautiful’. This is what I have heard from a majority of people who have visited some of the African countries and from those who live there. Every country or culture has its own set of problems but that does not make it any less than the other.
What I’m trying to say here is that travelling to different places has the potential to deconstruct our beliefs, thoughts, assumptions and shape new and completely raw perspectives and perceptions.
In my poetic words —
I travelled to places so different from mine
Watching shades of blue water and yellow sunshine,
Diversity of culture, language, and food
Made me joyful, elated my mood.
I learned we are so much alike, and yet so different
Hearing one another's stories yet having disagreements,
Travelling to places opened my mind and heart
And brought me closer to people I thought were so apart.
Yes, you can experience life that is so different from yours’
Travelling to different cultures and interacting with diverse communities breaks our preconceived notions and assumptions about other cultures and people. I recently had a chance to visit some new places in Andhra Pradesh, a South Indian State. I must say that I have been awestruck by my experience of the places I visited. I witnessed a whole new culture in terms of local food, dresses, different house construction styles, songs, languages, etc.
Travelling is an important and critical requirement to understanding development – social, political, national, and international development. This teaches us to embrace and respect the diversity of the world we live in, strongly highlighting that the world is one, despite its differences.
Travelling is critical to experiencing our own reality. When I travelled to the United Kingdom for higher education, I was able to better understand my own culture and how it is significantly different from the British culture. My experiences in the UK helped me break my false assumptions and shaped my perceptions about how we are so different and yet so similar in countless ways. Though I had a hard time understanding and learning the names of different varieties of cheese, I could resonate very well with the ‘tea-culture’ of the UK (since Indians too cherish tea-making and drinking tea).
Can travelling enable people to be more empathetic and compassionate?
In the words of the psychotherapist, F. Diane Barth, “Research has shown that empathy is not simply inborn, but can actually be taught”. I believe that if empathy can be taught, travelling can be an excellent teacher.
Travelling gives us exposure to other cultures. If an individual has remained in their home time for their entire life, it would make it hard for them to completely understand the struggles and celebrations of other regions and countries. One culture can be vastly different from the other. The dialects differ, food, local music, and the terrain can all be different too. There are different languages and ways of communicating all over the world. Exposure to these things allows us to become open-minded and understand that though we are different, it is our similarities as humans that bring us together. Therefore, travelling becomes a way to learn, unlearn, and grow as individuals as well as with other people, communities, and cultures.
A possible end of egocentrism?
When we travel, we meet new people, get to interact with different communities, learn about diverse local customs, traditions and, cultures. This may help end egocentrism, which refers to someone’s inability to understand another person’s views or opinions. By observing, engaging, and respecting different cultures, we learn to eliminate the deep-rooted biases that form within our minds. These experiences can help one understand that no culture is superior to another and that all cultures should be equally respected and cherished.
Travel, development, and stories
YouInVerse is set on a journey to collect stories of development thereby intending to build more conscious, inclusive, and peaceful communities. I strongly believe that for a development professionals (honestly for anyone), it is all the way more important to immerse in different cultures and consider travelling to new places and communities.
Looking at my own experiences, I believe that travelling does lead to a happy ending of cultural biases. What do you think?
Don’t just sit at home, walk outside and immerse yourself in the process of building your life stories.
[If you consider helping YouInVerse in terms of funding to collect more stories from around the world, please write to info@youinverse.org.]
Thank you for reading!
