There is a common misconception that travelling around the world makes you wiser and more cultured; however there is a difference between going on holiday to another country and living and working in that country.
Anybody can be a tourist as it requires little or no effort to sit on a plane or train playing with your phone until you arrive at your destination; after all you are «on holiday» which by definition means that you are in a constant carefree state of relaxation.
On the other hand, being an immigrant often means arriving in another country without a job, without accommodation, with neither friends nor family and little or no money. Being an immigrant also requires learning another language through years of study. Therefore I disagree with this notion that visiting dozens of countries around the world makes you smarter or wiser.
Today’s Instagram world of travellers showing off by uploading a constant stream of photos of countries they have visited is misleading. These travellers are casual, superficial spectators who gain little real experience or knowledge about the local culture which they profess to know.
Only immigrants who integrate into that local culture gain any real knowledge and wisdom about that new culture.
So …. next time you proudly tell your friends how many different countries you have visited …. ask yourself ….
How many countries do you really know in any real depth?
