The moral duty of a traveller

I read some interesting thoughts about travelling and education on the Out of Eden Walk's blog. I already talked about this project a few weeks ago on this post.

Here is my take about travelling, education and how the two things are related.

Besides posting nice pictures, giving tips on places to see and writing how cool travelling is, I deeply believe that travellers have a very important task and a moral duty.

Even though it's easier than what most people think, travelling is not for everyone, because of possibilities, attitudes, personal problems and other impediments. For this reason, travellers are lucky to be able to live some experiences (unforgettable meetings, discovery of new cultures, breathtaking views, etc.) that are precluded to those who cannot travel. Travelling means learning, extending one's knowledge, making connections, widening perspectives and, at the end, developing a global consciousness.

We are lucky enough to have technologies that allow people to spread information as never before. While sharing travelling stories through a screen doesn't give the same emotions as going on a real journey, it can surely inspire other people. The least a traveller can do is saying "look, the real world is different than what you might imagine, there's a lot to discover out there, the people we call foreigners are not as bad as they make us think, go check it out yourself if you can". In this way, the traveller's individual growth is extended to the society around him.

In my opinion, travelling and education are strongly connected.

Go, learn, understand, share: that's the moral duty of a traveller.

A hundred times a day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the measure as I have received and am still receiving. (Albert Einstein)