Can you be friends with people who don't travel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't say I "rule them out" - but I find that most people who don't leave this country are pretty ignorant about things that go on in this world. They will spend thousands of dollars on "organic" (yes, that is meaning to mock") mac N cheese powdered process cheese a year, while there are children who go without clean water. There are arguments every day on DCUM about how there are the "harms" of battery powered flashing toys - when some children play with sticks and rocks.

It's hard to be friends with people who have so much and take so much for granted every day and choose to be ignorant to the world around them. I have a lot and am greatful for it, but I think it is my job to teach my daughter that she has a greater duty to this world. That there are people with less - and I don't mean people with food stamps who get to eat - I mean people who walk 10 miles a day to fill a bucket of clean water for their children to drink.

THAT is what I can't be friends with people who don't invest in the world around them. Because they don't invest in me.

Do you invest money or time, beyond personal travel, in the world at large? Can't we invest in the world in ways other than travel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't say I "rule them out" - but I find that most people who don't leave this country are pretty ignorant about things that go on in this world. They will spend thousands of dollars on "organic" (yes, that is meaning to mock") mac N cheese powdered process cheese a year, while there are children who go without clean water. There are arguments every day on DCUM about how there are the "harms" of battery powered flashing toys - when some children play with sticks and rocks.

It's hard to be friends with people who have so much and take so much for granted every day and choose to be ignorant to the world around them. I have a lot and am greatful for it, but I think it is my job to teach my daughter that she has a greater duty to this world. That there are people with less - and I don't mean people with food stamps who get to eat - I mean people who walk 10 miles a day to fill a bucket of clean water for their children to drink.

THAT is what I can't be friends with people who don't invest in the world around them. Because they don't invest in me.

Get over yourself. I've lived in 7 countries over the course of my life, met ignorant people in every single one, not just the U.S. BTW, most people understand there is dire poverty in third world countries. Unless you yourself are actually immersing yourself and living with the poor, shut your mouth. So, you go to a developing country, gawk and pity the poor people, and then go back to your fancy hotel, electricity, and clean water...and somehow, this makes you a better citizen of the world than Joe Blow sitting on the beach in Clearwater.

Well said. Also I might add, what makes you think you cannot experience other cultures while living in the United States? Where do you live? A gated community in Connecticut perhaps?

[Anonymous]

For what it's worth OP, traveling and "expanding your view of this world" are not mutually exclusive. I'll let you figure that one out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't say I "rule them out" - but I find that most people who don't leave this country are pretty ignorant about things that go on in this world. They will spend thousands of dollars on "organic" (yes, that is meaning to mock") mac N cheese powdered process cheese a year, while there are children who go without clean water. There are arguments every day on DCUM about how there are the "harms" of battery powered flashing toys - when some children play with sticks and rocks.

It's hard to be friends with people who have so much and take so much for granted every day and choose to be ignorant to the world around them. I have a lot and am greatful for it, but I think it is my job to teach my daughter that she has a greater duty to this world. That there are people with less - and I don't mean people with food stamps who get to eat - I mean people who walk 10 miles a day to fill a bucket of clean water for their children to drink.

THAT is what I can't be friends with people who don't invest in the world around them. Because they don't invest in me.

Wait, I'm sorry, this is the douchiest post ever. EVER.

[Anonymous]

I have traveled and moved between countries all my life. I now have good friends who have never been abroad. It never even crossed my mind that we may be somehow different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't say I "rule them out" - but I find that most people who don't leave this country are pretty ignorant about things that go on in this world. They will spend thousands of dollars on "organic" (yes, that is meaning to mock") mac N cheese powdered process cheese a year, while there are children who go without clean water. There are arguments every day on DCUM about how there are the "harms" of battery powered flashing toys - when some children play with sticks and rocks.

It's hard to be friends with people who have so much and take so much for granted every day and choose to be ignorant to the world around them. I have a lot and am greatful for it, but I think it is my job to teach my daughter that she has a greater duty to this world. That there are people with less - and I don't mean people with food stamps who get to eat - I mean people who walk 10 miles a day to fill a bucket of clean water for their children to drink.

THAT is what I can't be friends with people who don't invest in the world around them. Because they don't invest in me.

You are entitled to your thoughts. I guess what I'm confused by is the unnecessary logical leap. That someone hasn't travelled widely could be an extension of a narrow worldview, or something else entirely. So, why not just cross off from your list of potential friends people with a narrow worldview, rather than people who don't travel internationally?

For what it's worth, I grew up abroad in several countries, have travelled extensively both as a child and adult, but now that I have a toddler, most of our vacations in the past year and the next couple of years will be domestic, and mostly likely something on the beach, probably at a family lake house or a resort. Not sure what that says about me other than that my parents used to have a job that placed them in many countries, I had very generous boyfriends, my husband and I used to work a lot so too big trips to compensate when we took vacations, and now we like to spend our days off in controlled surroundings given the craziness of toddlers. The fact that I've been to many third world and first world countries, and lived in big cosmopolitan cities and desert countries, don't at all reveal how "worldly" I am. In fact, I'm probably more narrow-minded than the usual DC gave-up-private-sector-salary-for-public-service liberal from the Midwest who hasn't set foot outside the US. I actually don't care much about kids in slum who play with sticks and stones. Seen them firsthand, lived like a queen in such countries while growing up, but really couldn't care less about them.

So, there you go. I probably would make your list of potential friends based on the stamps in my passport, but I'm probably the narrow-minded person you want to avoid.

[Anonymous]

OP, when you visit whatever exotic country and you stay in some run down shack with the "locals", or you backpack around the world, you can come back and assume your throne on your high horse. Traveling and lodging at some fancy resort on the beach, visiting touristy areas does not count as investing in other cultures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't say I "rule them out" - but I find that most people who don't leave this country are pretty ignorant about things that go on in this world. They will spend thousands of dollars on "organic" (yes, that is meaning to mock") mac N cheese powdered process cheese a year, while there are children who go without clean water. There are arguments every day on DCUM about how there are the "harms" of battery powered flashing toys - when some children play with sticks and rocks.It's hard to be friends with people who have so much and take so much for granted every day and choose to be ignorant to the world around them. I have a lot and am greatful for it, but I think it is my job to teach my daughter that she has a greater duty to this world. That there are people with less - and I don't mean people with food stamps who get to eat - I mean people who walk 10 miles a day to fill a bucket of clean water for their children to drink.THAT is what I can't be friends with people who don't invest in the world around them. Because they don't invest in me.

PP here....it sounds like you have a "oh pity the poor people" attitude which is really quite patronizing. I've lived in a third world country and I've seen the touristas gawking at the "poor, pitiful people" who have no running water, blah blah blah. What are you doing about it? Digging wells? Considering joining the Peace Corps? Taking a vacation in another country so that you can develop some sort of quasi understanding of the world around you (while making you feel better about yourself and superior to others) is profoundly naive.

You are a snob and an ignorant one at that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't say I "rule them out" - but I find that most people who don't leave this country are pretty ignorant about things that go on in this world. They will spend thousands of dollars on "organic" (yes, that is meaning to mock") mac N cheese powdered process cheese a year, while there are children who go without clean water. There are arguments every day on DCUM about how there are the "harms" of battery powered flashing toys - when some children play with sticks and rocks.
It's hard to be friends with people who have so much and take so much for granted every day and choose to be ignorant to the world around them. I have a lot and am greatful for it, but I think it is my job to teach my daughter that she has a greater duty to this world. That there are people with less - and I don't mean people with food stamps who get to eat - I mean people who walk 10 miles a day to fill a bucket of clean water for their children to drink.

THAT is what I can't be friends with people who don't invest in the world around them. Because they don't invest in me.

Most Americans who travel internationally are not headed to third world countries or other places of extreme poverty. They often choose Italy, France, England or somewhere in Europe and I doubt the motivation for travel is the desire to raise their awareness of global poverty and social concerns.

[Anonymous]

I had a friend who grew up abroad, lived in Paris as a child, traveled all over the world. Now that he is grown up he just goes to florida. He is very worldy he just likes florida nd the beach! International travel doesn't make you wordly, intelligent, compassionate or interesting.

[Anonymous]

I'd say you're more of an asshole, than a snob.

[Anonymous]

Wow, OP is quite possibly a jerk. A snob, definitely. But this PP taking a beating takes the cake.

[Anonymous]

OP, I understand your perspective. I wouldn't say I cannot be friends with people who don't travel overseas but looking at the people with whom I choose to associate the most, love of international travel is a common value. Not everyone has had the opportunity to travel but I have come across many who have the means (time and money) but don't have the interest. It's fine if someone chooses to drop a huge amount of money to go to a domestic resort or go abroad in a bubble-like way, but I don't really respect that to be honest and probably won't find that person terribly interesting.

[Anonymous]

I love to travel internationally and have ended romantic relationships when the man was uninterested in traveling abroad.

[Anonymous]

I can be friends with people who don't travel, but I definitely can't date them.