How travel can help you become a better person


There’s no doubt that the concept of traveling is enticing for a lot of people. It gives you the chance to take a break from home life and see the world like never before. It can be incredibly difficult, especially if you go by yourself. However, you’ll have experiences while traveling that could potentially change your life. It may even help you become a better person.

Different countries, different cultures

Every region in the world behaves differently. For instance, the way a person in Texas may act and talk will likely differentiate from someone in France, Sydney, or Hong Kong. Those differences form our various cultures, and they can help make us better people.

In certain countries, such as Japan, there is often a focus on doing things for the benefit of others, rather than yourself. We’re not as used to that concept here, but imagine if we started to adopt some of those behaviors. It could certainly make it easier to live in harmony with our neighbors, especially during such trying times.

Mirroring the behavior of others

Well, according to science, traveling could actually make that happen. It’s believed that when you view an action, mirror neurons fire off in your brain that inspire you to do the same thing. Not enough research has been done yet to fully prove that, but the evidence is certainly pointing in the right direction.

How travel can help you become a better person

So, if you see a particular behavior repeated while on your travels, your brain should start pushing you to do it yourself. As long as what you’re being exposed to is positive, then it could help you become a better person once you return home. You might not change the country overnight, but as long as you’re benefiting others, then that’s all that matters.

The importance of empathy

According to additional research, our brains may have specifically evolved to make this imitative behavior possible. It’s believed that over time, we’ve developed to be more empathetic, meaning we can connect with others by experiencing the same things as them. So, if a person’s angry or upset, you can understand their emotions and have a genuine response to them.

Empathy is often considered an essential attribute for anyone who wants to be a better person. After all, if you care about others, then it means you’re not self-absorbed. What does this have to do with traveling, though?

Inspired by your travels

It essentially ties back to the idea of mirroring the behavior of others. If you visit a country that values communities over independence, then you can see for yourself the benefits of helping other people. You can watch how the locals act considerately towards one another and be inspired to copy their behavior. The more you see people being empathic and valuing selflessness, the likelier you are to want to be that way yourself.

That’s perhaps why so many people return from their travels feeling ready to change the world. They’ve seen what good can come from caring for others, and they want to bring that home with them.

How travel can help you become a better person

They say you can never really understand the full impact of traveling until you do it yourself. While it might be easy to talk about how it can change your life on paper, it’s another thing to actually go out there and see the world. There are so many countries waiting for you to visit them, and each one could potentially make you a better person.

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