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The Case Against Travel

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Summary

This article examines the notion of travel and how it is often seen as a virtue, even though it can be a vehicle for people to avoid facing reality and their own mortality. The article explores the views of famous thinkers such as G. K. Chesterton, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Socrates, Immanuel Kant, and Fernando Pessoa, all of whom have expressed criticism of travel. The author highlights the idea of “tourism”, where people travel for the purpose of experiencing a change, yet often end up causing change for the people and places they visit. It is argued that tourism is marked by a locomotive character, where people try to fit in experiences they have no interest in or knowledge of, and ultimately fail to connect with the places they visit on a deeper level. The article concludes by suggesting that travel can be a way for people to avoid thinking about the inevitability of death, and that it is not as meaningful an experience as many people believe.

Q&As

What is the most uninformative statement that people are inclined to make?
The most uninformative statement that people are inclined to make is "I love to travel."

What is the definition of "tourism" as it applies to travel?
Tourism is defined as the kind of travel that aims at the interesting and misses. It is the kind of travel that a person voluntarily undertakes away from home for the purpose of experiencing a change.

What is the primary argument against travel made by authors such as G.K. Chesterton, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Fernando Pessoa?
The primary argument against travel made by authors such as G.K. Chesterton, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Fernando Pessoa is that it divorces us from humanity and turns us into the worst version of ourselves while convincing us that we're at our best.

How does Walker Percy illustrate the self-undermining tendencies of the tourist in his essay "The Loss of the Creature"?
Walker Percy illustrates the self-undermining tendencies of the tourist in his essay "The Loss of the Creature" by providing two examples of tourists who are unable to truly connect to the places they visit and the people they encounter. He shows how tourists are unable to have the sensory experiences they seek, and how they outsource the vindication of their experiences to postcards, conventional wisdom, and other people.

What does the author suggest as an alternative to travel that might help us to better face the inevitability of death?
The author suggests that philosophy is an alternative to travel that might help us to better face the inevitability of death. He suggests that philosophy is a preparation for death, and that it can help us to understand the certainty of annihilation.

AI Comments

👍 This article is an insightful and thought-provoking exploration into the motivations and implications of travel. It's a great piece that really challenges readers to reflect on their own relationship to travel.

👎 This article is too long and overly analytical. It's tedious and does not explore the positive aspects of travel.

AI Discussion

Me: It's called "The Case Against Travel" and it talks about how travel is a false form of enlightenment. The author argues that people travel to experience a change, but they end up changing the places they visit instead. They also don't truly connect to other people when they travel, because they're more focused on sightseeing than actually engaging with the culture.

Friend: That's really interesting. It makes me think about why people travel - is it for the experience, or to show off?

Me: Exactly! And it's an interesting point that tourists are more focused on seeing the sights than engaging with the culture. It makes me think that they're not really experiencing the place they're visiting in a meaningful way. It's also interesting that the author argues that travel is a false form of enlightenment, because it's something that is so widely accepted as being beneficial.

Action items

Research the works of G.K. Chesterton, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Fernando Pessoa, and Walker Percy to gain a better understanding of their views on travel.
Reflect on your own experiences with travel and consider how they have impacted your life.
Consider ways to travel that are more meaningful and less focused on collecting souvenirs and photos.

Technical terms

Peloponnesian War: A war fought in ancient Greece between the Peloponnesian League (led by Sparta) and the Delian League (led by Athens) from 431 to 404 BC.
Book of Disquiet: A collection of philosophical fragments written by Portuguese author Fernando Pessoa.
Hosts and Guests: A classic academic volume on the anthropology of tourism.
Grand Canyon: A steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States.
"The Loss of the Creature": An essay by the writer Walker Percy.
Ethnologist: A person who studies the culture and customs of different ethnic groups.
Laplanders: An indigenous people of northern Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula of Russia.
Chinamen: A derogatory term used to refer to people of Chinese descent.
Patagonians: An indigenous people of southern South America.