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Published 04/17/24
I know, I know. I said that there would be more output this year. I still plan on that. However, soon after the new year, I began working pretty much nonstop on a big project that is now in its final stages. I am very excited to announce it, and more information will come soon. This article was basically finished in February. Not long after, I arguably went “traveling” myself for a few days, for the first time in a while. It was alright, and didn’t change my opinions one way or the other. Am I a hypocrite, or now more qualified to speak on this topic? You decide.
It seems like a lot of people are quite fond of traveling all the time. I don’t mean going to see relatives for Christmas, or flying somewhere for business, that’s all fine. What I don’t understand is aimless tourism. Wanting to go somewhere just for the purpose of going somewhere, or seeing some “attraction” or having some “experience”. This is broadcast on social media everywhere, it’s seen as some sort of sign of success or culturedness. In school, the poor kids complaining that the more well-off ones get to go to Disneyland/world over the summer. I have never been to Disneyland/world, maybe it’s enjoyable for children. I have been to amusement parks and I can’t understand why anyone would willingly go out of their way to pay hundreds of dollars to have to wait in line in the hot sun to get thrown around on a rollercoaster or go down a waterslide or similar for a few minutes. “Food, I want to try the exotic food!” you say. I don’t get people’s obsession with food. To me, the process of eating is one of the most ungainly, cringe-inducing activities possible, and all food is basically the same.
I’m not the biggest fan of Tate, but I agree with him somewhat on this.
Is the food in X place really so good that you can’t make something equivalent at home yourself? (and maybe learn a skill along the way) Even seeing a band you like, that’s maybe a little more understandable but still I’d imagine it gets old after a couple times sitting around a bunch of sweaty people, while you have to wear hearing protection or your eardrums get blown out just so you can say “I WAS THERE! I GOT MY DICK SIGNED BY MISTER BIGSHOT MCGEE!!!” Nice, just like five thousand other people. Being a heckin’ superfan of someone or something doesn’t require any effort and isn’t even interesting.
That’s the thing about all these “experiences”, is that they’re all empty. People are trying to “find themselves” by going to some far away place, but no amount of novel experiences is going to fulfill you. I find that the far more fulfilling (and generally less expensive) activity is to accomplish something or provide something of value to the people around you. Develop some kind of useful skill, learn something, that will all leave you better off than consuming products or media or having “experiences”. The experiences will come as a bonus. Of course, those things aren’t glamorous and actually require commitment and self-determination. People don’t want that, they want escape. That’s the real motive behind wanting to “travel” all the time. Me, I don’t hate my life so I don’t have a constant desire to escape it all the time. I’ve gone places recreationally, but in almost every instance, it’s a detour on the road to some greater purpose, like competing at something, and even then I’ll use it as an opportunity to hone my photography skills or something like that.
I think most people deep down are fundamentally discontent with their lives, that’s why they’re always trying to escape, whether it’s via traveling, consuming media, video games, parasocial relationships with e-celebrities, pornography, or any other of the convenient Various Methods of Escape the modern world has to offer. Stop it, and sit alone with your thoughts (though it may very well be uncomfortable) and only then will you be able to figure out what you want to escape so bad, and then you can work towards how to fix the underlying problem. I don’t even think the problem is people’s jobs, though a lot of people do have shitty jobs. Even if you have a shitty job, there’s always some way you can leverage your skills to get yourself into a better situation. It’s far easier to pretend you don’t have any agency and complain about your boss, though. There’s nothing you need that’s halfway across the world, so stop looking outwards and start looking inwards. Everything you need is already within you.
Made with love by gray
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