e.g., broader perspectives on life, empathy, ability to adapt…etc

If you could go back in time, would you chosen to live in multiple countries and/or cities vs staying in one place your whole life?

  • Bull_City@alien.topB
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    1 year ago

    I think the biggest is perspective.

    I grew up in the US, specifically in the South. Lots of things I disliked, but couldn’t quite figure out why. Then I traveled and moved abroad for a bit. And realized it wasn’t me, it was my environment - and seeing different ways people live gave me perspective on how absurd certain things are if you pan out and what isn’t absurd when you pan out. Having that perspective makes me much more ok with certain things and more able to effectively do things and solve problems.

    An example I will give is work. If you work your entire life in the US you will likely have a certain perspective of the importance of work and ties to lifestyle around that. After working overseas you realize how people view work isn’t the only way to view work and that most of the seriousness the US puts on work is pretty much a farce. Knowing that lets you take professional risks and navigate more effectively.

    Then there is just ways of living. Realizing you can live on a lot less than people thing and being able to question a lot of assumptions that you grow up with creates a lot of freedom.