My Arrogance

I am still a huge Survivor fan. I don't get to see all the episodes anymore, even though you can watch them for free on CBS.com the next day I still don't always make the time to see. But, I try to catch the majority of the show.

This season one of the characters was a guy named ACE. He was very arrogant during the show. At the end of the season reunion where people explain themselves, apologize or whatever; Ace was a complete ass.

He said something to the effect that he is a world traveler and it was hard for him to have to associate with people who have never left their neighborhood let alone their country or continent.

I think of myself as a world traveler. What I have learned is that everywhere you go most of the people you meet are not well traveled. The effect of having traveled is to make a person more tolerant. Ace was being intolerant, not a very good representative of world travelers.

Everywhere I have ever gone the point for me is to learn about a different culture. It is not about me telling other how they should be. It is about me seeing life from a different perspective. When I go somewhere all the people in that place are mostly not interested in my culture. Just like the other contestants on Survivor that Ace was having a hard time dealing with.

I don't know why this is bothering me so much.

Mandy refuses to tell anyone that she has traveled. Once I heard a conversation between two of her co-workers while we were at the grocery store where Mandy works together. They were discussing Egypt. One thought that Egypt and the Nile river were in Europe the other in Africa. Mandy has actually been to Egypt and cruised down the Nile river. What an opportunity to tell of her adventure. She said nothing, didn't even weigh in on her opinion of where Egypt is located. After we left the store I asked why she didn't mention her travels and she told me that she doesn't like to talk about it because it makes her seem arrogant.

Until now I thought that perception of people who have traveled as being arrogant is all jealousy and in the head of those whom perceive travelers to be arrogant. After hearing Ace I wonder.