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It is an odd fact that, while we are all charming people when we are at home, most of us become horrid as soon as we travel abroad.... The fact is that the average tourist, of whatever nation, views the life of a foreign country in its more trivial aspects and fails to display his own best qualities.
Source: Bertrand Russell's American Essays; Mortals and Others, v.1, 1975
More info.: https://russell-j.com/TOURISTS.HTM
a brief comment
The Japanese are skilled in collective behavior, and the basic ways of thinking of many citizens appear to be similar. However, more than one hundred million people live in Japan, and the country stretches over 2,000 kilometers from north to south. For that reason, even when we assume that we share similar sensibilities, we are often surprised to discover unexpected differences.
If this is the case even within our own country, it is easy to imagine how difficult it must be to correctly understand the ways of thinking and ideas of people in other nations.
There are sometimes people who boast that they have visited more than fifty countries as a hobby. Among them are those who are economically well-off and say, in a somewhat self-satisfied way, "Rather than rushing around tourist spots, I choose one or two places and spend my vacation there at leisure," thereby hinting at both their travel experience and their comfortable lifestyle. Indeed, seeing local life with one's own eyes can certainly help deepen understanding. However, when it comes to grasping the spiritual character of a people or society, carefully reading books written about them is often even more useful.
In any case, traveling widely abroad provides a great opportunity to broaden one's understanding. Therefore, when faced with such boasts, it may be wiser not to criticize or try to compete, but instead to respond with a light "How elegant!" while showing a touch of envy, and then let the conversation pass smoothly.
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