Lost and found. Restoring human connections through travel
© Jimmy Nelson
While half the world’s population is connected to the internet, few of us are genuinely connected to our fellow humans. At Leisure Lab, we believe that travelers play a vital role in restoring that connection. Here’s why.
Pressure on our global society increases as cultural divides are being exploited. If we don’t act it will crack. Us travelers have an important part to play. To maintain unity, it is essential that we establish intercultural dialogues. These dialogues require both listening and sharing. Ultimately, that is the only way to stop polarization of modern society. Connecting with native people on the ground has many benefits. Travelers who engage will not only learn to better understand their respective destinations, they will also be rewarded with unforgettable travel stories and experiences – we vouch for it. Establishing a connection also has its practical merits. Locals’ knowledge of a destination far exceeds the contents of a travel guide or blog. Chances are they’ll point you in the direction of hidden gems that haven’t been fully discovered yet. This belief has become somewhat of a mantra to us: ‘The locals know best’. Through Leisure Lab, we call upon all travelers to interact, whether it’s on a regional, national or international journey.
Matter of perspective
Though we live on the same planet, our western culture is worlds apart from indigenous cultures – mainly those in remote locations, such as the Ukrainian mountains and Papua New Guinean valleys. For this reason, interactions with indigenous cultures provide for valuable life lessons, which can even be put to the test in popular tourist destinations. We turn to one of our travel heroes, Jimmy Nelson, creator of the much-acclaimed photo books Before they pass away and Hommage to humanity, for some elementary advice on establishing a connection with indigenous people. Jimmy has made it his life’s work to generate respect and understanding for the world’s indigenous cultures. He uses his photo camera to capture the essence of their existences, and to share their cultural pride with the rest of the world. Oftentimes, Jimmy is unable to verbally communicate with them. But when both parties are willing, so he believes, there are always ways to reach common grounds. To him, it’s all a matter of perspective. “If you change the way you look at people,” he says, “the people you look at change. And if that change is powerful enough, it will gather momentum to affect the whole of humanity.” But what is the trick? we ask him. How do you establish a fruitful dialogue with an indigenous individual? “To communicate in these parts of the world,” he explains, “You have to show yourself in an extreme way. Look at Mr. Bean. He doesn’t say a word and there are no subtitles. Nevertheless, he is understood as a person, simply by showing his vulnerabilities.” To this date, Jimmy relies on this lesson. According to him, vulnerability leads to empathy, and when there’s empathy, a bond from person to person can start to prosper. Jimmy: “If you get the chance to fully expose your real self, you can resonate with one another and make a pure, human connection.”
https://www.jimmynelsonfoundation.com/
Listen to our Break-Even Sessions podcast with Jimmy Nelson
