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My grandfather was one of the wisest men I've ever known. Was he a Rhodes scholar? A scientific phenom? Did he have a Ph.D.?
In a word, no.
My Sicilian grandfather was a house painter with a high school diploma. And while he extolled to his children the virtues of obtaining their undergraduate and graduate degrees, he also understood that there was much to be learned by venturing outside the classroom.
Travel, he said, was the best education. And he was right. Here are four ways traveling increases your wisdom:
1. It broadens your horizons.
When you travel, it changes your perspective. Suddenly, the world becomes about more than you or your country of origin. You'll experience firsthand distant people and cultures, rather than the narrow view sometimes provided through your local media. And as you learn about other political, economic, and social structures, you'll naturally shift to a global viewpoint where you understand how people and places are interconnected.
2. It inspires your creativity.
Research shows that when you travel, your creativity is enhanced. Adam Galinsky, a professor at Columbia Business School and author of several studies that investigate the concrete links between creativity and international travel, explains that "foreign experiences increase both cognitive flexibility and depth and integrativeness of thought, the ability to make deep connections between disparate forms." The key to a creative boost, says Galinsky, is to purposefully engage while traveling by immersing yourself in the local culture.
3. It helps you connect better with others.
When you travel abroad, you gain a better understanding of people and their actions. And over time, you begin to realize that despite our differences, we have more in common than you would imagine.
Cross-cultural experiences can pull you out of your cultural bubble and help you empathize and increase your sense of connection with people from backgrounds different than your own. "We found that when people had experiences traveling to other countries, it increased what's called generalized trust, or their general faith in humanity," Galinsky says. "When we engage in other cultures, we start to have experience with different people and recognize that most people treat you in similar ways. That produces an increase in trust." And that trust paves the way for a better connection.
4. It challenges you to grow.
When you travel, you not only leave your home town, you also leave your comfort zone. While that can be scary, it provides numerous growth opportunities.
When you're in a land filled with foreign language and currency, exotic cuisine, and unexplored cities, you must move past your fear and immerse yourself into the unfamiliar. Use your curiosity to guide your adventures. Allow your grit to help you persevere through any travel mishaps. And know that with a positive attitude, even getting lost in a strange place means you'll discover people and things you may have otherwise missed—and later be grateful for the rich experience.
Because by learning about other people, places, and cultures, you'll also learn about yourself.
