No way. I spent six months in Japan last year, on two three-month tourist visas. Within the first three months, I had learned immense, immense amounts about Japan, myself, and the rest of the world (via housemates and acquaintances). That trip taught me more than any other similar period in my life.
It's not making you any smarter or better, which is what a lot of people try to claim.
The best quote on travel I've read is, "travel doesn't make you interesting, it makes you interested." The few people I've met who thought it made 'better' were the same sorts of desperate saps that name-drop their college all the time. But these schmucks say nothing about going to college, just as the other schmucks say nothing about the validity of travel. You can't judge the world on the basis insecure people.
I'm 6 years in and still learning. I guess it's beyond travel at this point, but it's still an amazing country.
That said, I spent roughly 3-4 months back and forth staying in NY in 2010 and it was also an eye opening experience.
The key is to try and live like a local (as much as your persona permits) - and then address why you feel uncomfortable when you do, yet everyone else around you does not.
Well, yes, if you've never traveled at all, and especially never traveled outside the west, I would guess that's rather eye-opening.
I'm addressing the people who endlessly hit up new places and try to pretend it means something. It's just novelty seeking, as best I can tell, which is to some extent a trait of immaturity.
I suspect that the problem here is simply that you are wrong.
I'm not sure why, but you're consistently trying to be condescending about those who value travel. What do you gain by categorizing and marginalizing others? Living somewhere is okay, but merely traveling through is just "novelty seeking"? As if "novelty seeking" cannot itself be an activity that leads to personal growth?
Hey now, though he's not saying it well, he's got a point. I've been on some extensive travels and sometimes everything starts to blend together. I sit in a cafe and can't remember which city I'm in. It's really the people you meet that stand out, but the sample size per city is still quite small. It's easy to claim that you get exposed to a different culture, but if you only get to know a few dozen people then you might have found a similar culture back home in a different neighborhood.
I think the key is the attitude change that is often stimulated by, but not necessarily caused by travel. You could get the same thing by waking up one morning and realizing you'd like to meet some folks from the other side of town and learn what they think about life, work, love, etc.
Disclaimer: I travel for work. Meeting up with CouchSurfers keeps me sane.
It's not making you any smarter or better, which is what a lot of people try to claim.
The best quote on travel I've read is, "travel doesn't make you interesting, it makes you interested." The few people I've met who thought it made 'better' were the same sorts of desperate saps that name-drop their college all the time. But these schmucks say nothing about going to college, just as the other schmucks say nothing about the validity of travel. You can't judge the world on the basis insecure people.