The 19th-century English writer and traveler George Borrow is renowned for his distinct outlook on life and society. One of his more fascinating observations was that while people are captivated by faraway places, they frequently ignore the familiar in their own backyard.
Imagine someone who uses binoculars to gaze out at the horizon all day in hopes of spotting new islands rising out of the ocean. They may be awestruck by every new finding and fervently curious about every distant dot on the horizon. But the rocks and islets off their coast may be unknown to this same individual. According to Borrow, a lot of Britons behave in a similar way toward their own nation.
Borrow observed that although British people were eager to learn about far-off parts of the world, they frequently lacked a profound awareness or admiration of their immediate environment, which included the British Isles. It is easier to get excited about new places than to fully explore what is directly in front of you, he thought, because people are inherently drawn to the exotic and unfamiliar.
Borrow led an exciting life, traveling throughout Europe, especially in Spain and Russia, where he picked up languages like Arabic, Spanish, and Romani. He gained a broad perspective on various cultures and lifestyles as a result of his experiences. This quotation captures his view that, although traveling and learning about new places are vital, getting to know one's own home well is equally important.
His writings frequently emphasized how much can be learned from any society if we only take the time to examine what may appear commonplace or familiar. Borrow emphasized that knowledge and appreciation can be found everywhere, even in places one believes to be well-known, and urged readers to feel the same sense of wonder about their immediate surroundings as they would for distant places.
Through his writings and travels, George Borrow left behind insights about the nature of curiosity and discovery closer to home, in addition to insights into the cultures he encountered.