I went on a boat tour in Everglades National Park this afternoon. Our tour guide, Mitchell, took guided us through the 3-mile-long Buttonwood Canal, where we arrived at the mouth of Florida Bay. He was very knowledgeable of the different plants, birds, and animal life in the area– after all, it’s his job. Along the water, we passed by a few speedboats driven by middle-aged men with short hair, sun hats, sunglasses, fishing rods, and tanned skin. These boatmen and Mitchell have lived here for all of their lives. They are masters of their domain, and I am just a tourist.
I was suddenly filled with a sense of smallness. All of us live in a bubble that we think is the world. But, there are so many people out there who live lives we couldn’t even imagine. I live in a world where people are meant to study hard in school, attend a prestigious university, and pursue a decent and sustainable career. I wake up thinking about internships and engineering projects. This bubble is all I’ve really known. The closest people around me probably have similar expectations, reinforcing my worldview. But to Mitchell, my worldview is probably laughable. He lives in a world where people are meant to follow in their parents’ footsteps, learning the ways of the water, and continuing a family legacy of fishermen. He probably thinks of how the weather is going to be for the day, when he should go out onto the water, and what supplies he should buy in the evening. What is the worldview of a daughter of a billionaire? She might think the goal in life is to create a world-shattering invention, run a successful business, and dedicate oneself to philanthropy. What about the worldview of a gang member? A city boy? A kid from the hood? I barely know.
There are dozens of assumptions we make in every moment– assumptions that might be completely different than someone with a completely different background. It really takes effort to learn about the types of people that make up this world. One of the main reasons for pursuing strong relationships with others is to expand your worldview, to gain perspective. But, we like to be comfortable. We usually end up living our lives with those that are similar to us. People who have similar expectations, values, and situations. And there’s nothing wrong with that. After all, how could you maintain a stable relationship with someone that you barely share anything with? However, I think it’s worth something to try to live your life outside your comfort zone. Perhaps, to pursue friendships that maybe don’t seem like they would work from a glance. Given all of our differences, there are always subtle threads that unite everyone. And your goal should be to tug on those threads, a bit more than those around you. You can talk to people outside your profession, volunteer for random charities, read memoirs and biographies, travel across the world, or live in hostels to try to meet strangers. The list goes on and on. All of us have some shared identity. And those who expand themselves to have the most encompassing identity have the capacity to do the most good. There are so many walks of life that are so different from mine that I couldn’t possibly begin to understand them. But throughout my life, I hope to begin to understand them, even if just a little bit.