People who don't travel cannot have a global view, all they see is what's in front of them. Those people canno... — Martin Yan

People who don't travel cannot have a global view, all they see is what's in front of them. Those people cannot accept new things because all they know is where they live.

Author: Martin Yan

Insight: There's something tempting about this idea—that staying home makes you narrow-minded while traveling automatically opens your mind. But the truth is messier and more interesting. You can travel constantly and still see only what confirms what you already believe. You can spend a lifetime in one place and develop a genuinely curious, expansive way of thinking about the world. What actually matters isn't movement. It's whether you're willing to be unsettled. Someone who reads deeply, engages with people different from themselves, or even just questions their own assumptions is doing the real work of expansion. A traveler who hits the same tourist spots, stays in familiar hotels, and eats recognizable food hasn't necessarily grown. Meanwhile, a person rooted in one community who listens carefully to their neighbors' stories, wonders about why things are the way they are, and changes their mind sometimes—that's genuine openness. The real block to a global view isn't geography. It's whether you're actually curious enough to let the world challenge you, wherever you encounter it. Travel can be a great teacher, sure. But curiosity is what does the teaching, and that's available everywhere.