The Tourist vs. Explorer Mindset: A Late-Night Revelation
So there I was, probably procrastinating on something important, when I decided to share my latest gripe with an AI about humanity. As one does at 2 AM, naturally.
“Want to hear about some qualities I don’t like in humans?” I typed, settling in for what I assumed would be a nice therapeutic rant session. Little did I know I was about to have my mind pleasantly rearranged.
The Great Tourist vs. Explorer Divide
I started with what I thought was a simple observation: I can’t stand when people prefer tourism over exploration. But here’s where it got interesting – and where I realized I wasn’t just talking about vacation styles.
The AI immediately caught on that this was bigger than literal travel. It painted this picture of the difference between someone who truly explores – getting lost, talking to locals, discovering hidden spots – versus someone who just hits the famous photo spots for the ‘gram. And suddenly, I saw it everywhere.
When Your Printer Breaks and Your Soul Dies a Little
Here’s my go-to example: Something breaks. Let’s say it’s your printer (because of course it’s your printer – those things can smell fear).
The tourist immediately starts looking for someone else to fix it. Tech support. That one friend who “knows computers.” Anyone but themselves.
The explorer? They Google the error message. They try turning it off and on again (obviously). They watch a sketchy YouTube video filmed on a potato by someone’s uncle. They fail. They try again. They maybe make it worse. But eventually, they either fix it or at least understand why it’s broken.
(Quick shout-out to Debi ❤️ – I’m always available to help with her printer, and I know if I asked her for help with anything, she’d be ready to put on her explorer boots and figure it out with me. That’s what explorer friends do for each other!)
And here’s the thing – even if the explorer doesn’t fix it, they’ve gained something. Knowledge. Confidence. A great story about that time they accidentally made their printer print everything in ancient Sumerian.
The T-Shirt Revelation
But the real “aha!” moment came when I was thinking about conversations. I kept coming back to how exhausting it is when people don’t actually want to converse – they either want you to nod along with their pre-existing beliefs or they want to “teach you a lesson” (translation: browbeat you into submission).
Then it hit me: “It’s performative rather than exploratory.”
Chef’s kiss
And that’s when I connected it back to tourist t-shirts – you know, “My parents went to Niagara Falls and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.” Except I realized this applies to ANY t-shirt with a statement. Band tees. Political slogans. That shirt that says “But First, Coffee” (we get it, you’re tired).
(Quick aside: Yes, I proudly own a SomaFM tee – it soothes the soul when the printer breaks – and a Caddy tee that’s literally serving up this post! But those are different. Those support independent creators doing amazing work. You should check them out and throw them some support if you can. And before you ask – no, I don’t get $ from this shameless plug, but it would make me happy if you supported them. Consider this your surprise mid-blog sponsorship segment. You’re welcome! 😄)
These aren’t conversation starters – they’re conversation enders. They’re the tourist’s proof of purchase from their brief visit to an identity. “I went to this ideology and all I got was this slogan.”
The Uncomfortable Truth: I’m a Tourist Too
Look, I’ll be honest – recognizing this pattern hasn’t magically transformed me into some enlightened being who only has deep, meaningful exchanges. I still sometimes catch myself in full tourist mode, especially before coffee.
But now I notice it. When someone disagrees with me, there’s this little voice that asks: “Are you about to explore or perform?” When something breaks, I try to resist the immediate urge to outsource the problem.
Yes, even plumbing. I’ve fixed toilets, drains, sewer pipes – voluntarily. You can wash your hands, wear a mask and gloves. Stop being a wimp.
But here’s the thing – it’s not about “being tough.” It’s about doing things that thousands of people do every single day as their job. When you’ve snaked your own drain, you understand what the plumber deals with. When you’ve worked service industry, you get why the server might be having a rough day. These experiences keep you connected to the full spectrum of human work and struggle.
It’s like the difference between tourists who never leave the resort and travelers who eat where the locals eat. One version keeps you in a bubble. The other reminds you that we’re all just humans dealing with the same messy realities – sometimes literally.
The explorer mindset means approaching conversations with “What can I learn from this person?” instead of “How can I fix their wrong thinking?” It means being genuinely curious about why someone sees things differently. It means being willing to be changed by an interaction.
The Plot Twist
The beautiful irony? This whole thought process started with me wanting to complain about other people. Classic tourist move – visiting the land of “Everyone Else Is Wrong” and looking for validation souvenirs.
But as I kept thinking about it, playing with the idea, expanding on it, I wasn’t just complaining anymore – I was discovering something about how I want to move through the world.
Sometimes the best insights happen when you think you’re just there to vent about your pet peeves. Sometimes the real exploration was the self-awareness we found along the way.
(And yes, I’m aware that ending with a meme-ified quote is peak tourist behavior. I contain multitudes.)
What about you? Where do you catch yourself being a tourist when you could be exploring? I’m genuinely curious about the conversation – though please, no coffee sales pitches.
You can comment anywhere on this post by highlighting any text that resonates with you (or challenges your thinking) and sharing your thoughts. Maybe highlight “It’s performative rather than exploratory” and tell me about a time you caught yourself performing instead of genuinely engaging. Or select the printer paragraph and share your own “I tried to fix it and made it worse” story. The explorer approach to conversation starts wherever you are.
