08 Jan Worldschooling & Ethics – Worldviews
How we perceive travel and the world ultimately comes down to our perspectives, worldviews and filters. This is an important aspect of Worldschooling to understand and be aware of.
Worldschooling and Worldviews
We’ve brought up worldviews quite a bit already throughout this series of articles. But I want to take a moment to define what we are talking about. From our perspective as worldschoolers, it falls under the inside-out perspective that affects how we see the world.
A worldview is the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or group that encompasses the body of knowledge resulting in a specific perspective. Worldviews are the framework, through which individuals interpret the world. Many worldviews are collective, shared by groups, nations or specific cultures but there is no one blanket worldview that exists for everyone.
Furthermore, every single human being on this planet experiences the world through their own lens which is influenced by their culture, economic status, gender, biology, environment, family (and countless other variables). Regardless of the influences, worldviews define one thing: How each and every person on this planet relates to the world around them.
Growing up I was not exposed to the idea that worldviews different from my own existed. Sure, intellectually I knew there were different belief systems, different countries, different ways of life, but I never once considered there were different manners in which people perceived the world. I recognized there were many superficial differences between people. That much was obvious. But those differences were always something that was just “out there” and completely irrelevant to my own life.
Even through adulthood (before I began traveling), I recognize that my worldview was limited to my finite life, and that there wasn’t a whole lot of consciousness outside of that bubble. My limited worldview was a result of my cultural indoctrination.
As worldschoolers, we learn through the world, inhabited by people with countless worldviews. Many of us include travel as part of our education. Therefore, multiple worldviews influence our experiences and ultimately, our learning. How?
Well first let’s look at our own worldviews and how they affect learning.
When two people engage in the same activity, have the exact same experience or study identical information, it’s probable that each person will process the information differently based upon their personal perspectives.
No information, lesson or experience can be perceived outside of the perceiver, therefore the information, lessons and experiences all run through our own individual filters. We process knowledge and information through our unique worldviews which helps define how we function within the world.
We spend a lifetime acquiring knowledge assembled through our experiences, which help us to make sense of the world. This is vital to our survival, but it is also one sided.
Without having the skill to recognize that other worldviews may differ from our own, we never step into a place of compassion or empathy and an experience of the world without compassion or empathy is a narrow and limiting experience.
Most of us never learn how to discern our own worldviews from our inherited belief systems adapted and absorbed along the way. Most of us passionately defend those belief systems (as if our reality depends on it). And certainly, most of us were never taught to extend compassion to others with differing worldviews or perspectives.
If we had, would this not be a more peaceful planet?
Worldschooling & Ethics – Worldviews
Worldschooling & Ethics – Cultural Tourism
Worldschooling & Ethics -Respectful Cultural Immersion
Worldschooling & Ethics – Worldschooling and Environmental ConsiderationS
Worldschooling & Ethics – Economic Considerations
Worldschooling & Ethics –Political Considerations
Worldschooling & Ethics – Privilege
Worldschooling & Ethics – Responsible Travel Practices
Worldschooling & Ethics -Exercises in Ethical Worldschooling
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