Nutmegyeti
Member
- Country
England
Whenever I travel anywhere in Europe these days I am inevitably struck by how much better off and contented the average person seems. If that’s the result of not thinking then perhaps we ought to reinstall some of those who have let us down in the past.
I think a lot depends on where you’re travelling and why. I’ve travelled extensively for work over the past couple of years, including in Germany and France, and I’ve spent time in some of the rougher areas. As with anywhere, if you visit the French Riviera or Monaco, most people will appear fairly content. Go instead to some of the more deprived areas, parts of Montpellier, for example and you’ll find a decidedly unhappy undercurrent.
There’s also an obvious selection bias. If you’re travelling for work, most of the people you encounter will, by definition, have jobs. If you’re travelling as a tourist, I’m guessing you’re not booking Trotters’ Ethnic Tours for a day out in Croydon. You generally see the more attractive and prosperous side of a country, rather than a representative sample of how the average person actually lives.