On Being a Righteous Hypocrite

As you saw from my previous list of stereotypes on the MV Explorer, there are some interesting (or not so interesting people) on board. I'm stumbling upon new types of people all the time, and one of those groups that I have recently discovered is the people who are excessively righteous. Something that comes with this is the plight of hypocrisy.

Now this sounds a little funky, but this group comprises of people who think that they are too worldly and understand so much about the diversity of the world because they once went somewhere a little off the beaten path. Furthermore, they make you feel like you are the worst person for not being as well-versed, considerate, and global as they perceive themselves to be. What takes the cake, though, is the fact that they are neither of these things, and they have a terribly skewed view of themselves as respectful and intelligent in this interconnected world. In fact, they are extremely naive and stubborn. This is in stark contrast to the people who have no interest at all in having alternative cultural experiences and, upon arriving to port, search for the nearest bar, club, beach, or McDonalds and wonder why nobody speaks English or accepts their American currency. I can't really decide which of these two I despise more, for each are quite horrible people. However, I think that the unbearably righteous have the capacity of being much worse because their feigned acceptance and knowledge can cause even worse problems.

This group of people parade their experiences on their sleeves and don't hesitate to tell you how ignorant they think you are. They brag and make you feel guilty about some kind of service trip in Uganda or Zimbabwe or another place that gives the illusion that you aren't as kind and giving as they are. They talk about how they do so much community service with poor children or volunteer at the local shelter. They describe how they know so much of a language that they spent three days studying or talk about how they know everything about a certain cuisine because they went to a restaurant specializing in that food for their aunt's birthday party when they were a pre-teen. They are the same people who will come back and talk superficially about how their lives were significantly changed.

I've done some soul searching because I found a few of these traits in myself. However, I'd like to think that I don't fall into this group because of one trait: childlike curiosity. This is what differentiates the righteous hypocrite from a true explorer. The righteous hypocrite feels that he/she is a mature, experienced traveller knows so much and approaches new things with a critical lens. A true explorer comes with an authentic, almost juvenile, interest to learn, experience, and grow with no expectations. I hope to come back changed because of genuine transformative experiences from which I have learned valuable lessons and not because I can say that I went somewhere and, by virtue of that fact, am better than you because you did not.

Sorry for that rant, but these people have been pissing me off as much as the complete opposite group of yacht boys and woo girls have been doing so. What I suggest is that the best place to be is somewhere in between. And I can say that I have found myself a culprit of being more along the lines of a righteous hypocrite. So, with that in mind, I will try to be more aware of not sounding and/or acting like a prick as I arrive to my next port in a few hours: Manaus, Brazil. So, greetings from the Amazon! I hope to share with you some of my experiences (and some pictures) as soon as possible!