Travel writers – interestingly – describe their own profession as filled with narcissists.
We start by looking at examples of potential narcissism – the stories focus on “I”, and often throw in a bit of victim-hood as well.
Then we will look at how travel writers describe their own field – which turns out to be, they see it as a field of narcissists.
How to Tell a Narcissist by Their Writing – much travel writing starts with a close-up selfie of the writer, almost always a young woman, followed by “I” mumble mumble mumble. Here is an example, typical of Insider:
The story is about the writer, and very little about the destination. This style of writing makes sense for a personal blog – but does it make sense for every travel article on Business Insider?
Another – most of this story is about the writer telling us how she never saw her self as single but now, at age 33, she’s still single, and tells us everything about her single lifestyle: I’ve been living abroad alone for 7 years. I thought being single was a fail, but turns out it’s pretty great. This story is 100% about her self and justifying why she has chosen (or ended up) being single without kids. Here’s another talking about her loneliness.
Another:
And another: “I”, “visited 68 countries”, “I think” … which are clues to narcissistic behavior, coupled with the usual bad things (victim-hood, oppression) associated with living in America.
And another (although she takes a critical look at the narcissistic behaviors of her fellow study abroad students):
Another One
And another:
Many Think Travel Writing Is All About Narcissism
Some think this is the nature of travel and travel writing: Response to: “Has travel become another exercise in narcissism?” | by Jenny MacLean | Medium – it’s just what travel and travel writing has become – that is, all narcissistic behaviors.
Many – actually most “I moved abroad”- stories blame America for their move – positioning themselves as a victim. Per the first link, quoted here, these could be indicative of narcissistic behaviors:
- Takes advantage of others. This is usually done in the form of blaming others for things that have gone wrong with the NPD. NPDs won’t accept responsibility for their actions, reactions, or responses. By placing the blame on others in their writing, they are passively-aggressively tossing the buck.
- Lacks empathy. NPDs often expect empathy for themselves but refuse to extend it to others. In writing, this can come across as playing the role of victim as an effort to garner sympathy. However, NPDs will see others attempt as gaining sympathy as a weakness.
Travel Writers View Their Own Profession as Narcissists Run Wild
- When tourism turns into narcissism “I’m a travel writer, which is shorthand for saying that I’m a work-shy dilettante with an overinflated respect for the value of my own experience. What started as a means of investing my inveterate wanderings with more purpose has become an exercise in massaging my ego, and a burden: Each turn in the road is now scouted in advance, the camera never far from my side.”
- Has Travel Become Another Exercise in Narcissism? | by Henry Wismayer | Human Parts (Alternate link) “Travel has become another exercise in narcissistic presentation, one more way of desperately extracting some semblance of uniqueness out of your otherwise soul-crushingly mediocre existence.”
- Sadly, Travel Writing Is Dead – The Atlantic “But why has travel writing devolved into such a “narcissistic” genre? As best as Wood can see, it’s simple: “it is easier than ever to travel, and not at all easier to write well.” “
- Is everyone who writes a travel blog a narcissist? – Travel Alchemist
- Why Your Obsession With Travel Means You’re Living A Mediocre Life | Thought Catalog “Being obsessed with travel means you are afraid to try anything — so you run. You run away from a stable income, from a prosperous future, from the difference you could actually make in the world. You run to faraway countries where you can take menial jobs — that you would be embarrassed to take back home — to net just enough money to sustain your “growth” that doesn’t actually grow any part of you.”
- Why Can Narcissists Not Accept Blame? “Accepting blame and responsibility is difficult for most people, but for narcissists, it’s almost impossible. Narcissists live in a fantasy world in which they are perfect and superior to others; therefore, admitting to any wrongdoing would call into question their very sense of self. Grandiose and vulnerable narcissism share the core traits of aggression, entitlement, superiority, and grandiosity. They rely on and feel entitled to the external validation of their grandiose and superior sense of self.”
- An online forum discussion about this issue: Has Travel Become Another Exercise in Narcissism? : r/TrueReddit – and an opposing view from that forum: “I have met the exact opposite: people who refuse to travel. They just stay in one place living out their lives. They tend to be close-minded people who are not welcome to novel experiences and thinks everyone else in world is just like them. I met one guy who couldn’t grasp the concept of jet-lag. By traveling, what you say about yourself is that you’re a curious person who wants to experience the world in first person. You don’t mind the occasional inconvenience or food poisoning because it’s worth it.”
A LOT of travel writing and the associated “I moved abroad” genre are, indeed, written by narcissists. As described above, many of those who write these stories recognize the narcissism in their own work!
The stories are self-centered, self-absorbed, often couched in some form of victimhood or oppression, yet oddly coming from those with privilege who come across as looking down upon those “unwashed masses” stuck in their 9-5 jobs back in the States – unlike the elite travel writers. It’s quite an odd bunch of contradictions!