The Dance of Foreignness and Familiarity in Travel

We live in a culture hooked on speed and certainty. Hot takes, quick fixes, and algorithms that claim to know us better than we know ourselves. Yet despite all the information at our fingertips, the world seems to make less sense by the day.

In this episode, renowned travel writer Pico Iyer describes how globalization – which offered up the mirage of a global monoculture – has instead led to a clash of civilizations and identity. For Pico, wisdom resides not in mastery but in doubt. From his decades of constant travel to his retreats in silence, Iyer describes how humility and stillness can open a clearer view of the world than certainty ever could.