I think one of the greatest gifts you can give someone is exposure to new things. Exposure opens the mind, giving it new possibilities and fresh perspective on it’s current place in the world.
My favourite thing to do is to take kids who have closed mindsets and show them around places they’ve never been before, like Like Minds Conference. It makes them realise what is possible.
Your Leading Thoughts
- How do you pursue exposure? If you’re a parent, how do you foster exposure without fostering a sense of entitlement to new experiences in your child?
- With our travelling, googling society, what does exposure really mean anymore?
Photo by Ashley Rose
Archived Comments
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Exposure is going out onto a slightly chilly gritstone edge with recliners and blankets at about ten o’clock in the evening and waiting and hoping that the sky will clear, and then when it eventually does around 1 am listening to a couple of kids counting over 100 shooting stars.
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http://twitter.com/WDYWFT
My parents encouraged me to spend 10 months as an exchange student living with a host family in the United States (I’m German) when I was sixteen. I had a huge culture shock and would call that experience ‘exposure on crack’.
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Malcolm, having had the same experince myself, I can totally agree.
Look forward to catching up next Wednesday
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LOL! And what did you learn?
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My daughter is 27 now and we often talk about it when the Perseids come round again. Last time she went out with her husband!
I’m looking forward to Wednesday too.
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Good times!
“Train up a child in the way they should go” – Proverbs
You sound like a good dad Malcolm.
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http://twitter.com/WDYWFT
I learned about religion; how NOT to manage my own money; how to be respectful; how to choose friends; how to deal with one million different emotions and misunderstandings… and then some. I really like your thought, “the greatest gifts you can give someone is exposure to new things.” – Thanks!
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That’s what I’m talking about – so, so powerful isn’t it!
Loving talking with you
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http://twitter.com/Malcolm12boxes
I’m not sure about being a good dad, but thanks. When I did ask my daughter about her experience of having me as a dad the things she most appreciated surprised me. It’s not only the kids that need the exposure.
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True true! – It’s not just the kids.
I hear the saying again and again – kids train you more than you train them!
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Love this post. It’s an excellent adjunct to the ‘education breeds tolerance’ mentality I speak of. Travel is excellent for this but even crossing simple boundaries into a new restaurant, taking a class, participating in a different religious ritual, talking to a stranger, and so on all provide exposure.
To the point of your blog topic, I will definitely incorporate exposure into the equation of education breeding tolerance. Exposure opens the mind to a potential paradigm shift…
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Hey Stephanie
I love the way you phrase this – “crossing simple boundaries”. I agree, travel is great, but often people use lack of funds as an excuse. Just going somewhere *different* is all it takes.
I think exposure is essential in education, which is a shame considering most schools don’t come anywhere near exposure. This is where, for me, Church has stepped in and been my educator. With church I have seen so much all over the world
Scott
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