Luxury has a way of infantilizing travelers
“Luxury is the enemy of observation, a costly indulgence that induces such a good feeling that you notice nothing. Luxury spoils and infantilizes you and prevents you from knowing the world. That is its purpose, the reason why luxury cruises and great hotels are full of fatheads who, when they express an opinion, seem as though they are from another planet. It was also my experience that one of the worst aspects of traveling with wealthy people, apart from the fact that the rich never listen, is that they constantly groused about the high cost of living — indeed, the rich usually complained of being poor.”
–Paul Theroux, Ghost Train to the Eastern Star
January 10th, 2012 at 8:17 am
Is this the part where we pile on rich people?
I think the more I’ve traveled and gotten curious about how other people pursue happiness, whether its traveling in luxury or complaining about being poor. People are generally doing what makes them feel good in that moment.
Not exactly pure unadulterated bliss, but in some ways its how they cope or choose to spend their time. That doesn’t mean I want to spend the rest of my life with people like this but I can empathise. As long as they’re not being jerks about it or infringing on other’ people’s quality of life – being an unobservant fathead seems like an ‘Ego Trip’ I’m curious to experience.
January 10th, 2012 at 9:43 am
Luxury infantilizes everyone. Luxury is supposed to take the edge off reality, to put you in a safe place where you can turn off your mind and just enjoy your existence. That’s what people are paying for.
Don’t expect intellectual heavy-lifting; that’s not why they’re there.
January 10th, 2012 at 10:03 am
I’m reading this book right now, and this bit has been one of the parts that stuck out the most. I don’t always get Theroux, but this is an unusually insightful thing to say.
January 10th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
The problem I have is when luxury is used to recreate an experience you could just as easily have had at home. You can get drunk at home, you can ignore other people at home, watch TV, look at the same websites, talk to the same kinds of people.
A luxury hotel’s primary amenity is the ability to get away from other people, to have a modicum of control over who you have to talk to when. This is anathema to the backpacking experience, but if someone wants a hermetically sealed hotel room at the end of a long day of navigating mass transit, walking through open air markets, and avoiding touts, I can’t blame them.
January 10th, 2012 at 3:02 pm
I have to agree with Dave. Luxury and travel have always and will always work great together – for most people. Because most people like to travel / vacation to “take the edge off”, hence luxury. Besides luxury is a matter of perspective. 98% of the people reading this quote don’t consider the laptop or smartphone using their personal Wi-Fi internet connection a luxury – but in so many other places in the world, these are certainly luxuries.
January 11th, 2012 at 11:34 am
I think Evaser started this but, the question is “What is luxury?” With the current world economy being a roller coaster, that cup of Fourbucks, er, Starbucks, is now a luxury for some. While I opt for hotels which are clean and safe, a backpacker may deem them “luxurious”.
January 11th, 2012 at 8:17 pm
Grow sideways
January 11th, 2012 at 8:19 pm
I meant UP!
January 11th, 2012 at 8:21 pm
It just sounds that way,they are really just talking from experience.
January 12th, 2012 at 10:24 am
Another reason I take a kindly view of luxury travel is that it insulates me from people I would just as soon not have as part of my travel experience.
I wonder if luxury travel appeals to people who can’t get into the country club at home.
January 12th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
I think Theroux is talking about people who are so oblivious that they don’t learn or appreciate much about what they are seeing or doing on a trip. The significance of what they are encountering is wasted on them.