Want to imagine a perfect democracy? Go hiking
#341
My Dear Friend of Democracy,
I've brought this photo.
Two people sitting on a bench. Not that exciting.
But, of course, this is in the eye of the beholder.
I brought this photo to tell you that hikers are wonderful people.
I've been to the mountains recently. Everyone there greets each other. They don't litter. And they're practically always in a good mood.
Even me.
I sometimes start out in a bad mood, but I almost always arrive in a good mood.
How does this change come about?
The nature. The peace and quiet. The physical exhaustion. Things like that. Hiking offers so much that we don't have in everyday life. Look at the photo. How these two hikers are sitting on the bench. Close. Unpretentious. Presumably happy to have found this bench. Resting. Not wanting to be anywhere else.
What can we learn from this regarding the topic here, democracy?
Hiking in the mountains feels like living in a perfect democracy. Everyone matters. Everyone behaves socially and communally. Everyone is kind to one another.
This is one of the reasons why I love hiking.
See you in Democracy,
Johannes
Related: The Lycian Way (BBC)