Tourist Ignorance: The Philosophy & Sociology of Making A Mark

Section IV - Studying Abroad: The Calm Amid Chaos

Date Written: May 25, 2023

Written & Published by: Rebecca Ruhnke

Location: Orvieto, Italy (Some Pictures Taken in Rome, Italy)

Is It Worth It?

I have debated whether or not to post this section of the Studying Abroad: The Calm Amid Chaos series as this experience does not enlighten the best of my moral judgment. After coming to terms with my actions and how they can be used in an informative manner, I believe by posting this, I can truly expand on the nature of these actions, one in which it seems many participate in. Note to the readers, please do not do as I did, if you have not already done so.

"Che Idioti"

As a tourist, you sometimes do some slightly dumb and insensitive things without even realizing it at the time. You’ll justify yourself by believing that it’s you against the place you are visiting; that the rules are stupid and would be better if you created the rules yourself. Especially when you are traveling from a western area, you will probably notice you have a bias towards the ways of your country and may even use the overused and oftentimes condescending word, ‘exotic’ to describe something unusual to you.

Whether it was the long hike you just took in the blazing heat of a clear sunny, eighty-degree Fahrenheit day or the rush of adrenaline from seeing new views, you somehow managed to act like a typical tourist.

Even if you try to be respectful once confronted, you will still likely be told that you are not respectful; because honestly, imagine how annoying it must be to the residents who hate having to watch and explain the ignorance to newcomers. Well, not proud of it, but that irritating visitor was me on Thursday, May 25, 2023.

The Mistake Is Now Carved In Stone... Literally

What I did, I should’ve known to at least double-check with myself before proceeding into a lifestyle of ignorance and arrogance. Yet, I didn’t because I have written this.

On the side of the information building in Orvieto, Italy, there was a list of a ton of names that were carved by new-goers that ranged from the current day to about a year ago. It seemed that the carvings would fade out over time or get written over and so, without even doing a double-take, I wrote my name and later made a faint heart with my initials in it. 

I wrote my name earlier in the trip and had no issue as some of my other classmates did the same. Later when it was getting closer to the time that the bus would swing by, I decided to faintly draw a heart with my and my boyfriend’s initials on it; I drew it faintly enough near the floor that it would probably fade in a week. With two of my classmates beside me who were just about ready to leave, I felt a little rushed so I tried to quickly finish. 

Just as I began writing my boyfriend’s initials, a man with a lanyard came around the corner, and with a smile on his face said, “Is it normal?” 

Before I could even process the question, he then said, “You’re the first person I’ve seen do this. Is it normal?”

Baffled at the moment by his discombobulating social cues that nowhere matched the question, the same question that was questionable enough to get me thinking about the philosophy and sociology of making our mark on the world, I awkwardly smiled as I slowly and delicately continued.

I usually don’t talk to strangers, especially if they come up to me. I was always warned of “stranger danger,” and I have had so many creepy men come up to me even before I grew boobs who asked me similar seemingly random questions to get closer to me. So I did what I usually do; I stayed quiet and carried on. 

That is when he straight up told me, “No, stop it. Stop.” 

As ordered, I stopped. As I left the area, he left as well. I turned to my classmates who were walking beside me and asked if they understood what the guy with the lanyard meant when he asked, “Is it normal?”

They told me they were just as baffled as me, and at the moment, they were just as quiet as me due to their confusion. I then thought to myself about this encounter for the rest of the trip back to my hotel room, where I began to write about this. 

Curiosity Strikes - Analysis Begins

This invoked my curiosity about human customs, specifically Italian customs, and how tourists from all over the map will eventually do something wrong on their journey across the globe. After many thoughts and even doubts, I’ve come to the development of some pretty diverse stances, chased with some more philosophical and sociological inquiries.

As stated in the chapter ‘Curiosity’ in The Art of Travel written by Alain de Botton, our Travel Writing course book, he states, “Curiosity might be pictured as being made up of chains of small questions extending outwards, sometimes over huge distances, from a central hub composed of a few blunt, large questions.”

The question, “Is it normal?” is a ‘blunt, large question’ without a doubt.

Questioning Normality  

For starters, I should have known better. At the time, I was a twenty-two-year-old woman, I should not have committed a minor crime such as vandalism. And then again, can you blame me for wanting to contribute to such a human tradition of slightly defacing human-made structures in hopes of letting our names live on forever? 

Is vandalism normal? Yes, it is.

Is it the right thing to do? Depends on the way you look at it.

Is your message meaningful or just an act of doodling? Is it meaningful to only you and select others, or is it meaningful to strangers? Is it an act of doodling if others don’t understand the significance of what the artist was trying to convey?

Is defacing something that isn’t yours wrong? Absolutely.

Is turning something bland into art a clear sign of human emotion and thought? Naturally so.

Is that what history is all about? In the simplest answer that comes from a deep comprehension of human behavior: a thousand yeses, yes.

Is it wrong for me personally to do as I did? Yes. But was the action sincere to me? At that exact moment, I thought about doing it, yes. 

So is it normal? In some profound way, yes.

Vandalism (Art & Messages) All Over

In Rome alone, there are so many buildings, light posts, and signs covered in spray paint, carvings, and stickers that have numerous messages on politics, love, various emotions, and beauty. There are no signs of concealing the vandalism on average structures, so it seems they never try to cover it up as often as we do in the States; painting over, sanding down, and peeling off any sign of a name, symbol, or portrait that was not there when it was built.

This could be for multiple reasons that range from poverty to a casual shrug of the shoulders; it could even just be that Rome is a city, and like most cities in the States, vandalism is more common.

Though it is a crime if you get caught, especially if you vandalize a monument or statue such as the Colosseum or the Trevi Fountain, it seems that covering up the crime is not on the priority list for standard buildings across the city. 

Body Language & Tone vs Intended Discloser

Building off of the question itself, there are so many ways to interpret the question, “Is it normal?” It could apply to so many ways of life and thinking, and it could be tied to a wide scale of sentiments.

The context and tone in which the man with the lanyard could have implied varies in alternative forms. Is it normal for tourists to do this? Is it normal for you to be doing this? His tone and body language could have scoped from a fellow tourist asking if he could have joined in or that he was a local of the area or a tour guide asking about the average day in life.

With the smile on his face and asking a very broad question, honestly there are so many contrasting means that did not match with his intentions. He may have been trying to be polite by attempting to get me to think about what I was doing wrong, but the way he phrased it was unmistakably a faulty method. 

Reflection & Liability

I want to emphasize that I always respect the spaces I visit, and I would never do something that others would never consider doing; I would never go out of my way to harm the peace of an environment and its people. In this case, I probably should have looked inward before making a mess out of the day for the guy with the lanyard and the space itself.

On the topic of vandalism, our thoughts and beliefs on the matter can be considered to be very controversial. Notwithstanding, my view sees both sides, and I never only consider one side over the other until I learn the full story. In this case, I'm still learning and reflecting, and even though I take responsibility for my wrongdoings, I continue to see both sides through and through.

Is It Normal?

I leave with this question, however: Do you think if that one person from the past did not start making art without permission we would still have all that we admire today?