The Havamal: A Heathen Path of Living (Part 9)

18.

He who has seen and suffered much,

Knows the ways of the world,

And who has traveled, can tell what spirit

Governs the men he meets.

This stanza speaks of experience. Those who have truly experienced life will have “seen and suffered much”. Unfortunately, one cannot truly experience life without suffering. Broken hearts, bad business deals, lost fortunes, even illnesses and accidents are part and parcel to living life. But, as the German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, wrote, “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” This stanza would even go so far as to say that which does not kill us, makes us more informed. People who have lived life and experienced both great things and horrible things have an understanding of the universe and the people in it that is larger than most other people’s understanding. It is easy for a boy or a young man to eagerly play at fighting or wish for glory in combat. But, the veteran that has really experienced the horrors of war might be the most ardent pacifist you will meet.

Traveling is one of the best ways to gain experience about the world. Going to new locations, meeting new people, and learning new customs teaches us how much bigger the world is than we had thought. And, we don’t have to travel far. For those of us who live in the United States, we don’t even have to leave our country to really experience wide differences in dialects and history. As a Texan, I don’t even have to leave my state! Meeting people who are very different from ourselves challenges our assumptions about the world, but also challenges us to adapt to new surroundings. We learn how well we handle being lost in an unfamiliar place, how to communicate with others who do not speak our language, and how do we cope with the stress of not understanding customs when we are the foreigner. Learning these things about ourselves helps us understand others better.