- I have always wondered what supports me to walk more than 13 kilometers every day in Beijing without being defeated by back pain. I think it definitely isn't "checking in".
- In fact, I dislike it. You run so far just to go to a place, take a photo, and then show off by posting it, satisfying your own desire for attention. This makes me feel like you are a child lacking love and affirmation, or a blogger who makes money from this.
- But why are so many people obsessed with doing this? I think it is a confusion that leads to some deception. Checking in itself is not important, what is important is the additional behavior that comes with checking in.
- Next, let's analyze the content of the action of "checking in":
- You arrive at a place, then wander around, and finally find a famous and impressive scenic spot to take a photo, then save it and post it on Moments or elsewhere, receiving views, affirmation, and praise from others.
- So obviously, this is a process of "doing something for the recognition of others". Maybe for those who pursue this recognition and conform to the collective trend, this is what they need. But for an individual with thinking ability and self-value realization, this is obviously something to be ridiculed.
- However, we can find that it actually comes with some other fun, and the key is "wandering around":
- You see many buildings and atmospheres that you think are cool and interesting, and you have higher expectations for what will happen next, so you continue to look.
- You discover things that you have never seen before, or things that you have heard of but have never seen in reality. The feeling they bring when presented in reality makes you never tire of it.
- In this process, you find that one of your past judgments was wrong and confused, and now it has been corrected. You gain some expanded understanding and knowledge.
- In the process of analyzing certain works, such as architecture, painting, and sculpture, you discover the author's ingenious design and expression, and you are amazed and appreciate it. At the same time, you gradually form your own impression and subjective construction of this place and this city.
- For those who think traveling is interesting, I think "wandering around" is the reason why you think all of this is worth it and continue to travel. So, I'm sure you have also discovered that "checking in" is deceptive, a word that covers up the truth. What we pursue is not these, but travel and tourism. As for the souvenirs we buy and the photos we take during this process, they are markers, marks that future us can use to return to the past and savor the present.
- This is a feast for observers, but also a unique artwork. You are the author, and the content is everything about this trip. At the moment you leave a souvenir, emotions and memories are compressed, and your subjective content is completed. This artwork is thus finished.
写于火车上 2023-05-01 7:00
The guy standing in front of me with a standing ticket is really amazing. He has been standing for almost 7 hours, and only took a short break.