Amid global turmoil, Danish explorer Thor Pedersen’s journey to every country without flying stands as quiet proof that kindness and shared humanity endure — even in the unlikeliest places. It’s a story of contrast, conviction, and hope
Septuagenarian Dr Iain McGilchrist, a world-renowned philosopher, psychiatrist and neuroscientist, recently addressed a symposium titled The Future of Humanity, where he delved into some of the most pressing questions at the heart of our existence-the existence of what is good, beautiful, and true. Reflecting on his lifetime, he observed that these fundamental transcendental values have been increasingly sidelined, decried, debased, and even destroyed. “It is not just that we are distracted from the truth,” he noted, “but we demand protection from it, lest it hurt us-in case life itself hurts us.”
This observation resonates deeply in a world increasingly perceived as unkind, unfeeling, and unconcerned, where the very essence of humanity-compassion, love, and concern-seems to be vanishing at an alarming rate.
In our hyper-competitive socio-political environment, every sphere of life-familial, social, professional, and spiritual-is under strain. Systems meant to support them are collapsing. Yet amid this bleakness, glimmers of hope remain. One such beacon is a traveller’s journey-marked by twists, encounters, and insights, offering a powerful affirmation of the human spirit.
Take the journey of Thor Pedersen, a Danish explorer. Thor is the only person in history to travel to every country in the world without flying. Between 2013 and 2023, he visited over 200 nations-India being his 168th-using only ships, trains, buses, and other ground or sea-based transport. His journey was more than a feat of endurance; it became a profound exploration of humanity, transcending borders, cultures, and beliefs.
At the heart of his experience lay a simple truth: “People are just people.” Wherever he went, he met ordinary people living ordinary lives-finding joy in food, music, and sports, and valuing safety and stability over political and religious divides. Across every border he crossed, he was met with kindness and generosity. Strangers offered him meals, shelter, contacts, translations, or simply a smile when he needed it most-true to the spirit of our shared humanity.
His realisation deepened when he observed: “If we reduce people to numbers and statistics, we create distance and lose empathy. Divide and conquer is an age-old strategy, and it works well-but at what cost? We can keep dividing the world until, eventually, we all sit alone.”
However, the Danish globetrotter’s voyage was not without challenges. He encountered a few unpleasant incidents and individuals along the way, threatened by drunk, armed, and hostile men, battling cerebral malaria, and being held at gunpoint. While all this, however, did not dishearten him, we are reminded of Gandhiji’s profound words: “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”
Thor’s journey, devoid of privilege and elitism-underscores vital truths:
a) Even if gentleness and kindness seem to be in decline, they continue to thrive quietly at the grassroots.
b)Though humanity struggles to find its rightful place in a world consumed by the relentless pursuit of power, pleasure, and profit, it is not lost - only marginalised.
c) As we glamorise wealth, we risk losing the very qualities that define us as human-compassion, care, and cooperation.
History bears witness to countless individuals who, in moments of crisis, be it accidents, tragedies, or desperate need - step forward uninvited, saving lives and rekindling faith in humanity. Though often overlooked, their actions quietly pull humanity back from the brink.
That said, the world remains enmeshed in grave, interconnected crises-war, inequality, poverty, climate change-all demanding collective will. Sadly, world leaders, despite their promises, continue to ignore the catastrophic plight of millions. As they routinely gather to design an ostensibly better future, they remain either unable or unwilling to respond-revealing not just a failure of meaningful action, but a failure of intent.
Grim Realities
For long, we have viewed the world as manipulable and controllable-ripe to be bent to our will. Therefore, few doubt that many crises plaguing our world are not mere accidents of fate or unavoidable circumstances; they are often the deliberate outcomes of power-driven agendas. Fueled by greed, ruthless self-interest, and an insatiable thirst for domination, these forces ignite brutal conflict, widespread deprivation, environmental devastation, racism, and religious extremism-creating a reality steeped in suffering and division.
Poverty, an affront to human dignity, heightens vulnerability to abuse. Tied to climate change, it’s set to intensify-new research led by Dr Timothy Neal (University of New South Wales) warns the average person could be 40% poorer if global temperatures rise by 4°C.
Shockingly, those who hold power-whether in struggling countries, developing economies, or even the most developed nations-have often abandoned humanity as the foundation of governance. Opportunistic toxic politics and hybrid forms of authoritarianism continue to destroy the sacred ground of human dignity, pushing aside the cardinal principle that must guide all leadership: People Over Everything.
Even the COVID-19 crisis-exposing vulnerabilities and inequities-failed to instil lasting solidarity. Human dignity remains dispensable.
What of more grim realities? According to the Geneva Academy, more than 45 armed conflicts are currently raging across the Middle East and North Africa. Africa follows closely, with over 35 non-international armed conflicts (NIACs). Asia remains a battleground for 19 such conflicts, while Europe contends with seven.
Bleak as it may seem, this is a call to action-one urging us to deepen our commitment to humanistic values, where every life is worthwhile, wanted, and welcomed.
While it may be simplistic to expect everything to align perfectly with the humanistic way, it is crucial to recognise the deeper causes of suffering, distress, and anguish within the fabric of human society-locally, nationally, and globally. In an age of deep disillusionment, we must remember: the world is not merely a map of borders, but a shared home.
As Professor Harvey Whitehouse of Oxford reminds us: “Remembering that we are all related and experience many of the same challenges could be the key to solving global problems-from intergroup conflicts to poverty and the climate crisis.”
What kind of world do we want to live in? If we fail to address this, we risk sliding into a soulless existence-a world full of people, yet empty of humanity. We may exist, but we will not truly live. The degradation of humanity is not inevitable. Though messiness and imperfection are part of what makes us human, it is in our ability to reclaim substantive conversation and enrich our relationships, based on humanistic virtues. Our hearts and minds-feeling, willing, knowing, sensing-must not grow numb to the suffering that surrounds us. We must not be swayed by eloquent words, empty rhetoric, or the shallow display of symbolism. Only through real, tangible action can we reclaim what is slipping away-the very essence of our shared humanity.
The imperative of our times: Reawakening our humanity — Embracing what matters most-People, planet, and our shared future.
(The writer is columnist and author. He is former Deputy General Manager, India International Centre, Delhi. Views expressed are personal)
