Essay Example on Self-Absorption: Detaching From Foreign Culture?

Geoffrey Moorhouse's The Fearful Void, it is critically right to ask if self-absorption or excessive fascination with oneself can further detach him or her from a foreign culture. There is a true reflection of instances of self-absorption that completely alienated Moorhouse from the new culture across the Sahara desert. Controversies are surrounding the attitude of self-absorption. Many people especially the psychologist advocate for this spectrum; however, studies have revealed that there is limited and too much focus in this could cause harm to other people. The critical component of self-absorption is the vividly evaluate the essence of equalizing oneself and others. By being self-absorbed Moorhouse encountered several challenges that played a vital role in the failure of his endeavor. He was unable to connect with the individuals and the environment he met. People who are self-centered or self-absorbed are hard to deal with. The natives would have found it very unwelcoming to interact with Moorhouse. Hence, he was totally alienated and this prompt the native to the different course which were apparently to his disadvantage. At specific points, Moorhouse compared his culture and the culture of the natives. He considered his culture more humane than the natives`, and this is an expanded essence of self-absorption that further alienated Moorhouse for the new religion. Therefore when self-absorption is past self-protection, then the other result would harm others.

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In the span of his journey, Moorhouse thoughts and ideologies him from the new culture and the natives themselves. The void in his journey was abroad and continue to widen given the fact he had no experience of the desert, or of camels and the skills of navigation. Though he tried to learn some Arabic dialects, he was not conversant with the local languages. I can say the Moorhouse was disconnected from the new environment and encounter and his self-absorption played a more significant role in this context. Painting the picture of the idea of the human creature, his ideas were self-centered, and this was marred with he believes and thoughts. The disconnection of Moorhouse from the natives and new encounters was expected given the fact that he had no experience before on the course of his journey that he occasioned a voyage of self-discovery (he was determined to come to terms with his fear about life). Given the various aspects of disconnection including ideology and cultural disconnection, Moorhouse experienced dishonesty from the companions he hired during his journey. After adopting some elements of local culture, Moorhouse also seems disconnected for his Europe culture and thus appear to belong to nowhere. He thus sustained five months of certain appalling hardships. The unsuccessful journey of Moorhouse demonstrates the solitude in culture and literature that portrayed a social disconnection.

Conclusion

Studies reveal that Europeans had always expressed their superiority in places they visit especially Africa. Moorhouse also showed European superiority when he compared his culture (European culture) and that of the locals: he considered his culture more humane than that of the locals. Another aspect that revealed the essence of European superiority is when Moorhouse adapted some elements of the locals' lifestyle, i.e. the type of clothing. In this work, we see European monoplane landed near Moorhouse and was ready to take him back to Europe. However, he feels disconnected from the Europe culture and thus even feared the pilots. This demonstrated that in this work, the European culture was regarded as superior of the African cultures.