People come to the sea from all over the world because of its deep blue colour, whispering waves, and expansive horizon. What is the source of this interest.
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| Blue ocean |
Allow your eyes to stray over the sparkling blue as you listen to the never-ending sound of the waves; this has a very unique impact on people. And thus many people favour spending their vacations or leisure time near the water. But why do these enormous bodies of water seem to draw us inexplicably? Environmental psychology academics are specifically tackling this issue more and more. Sandra Geiger from the University of Vienna agrees, and she and her colleagues just released a research on this topic.
Over 15,000 people in 14 European nations and Australia participated in a poll concerning their health and being at sea as part of the EU-funded "Horizon 2020" project. The obvious conclusions are that "people feel healthier and better when they can spend time by the sea," according to research co-author Geiger. And this holds true for all nations and income levels.
The Czech Republic's interior residents agree that living near the ocean is excellent for their health. On the other side, Italians tend to be a little less. This might be caused because "the coasts are often built up, beaches are privatised or overcrowded with tourists." Geiger consequently supports facilitating greater public access to beaches.
The environmental psychologist believes that excursions to the water typically have a favourable impact on health, which is good news for Swiss citizens. Stress can be reduced and moods can be raised by views of a lake or ocean. Even in parks, woods, or other natural settings, the many shades of blue are favoured.
Finding shells, making sand castles, and snorkelling are all examples of childhood activities that have an impact on an adult's relationship with the water. Later in life, the ocean is also connected to relaxation.
According to Sandra Geiger, the appeal of water is intimately tied to expectations and experiences. One is the social side, since many people visit the water with friends or family. Sports like walking, surfing, cycling, and diving, on the other hand, are beneficial to our health. However, the improved air quality, ambient noise, and aesthetics are also significant feel-good elements. People appear to understand the health benefits of visiting the water on an instinctual level.
However, the enormous bodies of water may often be stormy, which puts us in risk. According to Christoph Riedweg, retired professor of ancient philology at the University of Zurich, "the first element of water is described in literature as both beautiful and threatening."
This ambivalence may be found in ancient literature and songs, where tales of life-or-death ship trips are narrated and where the sea's waves were used as a metaphor of impending doom. The sea was seen as a terrifying, erratic region by the Greeks and other cultures as well.
People are still aware of the dangers of the water today, so some of it has remained. For instance, a significant poll in Europe reveals that they are terrified of drowning. Not only are adjectives like "majestic" or "beautiful" used to describe the deep blue, but also worries about pollution and the obliteration of the foundation of life are voiced.
This illustrates the age-old dependence. In addition to regulating the climate, oceans also supply food and energy. "This benefit and curiosity drove people out to sea again and again," claims Riedweg.
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Mountain vs Ocean
A US study claims that one's character determines the place in which they feel most at ease. According to the research, introverts choose visiting the mountains over the sea. On the other side, extroverts like the water, particularly when they want to socialise. The authors of the study speculate that these disparities in preferences may be due to extroverts' perception that it is more difficult to have fun in the mountains.
Seafaring
The sea is a well-known metaphor for life's unpredictable events. The perilous sea voyage is often used as a metaphor for the difficulties and choices that individuals must make throughout their lives. Life is an odyssey, as the saying goes. This is a reference to the poem "Odyssey" by the Greek poet Homer. He narrates the Greek hero's ten-year sea voyage back to his homeland in it.