A related proverb

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I am looking for a proverb (or a famous saying) which states that if you travel to only one country, you will not be able to understand all its features because you haven't seen the other countries, and you cannot make a comparison between them (Actually I have heard that People who live in London say such a thing about their own country, claiming that London is the most beautiful country in the world.)  Or, if you have only read the Bible, for example, you will not understand all the nuanced points of it because you need to read other holy books as well.  Or, in other cases, suppose you want to determine if a specific grammar book is good or not.How can you decide? By examining other grammar books as well.   Do we have a related proverb in English?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Mr genuineI have heard that People who live in London say such a thing about their own country, claiming that London is the most beautiful country in the world.

London is a city, not a country. But if you mean England, they just happen to be right, I'm afraid.

Mr genuineDo we have a related proverb in English?

What is it in your language? I can't think of anything that is exactly what you want. The best I can do is "Variety is the spice of life." That is the common rendering of William Cowper's "Variety's the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavour."

Mark Twain wrote: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” But that is not a widely known saying or anything.

You hear "Travel broadens the mind", but I can't find who said it first.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Which London are you referring to?

London, Texas
London, Ohio
London, Ontario
London, Arkansas
London, Kentucky
London, Belize
London, England
London, Nigeria

If one has been to every London in the world, they will have a lot to compare, but none of these Londons are countries!

There is no saying about this specific topic, however, there are some (obliquely) relevant.

Travel is the great source of true wisdom. - Benjamin Disraeli
Experience is the father of wisdom and memory the mother.
The wise seek wisdom, the fool has found it.
Travel makes a wise man better but a fool worse.
East, west, home's best. (from the Dutch.)
A gentleman ought to travel abroad but dwell at home.
There's no place like home. (American)
Travel renders life more modest. (Greek)
A wise man esteems every place to be his own country.
Travellers should correct the vice of one country by the virtue of another.

A related proverb

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