The Camino Effect

The "Camino Effect"

The following stories have literally shaped my life.  All of these experiences have had elements of expectation, sacrifice, community, relationship, identity, achievement, competition, risk, fear and delayed gratification.

I've coined the term "The Camino Effect" to represent the impact that these types of experiences have on shaping ones identity.     

My quest is to come up with real world use cases, like these, which can be augmented with Web3.0 virtual features to create or enhance the "The Camino Effect".   

Prediction: One of the first big Web3.0 disruptive solutions will center on providing "The Camino Effect".

Having completed the 478 mile walk with a family of four I can attest to the effect it can have on you.   All worldly things you bring to the walk become unimportant to that community.  Within the community your identity is established based on your ability and achievements within the context of the walk.  

more examples

I had almost an identical experience when hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).   Everyone takes on a trail name.  No one talks about their profession or worldly things.  Your only measure of worth within the community comes from your ability to do the miles.  Once on the trail you became part of the tribe.  The top of the food chain are those folks that have done the triple crown of  PCT, CDT and AT.  Almost 100% of the hikers rely on a mapping and virtual crowd sourcing tool called Guthook, that is now called FarOut.  I would have literally died without this app.  It lets hikers know the status of water sources and trail conditions.  This was my first time where technology was an essential and integral part of an experience.    

The gaming community thrives off this same effect.  My nephew has almost god like status within his community for his achievements.  It has had such an impact on him that he made building these games his profession.  

Peloton has this community, milestone and awards thing dialed in.   Folks join both upcoming live classes and past classes.  During live classes coaches call out names and celebrate their number of classes completed.  I reached a huge milestone when I had my 150'th bike ride and it was called out during the class.  While biking or running you have a leader board and all your real time stats.  They integrate in your all time records into the leader boards.  You give high fives to each other.  You receive achievement awards.  Like the other environment, the Peloton family is all about what you do on the bike or treadmill and not anything else in your world.  I have been totally hooked for years.

My dads service in world war 2 is probably the best example of this.  He joined the Navy at 15 years of age and spent several years overseas in combat.   Prior to going in he was extremely poor and when he got out he went back to that world.  But,  while in the Navy he was a sailor serving his country like everyone else.  During that time his identity was not defined by who he was before but rather what he was doing for our country.   His rank/uniform, job, where he was stationed, combat awards established his identity within that community.  At his funeral at 95 he was recognized with military honors and had his Navy hat on.    

Camino Effect Key Characteristics

Each of these use-cases take place within a focused context.  How I see my self and how others see me is defined within that context.   A triple crown hiker is revered on the trail even though they might have very little "worldly" value.  On the trail a person might have inner peace, but in the real world they feel conflicted.

• Identity (as you see yourself)

  • I have meaning,

    • I'm special and unique in this context

    • I'm sacrificing and helping others on a personal level  

      • ex. Ronald Regan personally be very charitable to people he meets but had very strong policy toward hand outs.

  • I have reached personal milestone/goals

    • I had a 35 mile day.  I had 4K ft of elevation day.

    • I ran further than my best 30 minute run 

    • I biked 10 days in a row

  • I have reached community milestones, competitive

    • I'm the best at a particular video game

    • I'm better than 80% of other riders

    • I just passed up Joe from Montana who is my age

  •  I get special attention because of what I have achieved

    • trail angle  gives me a special meal
      
      

• Identity (how you think others see you)

  • I'm valued by others for what I have accomplished

    • I am the best

      •  Hike at an amazing pace,  hikers body condition

      • Pack is organized perfectly. Perfect camp site

    • I have done something hard

      • Triple Crowners

  • I have sacrificed for them

    • mom collecting stamps and getting special things for family. On her own

  • I get things because of my membership/accomplishments

    • I will be invited to site with them, they will talk to me

    • Trail angel will give me a special meal

    • I can pitch my tent at special place reserved for us
      
      

• Community

  • Part of something bigger 

    • Folks have walked the Camino for centuries.  Folks have certificate of completion

    • Folks have walked the PCT for years.  You are in the tribe if you did the PCT.

  • Personal Connection (Usually smaller group of 3-6) - trail family

    • Having dinner together day after day

    • Shared misery, pain, and hardship (we all walked the last 10 days together)

    • Sacrifice for those specific people

  • Communal Connection (Larger group)

    • Shared sacrifice (well all miss our kids)

    • Having a special dinner together, special church service together

    • Stop at a coffee shop, special trail angle stop. 

    • Shared misery, pain, and hardship (single 15 mile hard walk) 

    • We are apart of an exclusive club

Halo Effect

"The halo effect is a type of cognitive bias in which our overall impression of a person influences how we feel and think about their character." (link).

An example of this is illustrated below. Unfortunately this bias is shown all to often in this world. 

This same bias can be applied to how you feel about yourself.   I feel so much more capable when I'm looking good.

Controlling these unfair biases can be really hard.  

I have found that these biases become muted when the "overall impression" is contextualized and measured in terms of real achievements.

For example,  when I'm doing a Peloton ride and Jane from Idaho goes screaming past me on the leaderboard I think wow that person is incredible.  I click on Jane's profile to see that she's done 5000 rides and has a mustang horse for an avatar.  These are things that Jane was able to share about herself.  Her achievements were presented in a very narrow context defined by Peloton.

Another quick example.    I'm sitting at the camp fire planning my next days hike and trying to figure out where I will camp tomorrow.   I bring up the gut hooks app and I see that Wolf Man (trail name) has posted that there is plenty of water 22 miles ahead and the bugs are at a minimum.  Over the past 3 days I have found that Wolf Man has been reliable in his information and he did the Appalachian Trail last year so knows his stuff.   The next day I get done with a really long hike and find "Wolf Man" has taken a zero and spent the day at the camp site.    My first impression of him is based on his experience, willingness to help others on the trail, and having a big smile and hello when I arrived.

I believe this is why so many people are drawn toward pursuits like these.  It gives people a chance to define the box in which they are judged.  During these experiences a person can feel good about themselves and get fed by people around them.  

The bottom line:   The Halo Effect brings people down, unless your Brad Pit.  The Camino Effect has magical powers.  At the top of a mountain after a full days hike I feel complete.  I call this my "Happy Place"

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please send me ideas or reference to other articles that talk to this.  r.pedersen@richcanvas3.com

MilkRoad (a great crypto community) establishes context by simply asking you to subscribe.  I wake up every morning and an email is waiting for me which shares the latest happenings.   Only subscribers get this special wake up call.  Its funny, light and informative.

Starbucks Odyssey  has a waitlist.  They send you an email and invite you to register and become a member.  I have no idea what happens next because I have not gotten an invitation :-(.  But I'm sure it will be cool.

Pacific Crest Trail.  Hardest ticket to get in town.  You register in October to get in a lottery. You get an invite to pick a start time and location.  You log in and grab the first date you can.  They approve your request.  You get an official permit that you must print before you leave.  PCT folks and forest rangers say hi and monitor the trail.

Peloton.  This is the best.  You get on your treadmill or bike and they welcome you to their family.  Your registration is paired with your treadmill and/or bike and you are in.  After a few runs they send you a nice shout-out with a personalized video saying hi.