“Luck is not a business model.”
Anthony Bourdain
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quolira.com
I don't have to agree with you to like you or respect you.
About this quote
Meaning
Bourdain is separating two things that people often collapse together: personal affection and intellectual agreement. You do not have to share someone's opinions, politics, or worldview to treat them with warmth and genuine respect. The line quietly argues against the tendency to make agreement a prerequisite for basic human decency, which is a harder and more generous position than it might first appear.
Context
Bourdain traveled extensively and spent time with people whose lives, beliefs, and backgrounds were very different from his own. His work regularly placed him at tables with strangers, and he consistently seemed more interested in listening and understanding than in debating or converting. This attitude showed up in how he approached cultures and communities that others might have kept at a distance, and it shaped the tone of much of his public conversation.
About the author
Anthony Bourdain was an American chef, author, and television host who became known for a style of travel and storytelling centered on genuine curiosity about other people. He hosted programs that brought him to places ranging from small rural villages to major world cities, and he was widely respected for the seriousness with which he engaged with local traditions and perspectives. His directness and his refusal to perform false enthusiasm made him a distinctive and trusted voice. He died in 2018 and is remembered as a significant figure in both food culture and travel journalism.
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Anthony Bourdain · Kitchen Confidential, 2000
Share this quote
“Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only at Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria's mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head?”
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