---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm certainly dismayed by what I'm seeing…"
description: "\"I'm certainly dismayed by what I'm seeing now. There's a lot of ugliness of a kind I've never seen in my lifetime, or heard in my lifetime. But, look, ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a31/anthony-bourdain-649_dismayed_i-m-certainly-dismayed-by-what-i-m-seein_2533742.jpg"
---

#  I'm certainly dismayed by what I'm seeing now. There's a…

![“I'm certainly dismayed by what I'm seeing now. There's a lot of ugliness of a kind I've never seen in my lifetime, or heard in my lifetime. But, look, I'm a romantic. I'm hopeful.” quote by Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a31/anthony-bourdain-649_dismayed_i-m-certainly-dismayed-by-what-i-m-seein_2533742.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a31/anthony-bourdain-649_dismayed_i-m-certainly-dismayed-by-what-i-m-seein_2533742.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a31/anthony-bourdain-649_dismayed_i-m-certainly-dismayed-by-what-i-m-seein_2533742.jpg)

> “I'm certainly dismayed by what I'm seeing now. There's a lot of ugliness of a kind I've never seen in my lifetime, or heard in my lifetime. But, look, I'm a romantic. I'm hopeful.”

[Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

He observes increasing cruelty and decay, yet maintains optimism as a romantic idealist.

**In simple terms:** He sees ugliness but stays hopeful.

Key Takeaway

Hold onto hope despite bleak surroundings.

Themes

hope romanticism disillusionment social critique

Mood

melancholic hopeful

Type

reflective inspirational

When to use this quote

- travel journalism
- personal reflection
- social commentary

Key Concepts

human nature media influence cultural decay

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance realism with optimism?
- What fuels your hope in dark times?

A Different Perspective

Hope may be challenged by overwhelming negativity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Certainly Dismayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainly-dismayed-1368869/) [Dismayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dismayed/) [Dismayed Seeing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dismayed-seeing-1368868/) [Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heard/) [Hopeful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hopeful/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Lifetime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lifetime/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Seeing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seeing/) [Ugliness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugliness/) [Ugliness Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ugliness-kind-1368870/)

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> [Ugliness, a kind of beauty which hides a lot of pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubhanshu-tiwari/ugliness-a-kind-of-beauty-which-hides-a-lot-of-pain/)

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[David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david/)

> [I am dismayed to realize that much of the advice I used to parcel out to aspiring writers has passed its sell-by date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-am-dismayed-to-realize-that-much-of-the-advice-i-used-to-parcel-out/)

[Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/)

> [I think my favorite fact about myself is that I have never been dismayed by a critic's bilge or bile, and have never once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/i-think-my-favorite-fact-about-myself-is-that-i-have-never-been/)

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> [Many Liberals are rightly dismayed that on this vital issue of climate change we are not simply without a policy, without any prospect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-turnbull/many-liberals-are-rightly-dismayed-that-on-this-vital-issue-of/)

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> [Abandon the urge to simplify everything, to look for formulas and easy answers, and to begin to think multidimensionally, to glory in the mystery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/abandon-the-urge-to-simplify-everything-to-look-for-formulas-and-easy/)

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[Herbert Butterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-butterfield/)

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[Ally Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-carter/)

> [If you ask me to tell you anything about the nature of what lies beyond the phaneron… my answer is “How should I know?”……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/if-you-ask-me-to-tell-you-anything-about-the-nature-of-what-lies/)

[Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/)

## More by Anthony Bourdain

> [Everything important I learned, I learned as a dishwasher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-bourdain/everything-important-i-learned-i-learned-as-a-dishwasher/)

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> [If you ask me to tell you anything about the nature of what lies beyond the phaneron… my answer is “How should I know?”……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/if-you-ask-me-to-tell-you-anything-about-the-nature-of-what-lies/)

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