--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had long ago learned that when you are…" description: "\"I had long ago learned that when you are the giant, alien visitor to a remote and foreign culture it is sort of your job to become an object of ridicul..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/806/elizabeth-gilbert-131_aliens_i-had-long-ago-learned-that-when-you-are_1503477.jpg" --- # I had long ago learned that when you are the giant, alien… ![“I had long ago learned that when you are the giant, alien visitor to a remote and foreign culture it is sort of your job to become an object of ridicule. It’s the least you can do, really, as a polite guest.” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/806/elizabeth-gilbert-131_aliens_i-had-long-ago-learned-that-when-you-are_1503477.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/806/elizabeth-gilbert-131_aliens_i-had-long-ago-learned-that-when-you-are_1503477.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/806/elizabeth-gilbert-131_aliens_i-had-long-ago-learned-that-when-you-are_1503477.jpg) > “I had long ago learned that when you are the giant, alien visitor to a remote and foreign culture it is sort of your job to become an object of ridicule. It’s the least you can do, really, as a polite guest.” [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. When a dominant outsider visits a new culture, they may intentionally become a subject of ridicule to show respect. **In simple terms:** Giant visitor becomes a joke to stay polite. Key Takeaway Use humor to bridge cultural gaps. Themes culture humor respect Mood playful cautious Type observational guidance When to use this quote - travel - expatriate life Key Concepts anthropology social etiquette Questions to Reflect On - When is humor inappropriate? - How to gauge cultural sensitivity? A Different Perspective Ridicule can be misinterpreted as disrespect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aliens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aliens/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Long ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-ago/) [Polite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polite/) [Ridicule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ridicule/) ## Related quotes > [If an alien visitor were to hover a few hundred yards above the planet, it could be forgiven for thinking that cars were the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heathcote-williams/if-an-alien-visitor-were-to-hover-a-few-hundred-yards-above-the/) Heathcote Williams > [Am I the only one who secretly hopes that the Curiosity rover will be swallowed up by a giant alien worm living just below…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-laurie/am-i-the-only-one-who-secretly-hopes-that-the-curiosity-rover-will-be/) [Victoria Laurie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-laurie/) > [“Keeping the door that leads to your heart ajar is destructive as univited guests would move in and trample on your feelings, leaving you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/keeping-the-door-that-leads-to-your-heart-ajar-is-destructive-as/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [Visitors should conform as much as possible to the habits and customs of the house. 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You cease being an obstacle, not only to yourself but to anyone else.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/clearing-out-all-your-misery-gets-you-out-of-the-way-you-cease-being/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [The ingredients of both darkness and light are equally present in all of us,...The madness of this planet is largely a result of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/the-ingredients-of-both-darkness-and-light-are-equally-present-in-all/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [I was full of a hot, powerful sadness and would have loved to burst into the comfort of tears, but tried hard not to,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/i-was-full-of-a-hot-powerful-sadness-and-would-have-loved-to-burst/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [“I live in nature where everything is connected, circular. 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