---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I got over the whole British…"
description: "\"I got over the whole British eating-with-hands phobia very quickly when I was working with Oxfam in Tanzania.\" — Jack Monroe"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fb/jack-monroe-5513_british_i-got-over-the-whole-british-eating-with_1578848.jpg"
---

#  I got over the whole British eating-with-hands phobia very…

![“I got over the whole British eating-with-hands phobia very quickly when I was working with Oxfam in Tanzania.” quote by Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fb/jack-monroe-5513_british_i-got-over-the-whole-british-eating-with_1578848.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fb/jack-monroe-5513_british_i-got-over-the-whole-british-eating-with_1578848.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fb/jack-monroe-5513_british_i-got-over-the-whole-british-eating-with_1578848.jpg)

> “I got over the whole British eating-with-hands phobia very quickly when I was working with Oxfam in Tanzania.”

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

## About This Quote

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

The speaker overcame a cultural fear of eating with hands while working in Tanzania.

**In simple terms:** Overcame food-eating fear quickly.

Key Takeaway

Embrace cultural immersion.

Themes

culture food phobia adaptation

Mood

curious optimistic

Type

reflective inspirational

When to use this quote

- travel
- volunteer work
- cultural exchange

Key Concepts

anthropology cross‑cultural competence personal growth

Questions to Reflect On

- How did work change perception?
- What other fears can be challenged?

A Different Perspective

Fear can persist without exposure.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [Phobia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phobia/)

## Related quotes

> [“But when she saw her eating with her hands, incapable of giving an answer that was not a miracle of simple-mindedness, the only thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/but-when-she-saw-her-eating-with-her-hands-incapable-of-giving-an/)

[Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> [If you think you have someone eating out of your hands, it is a good idea to count your fingers...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu/if-you-think-you-have-someone-eating-out-of-your-hands-it-is-a-good/)

[Ritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu/)

> [“I don't´t like doing dishes. I like eating with my hands and off napkins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/i-don-t-t-like-doing-dishes-i-like-eating-with-my-hands-and-off/)

[Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/)

> [“Get out of failure-o-phobia to enjoy success-o-mania.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prerak-trivedi/get-out-of-failure-o-phobia-to-enjoy-success-o-mania/)

[Prerak Trivedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prerak-trivedi/)

> [I have one phobia, snakes. And by snakes I mean intimacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-gould/i-have-one-phobia-snakes-and-by-snakes-i-mean-intimacy/)

[Dana Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-gould/)

> [I run in a pair of New Balances with a thinner sole, but they're nothing like those barefoot shoes that show all five toes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-reynolds/i-run-in-a-pair-of-new-balances-with-a-thinner-sole-but-they-re/)

[Ryan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-reynolds/)

> [I can't remember a dish my mother made that to me was pleasant. To this day I have a phobia of instant noodles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-leung/i-can-t-remember-a-dish-my-mother-made-that-to-me-was-pleasant-to/)

[Alvin Leung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-leung/)

> [So there you have it: Nature is a rotten mess. But that's only the beginning. If you take your eyes off it for one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-goldberg/so-there-you-have-it-nature-is-a-rotten-mess-but-that-s-only-the/)

[Lee Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-goldberg/)

> [“In fiction: we find the predictable boring. In real life: we find the unpredictable terrifying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/in-fiction-we-find-the-predictable-boring-in-real-life-we-find-the/)

[Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/)

> [I hate the word homophobia. It's not a phobia. You are not scared. You are an asshole,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-hate-the-word-homophobia-it-s-not-a-phobia-you-are-not-scared-you/)

[Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/)

> [I have had a lifelong phobia of snakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-savitch/i-have-had-a-lifelong-phobia-of-snakes/)

[Jessica Savitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-savitch/)

> [My biggest phobia is spiders. When I was in second grade, one of my classmates got bitten. That did it for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanna-white/my-biggest-phobia-is-spiders-when-i-was-in-second-grade-one-of-my/)

[Vanna White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanna-white/)

> [In neurotics, worm phobias are usually found as well as snake phobias.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-abraham/in-neurotics-worm-phobias-are-usually-found-as-well-as-snake-phobias/)

[Karl Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-abraham/)

> [The psychological condition of fear is divorced from any concrete and true immediate danger. It comes in many forms: unease, worry, anxiety, nervousness, tension,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-psychological-condition-of-fear-is-divorced-from-any-concrete-and/)

[Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/)

> [“Anything you fear is a shackle to ur soul. It is a phobia that tethers and blinds ur ability to see and comprehend your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/anything-you-fear-is-a-shackle-to-ur-soul-it-is-a-phobia-that-tethers/)

[Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/)

## More by Jack Monroe

> [I'm publicist, patron of nine charities, creative director, food consultant, recipe developer - and mum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-m-publicist-patron-of-nine-charities-creative-director-food/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [My pregnancy changed my relationship with my body because I went from despising it to marvelling at what it can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/my-pregnancy-changed-my-relationship-with-my-body-because-i-went-from/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [There's all kinds of research that shows children operate best if they start the day with some proper food inside them - it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/there-s-all-kinds-of-research-that-shows-children-operate-best-if/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [I'm well-known for saying unsayable things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-m-well-known-for-saying-unsayable-things/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [I think as much as people moan at things like award ceremonies, it gives people role models. It provides real positive reinforcement that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-think-as-much-as-people-moan-at-things-like-award-ceremonies-it/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [Working 90 hours a week is easily racked up when you're self-employed and rely on portable tech to do your work; your train journeys,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/working-90-hours-a-week-is-easily-racked-up-when-you-re-self-employed/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [I'm very careful with the money I have, I pay myself the living wage, and I try to save the rest, because if life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-m-very-careful-with-the-money-i-have-i-pay-myself-the-living-wage/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [All kids are fussy eaters - they go through phases where they'll only eat red food or they just want to eat porridge. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/all-kids-are-fussy-eaters-they-go-through-phases-where-they-ll-only/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [Working behind the cocktail bar was a different kind of escapism, a creative outlet with a newfound respect for alcohol. I didn't drink as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/working-behind-the-cocktail-bar-was-a-different-kind-of-escapism-a/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [I'm not organised, and I don't cope well with deadlines, structure and routine. I'm chaotic. Always have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-m-not-organised-and-i-don-t-cope-well-with-deadlines-structure-and/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [During my time at Essex county fire and rescue service, barely a shift went by without receiving a call from an elderly person who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/during-my-time-at-essex-county-fire-and-rescue-service-barely-a-shift/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [If I've learned anything in the last seven or eight years it's that my career flies by the seat of my pants and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/if-i-ve-learned-anything-in-the-last-seven-or-eight-years-it-s-that/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [I was a young mother with a dependent. I went from nice flat and fire service job to cold and hungry with a child.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-was-a-young-mother-with-a-dependent-i-went-from-nice-flat-and-fire/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [Until people realise benefits doesn't mean scrounger, and austerity isn't a fun middle-class way to grow your own vegetables, there's still a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/until-people-realise-benefits-doesn-t-mean-scrounger-and-austerity/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

> [I wear Doc Martens leather boots, so I'm not a vegan. I am a vague-one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-wear-doc-martens-leather-boots-so-i-m-not-a-vegan-i-am-a-vague-one/)

[Jack Monroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

[Explore all 100 Jack Monroe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/)

## More British quotes

> [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/)

[Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/)

> [I shot for French and British Vogue. The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/)

[Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/)

> [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/)

[Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/)

> [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/)

[Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/)

> [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/)

[Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/)

> [I always wanted to make a 'James Bond' film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made 'Swingers' - they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-james-bond-film-and-they-only-seemed-to/)

[Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/)

> [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/)

[Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/)

> [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/)

[Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/)

> [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/)

[Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/)

> [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/)

[Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/)

> [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. The old Soviet Union turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/while-we-like-to-think-queueing-is-unique-to-british-culture-the/)

[Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/)

> [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [The whole nuclear-arms-control and non-proliferation policy of the nuclear powers is a fraud: The Americans could not prevent the Soviets from replicating their weaponry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-black/the-whole-nuclear-arms-control-and-non-proliferation-policy-of-the/)

[Conrad Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-black/)

> [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/)

[Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/)

[Browse all 3,149 British quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I got over the whole British eating-with-hands phobia very quickly when I was working with Oxfam in Tanzania.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Jack Monroe"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-got-over-the-whole-british-eating-with-hands-phobia-very-quickly/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "British"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-got-over-the-whole-british-eating-with-hands-phobia-very-quickly/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fb/jack-monroe-5513_british_i-got-over-the-whole-british-eating-with_1578848.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fb/jack-monroe-5513_british_i-got-over-the-whole-british-eating-with_1578848.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2fb/jack-monroe-5513_british_i-got-over-the-whole-british-eating-with_1578848.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I got over the whole British eating-with-hands phobia very quickly when I was working with Oxfam in Tanzania.” — Jack Monroe",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Jack Monroe",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-monroe/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I got over the whole British...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-got-over-the-whole-british-eating-with-hands-phobia-very-quickly/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-monroe/i-got-over-the-whole-british-eating-with-hands-phobia-very-quickly/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
