---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: [..] the very open-endedness of human…"
description: "\"“[..] the very open-endedness of human appetite is responsible for both our savagery and civility, since the creature that conceive of eating anything ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/michael-pollan-408_appetite_the-very-open-endedness-of-human-appetit_2191442.png"
---

#  \[..\] the very open-endedness of human appetite is…

![“[..] the very open-endedness of human appetite is responsible for both our savagery and civility, since the creature that conceive of eating anything (including, notably, other humans) stands in particular need of ethical rules, manners, and rituals. we are not only what we eat, but how we eat, too.” quote by Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/michael-pollan-408_appetite_the-very-open-endedness-of-human-appetit_2191442.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/michael-pollan-408_appetite_the-very-open-endedness-of-human-appetit_2191442.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/michael-pollan-408_appetite_the-very-open-endedness-of-human-appetit_2191442.png)

> ““\[..\] the very open-endedness of human appetite is responsible for both our savagery and civility, since the creature that conceive of eating anything (including, notably, other humans) stands in particular need of ethical rules, manners, and rituals. we are not only what we eat, but how we eat, too.””

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

## About This Quote

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

Human desire for limitless consumption drives both destructive and civil behavior, requiring ethical frameworks, manners, and rituals to guide how we obtain and consume food.

**In simple terms:** Unlimited appetite creates both cruelty and culture, needing rules for eating.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate mindful eating habits.

Themes

ethics consumption culture behavior rituals

Mood

reflective concerned

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- dinner parties
- grocery shopping
- policy making
- environmental activism
- personal diet planning

Key Concepts

moral philosophy food studies social norms

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance pleasure and responsibility in food choices?
- What rituals help you eat more ethically?

A Different Perspective

Overemphasis on rules can stifle spontaneity and cultural diversity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Appetite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appetite/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/)

## Related quotes

> [You sharpen the human appetite to the point where it can split atoms with its desire; you build egos the size of cathedrals; fiber-optically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-pacino/you-sharpen-the-human-appetite-to-the-point-where-it-can-split-atoms/)

[Al Pacino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-pacino/)

> [How thin is the crust of order over the fires of human appetite and the lust for naked power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/how-thin-is-the-crust-of-order-over-the-fires-of-human-appetite-and/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

> [After our ages-long journey from savagery to civility, let's hope we haven't bought a round-trip ticket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cullen-hightower/after-our-ages-long-journey-from-savagery-to-civility-let-s-hope-we/)

[Cullen Hightower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cullen-hightower/)

> [“... that most natural human appetite, the hunger for somewhere else .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/that-most-natural-human-appetite-the-hunger-for-somewhere-else/)

[Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/)

> [This is part of human nature, the desire to change consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/this-is-part-of-human-nature-the-desire-to-change-consciousness/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [The plain fact is that education is itself a form of propaganda - a deliberate scheme to outfit the pupil, not with the capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-plain-fact-is-that-education-is-itself-a-form-of-propaganda-a/)

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

> [I have a strong appetite and its not for food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-a-strong-appetite-and-its-not-for-food/)

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

> [My curiosity and my appetite for evolving as an actor is one of the main components of me still working today in the business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cattrall/my-curiosity-and-my-appetite-for-evolving-as-an-actor-is-one-of-the/)

[Kim Cattrall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cattrall/)

> [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/)

> [If I had been an Italian I am sure that I should have been whole-heartedly with you from the start to finish in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/if-i-had-been-an-italian-i-am-sure-that-i-should-have-been-whole/)

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

> [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/)

[Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/)

> [“if you cannot control your hunger and appetite, good luck managing your blood chemistry, metabolism, waistline, and, in the bigger picture, the prospect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/if-you-cannot-control-your-hunger-and-appetite-good-luck-managing/)

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

> [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/)

[Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/)

> [the appetite for thinking must be regulated, as all sensible people know, for it may stifle one's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/the-appetite-for-thinking-must-be-regulated-as-all-sensible-people/)

[Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/)

> [I could not limit my values and pursuits to what makes others comfortable. Being possessed by a promise I live without options. I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/i-could-not-limit-my-values-and-pursuits-to-what-makes-others/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

## More by Michael Pollan

> [“In the same way that the picturesque designers were always careful to include some reminder of our mortality in their gardens -- a ruin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-same-way-that-the-picturesque-designers-were-always-careful-to/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [The problem is that we let special-occasion food become everyday food. That goes for soda and french fries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-problem-is-that-we-let-special-occasion-food-become-everyday-food/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [Every peasant cuisine has incredible ingenious tricks for getting a lot of nutrition out of a small amount of ingredients. There are people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/every-peasant-cuisine-has-incredible-ingenious-tricks-for-getting-a/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [“In ancient Greece, the word for “cook,” “butcher,” and “priest” was the same—mageiros—and the word shares an etymological root with “magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-ancient-greece-the-word-for-cook-butcher-and-priest-was-the-same/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [In the end I'm still a writer. I'm still a journalist, and my first responsibility is to my readers. That's where I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-end-i-m-still-a-writer-i-m-still-a-journalist-and-my-first/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [Seeds have the power to preserve species, to enhance cultural as well as genetic diversity, to counter economic monopoly and to check the advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/seeds-have-the-power-to-preserve-species-to-enhance-cultural-as-well/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [“The bubble logic driving tulipomania has since acquired a name: “the greater fool theory.” Although by any conventional measure it is folly to pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-bubble-logic-driving-tulipomania-has-since-acquired-a-name-the/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [“Of the seven deadly sins, surely it is pride that most afflicts the gardener.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/of-the-seven-deadly-sins-surely-it-is-pride-that-most-afflicts-the/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [Growing corn, which from a biological perspective had always been a process of capturing sunlight to turn into food, has in no small measure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/growing-corn-which-from-a-biological-perspective-had-always-been-a/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [Eat with consciousness. When you eat with consciousness, and you know what you're eating, and you eat it in full appreciation of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/eat-with-consciousness-when-you-eat-with-consciousness-and-you-know/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [This is part of human nature, the desire to change consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/this-is-part-of-human-nature-the-desire-to-change-consciousness/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [“...whenever I hear people say clean food is expensive, I tell them it's actually the cheapest food you can buy. That always gets their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/whenever-i-hear-people-say-clean-food-is-expensive-i-tell-them-it-s/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [“Imagine if we had a food system that actually produced wholesome food. Imagine if it produced that food in a way that restored the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/imagine-if-we-had-a-food-system-that-actually-produced-wholesome-food/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

> [“CONSULT YOUR GUT.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/consult-your-gut/)

[Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

[Explore all 584 Michael Pollan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/)

## More Appetite quotes

> [I could not limit my values and pursuits to what makes others comfortable. Being possessed by a promise I live without options. I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/i-could-not-limit-my-values-and-pursuits-to-what-makes-others/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [the appetite for thinking must be regulated, as all sensible people know, for it may stifle one's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/the-appetite-for-thinking-must-be-regulated-as-all-sensible-people/)

[Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/)

> [The more perfect the sight is the more delightful the beautiful object. The more perfect the appetite, the sweeter the food. The more musical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-baxter/the-more-perfect-the-sight-is-the-more-delightful-the-beautiful/)

[Richard Baxter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-baxter/)

> [“if you cannot control your hunger and appetite, good luck managing your blood chemistry, metabolism, waistline, and, in the bigger picture, the prospect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/if-you-cannot-control-your-hunger-and-appetite-good-luck-managing/)

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

> [I don't think I've ever bench-pressed anything in my life. Until about two years ago I swam a mile almost every day. Then I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-antosca/i-don-t-think-i-ve-ever-bench-pressed-anything-in-my-life-until-about/)

[Nick Antosca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-antosca/)

> [If I had been an Italian I am sure that I should have been whole-heartedly with you from the start to finish in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/if-i-had-been-an-italian-i-am-sure-that-i-should-have-been-whole/)

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

> [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/)

> [My curiosity and my appetite for evolving as an actor is one of the main components of me still working today in the business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-cattrall/my-curiosity-and-my-appetite-for-evolving-as-an-actor-is-one-of-the/)

[Kim Cattrall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-cattrall/)

> [I have a strong appetite and its not for food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-a-strong-appetite-and-its-not-for-food/)

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

> [The plain fact is that education is itself a form of propaganda - a deliberate scheme to outfit the pupil, not with the capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-plain-fact-is-that-education-is-itself-a-form-of-propaganda-a/)

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

> [“You should also eat eggs. Not “one egg per week” or some such non-physiologic restriction. Eat what your body tells you to eat, since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-davis/you-should-also-eat-eggs-not-one-egg-per-week-or-some-such-non/)

[William Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-davis/)

> [If your desires are not great, a little will seem much to you; for small appetite makes poverty equivalent to wealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/democritus/if-your-desires-are-not-great-a-little-will-seem-much-to-you-for/)

[Democritus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/democritus/)

> [When passions and appetites are stronger than the intellect, men are savages; when the intellect governs the passions, when the passions are servants, men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/when-passions-and-appetites-are-stronger-than-the-intellect-men-are/)

[Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/)

> [A pivotal spiritual attribute is that of self-mastery-th e strength to place reason over appetite. Self-mastery builds a strong conscience. And your conscience determines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-m-nelson/a-pivotal-spiritual-attribute-is-that-of-self-mastery-th-e-strength/)

[Russell M. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-m-nelson/)

> [The commonest and cheapest sounds, as the barking of a dog, produce the same effect on fresh and healthy ears that the rarest music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-commonest-and-cheapest-sounds-as-the-barking-of-a-dog-produce-the/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

[Browse all 994 Appetite quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appetite/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“[..] the very open-endedness of human appetite is responsible for both our savagery and civility, since the creature that conceive of eating anything (including, notably, other humans) stands in particular need of ethical rules, manners, and rituals. we are not only what we eat, but how we eat, too.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Pollan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-very-open-endedness-of-human-appetite-is-responsible-for-both-our/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Appetite"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-very-open-endedness-of-human-appetite-is-responsible-for-both-our/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/michael-pollan-408_appetite_the-very-open-endedness-of-human-appetit_2191442.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/michael-pollan-408_appetite_the-very-open-endedness-of-human-appetit_2191442.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/michael-pollan-408_appetite_the-very-open-endedness-of-human-appetit_2191442.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“[..] the very open-endedness of human appetite is responsible for both our savagery and civility, since the…” — Michael Pollan",
                "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": "Michael Pollan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“[..] the very open-endedness of human...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-very-open-endedness-of-human-appetite-is-responsible-for-both-our/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-very-open-endedness-of-human-appetite-is-responsible-for-both-our/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```