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The Orient
That which is both new and valuable. Conventionally, the word is employed by Europeans identifying something that captivates them about non-European cultures, but Alain de Botton also uses it to describe his fascination with Amsterdam.
The Exotic Quotes in The Art of Travel
The The Art of Travel quotes below are all either spoken by The Exotic or refer to The Exotic. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 3 Quotes
What we find exotic abroad may be what we hunger for in vain at home.
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In his essay about “the exotic,” de Botton suggests that travelers often seek out reflections of themselves in foreign places: they want to immerse themselves in cultures that better match their personalities or, at the least, that offer experiences and attitudes they cannot find at home. Accordingly, de Botton suggests that the feeling of the “exotic,” at its best, points not only to a pleasure in novelty but also to a promising cultural phenomenon of this sort. For instance, de Botton suggests that Flaubert finds Egypt’s chaotic noise and comfort with bodily functions exotic because each matches a dimension of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaqu
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The Exotic Term Timeline in The Art of Travel
The timeline below shows where the term The Exotic appears in The Art of Travel. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3: On the Exotic
When he disembarks in the Amsterdam airport, de Botton is immediately fascinated by the exotic exit sign he sees overhead: the sign’s simplicity and peculiar Dutch vowel combinations give him...
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De Botton recognizes that “the word exotic has traditionally been attached to more colourful things than Dutch signs,” and notes that it...
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...a café, and then sets out on a walk around the city. He sees “the exotic” in the city’s brickwork, narrow apartment buildings, affinity for bicycles, and grid system, among other...
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In its “fugitive, trivial” sense, “exotic” often simply denotes the pleasure people take in novelty. But de Botton sees a “more...
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...basket contains her groceries and includes a carton reading “Goodappletje.” While she would find nothing exotic about the image of herself, de Botton claims, he feels a need to understand everything...
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The exoticism of a foreign country adds to attractive people’s appeal, de Botton argues, and perhaps one’s...
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