So I’m going to start writing some Quote Dissection articles, because well, I like quotes. And I like quotes that have hidden meanings that are often hard to decipher.
One of my favorites is by Benjamin Franklin:
“Hunger is the Best Pickle”
I first heard this quote in high school and honestly, I didn’t know what it meant, but I knew it meant something.
So like anyone else, I took to the internet to find out what it means.
And I was met with some somewhat disappointing dissections.
Here are some from Yahoo! Answers:
“He must have been using the word ‘pickle’ in the British sense of ‘condiment.’ The quote means that a hungry man relishes any food, without having to spice it up.”
“‘Pickle’ is a synonym of ‘appetizer.’ So…to translate: ‘Hunger is the best appetizer,’ meaning the best way to start a meal.”
Or how about this one from KGB Answers:
It means food tastes better (even a pickle) when you’re really hungry.
Basically, everybody was equating the quote to food. It’s not that they’re wrong, but I believe Ben Franklin wasn’t just talking about food in this instance.
In other words, this is one of those quotes with a double meaning, which I personally find fascinating.
I dug a little deeper and found this (also on Yahoo! Answers):
“It means that anticipation lets you experience things more fully.”
Hmm, now we’re on to something…kind of.
Hunger = “Anticipation”
Pickle = “Experiencing things more fully”
Again, I don’t think this is wrong, but I have my own 2 cents.
I’m going to break this down in my words:
Hunger is the Best Pickle
hun·ger/ˈhəNGɡər/: have a strong desire or craving for
pick·le/ˈpik(ə)l: a difficult or messy situation
There are of course, the literal definitions of hunger and pickle, but I’m talking about the deeper meaning of these two words.
So let’s combine those two definitions within the quote:
Hunger is the Best Pickle
Having a strong desire or craving is the best difficult or messy situation
Hmm.
Let’s reword that:
If you’re in a difficult or messy situation, the best solution is to have a strong desire or craving to get out of it.
Think about that.
When was the last time you were in a difficult situation?
Maybe you got laid off?
Well, what’s the best solution to getting laid off? Finding another job. How do you find another job? By having a strong desire or craving to find another job. If your desire is strong enough to find another job, you’ll find another job. Simple as that. (I know I said “another job” 5 times but oh well).
Let’s think of another difficult situation to be in.
You got in a car accident. Now you don’t have a car anymore.
What do you do? Well, you could buy another car, take public transportation or rely on ride share apps. But where do those solutions stem from? Again, by having a strong desire or craving to implement these solutions.
I think what Mr. Franklin is really trying to say is this:
Everybody is going to find themselves in a difficult situation. And when that happens, you can either wallow and sulk that life is unfair, or you can push through and find a solution. And these solutions come from that hunger. That hunger to not be in that pickle anymore.
In more simple terms, when someone is really really motivated to make a change or to implement a solution, nothing stops them. They persevere and find a solution no matter what, because they are tired of being in a rut.
Hence, Hunger is the Best Pickle.
Stay tuned for more quote-dissection articles!
Cheers!
-tally ^-^
