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Definitions Quotes

Quotes on how we define family, manhood, and more

These definitions quotes show how the same word can carry very different meanings depending on who is defining it. One quote traces personal ideas of family back to a childhood experience, while others point to how doctors classify obesity or how manhood is understood differently across cultures.

There are almost as many definitions of co-dependency as there are experiences that represent it.

Quotes by Melody Beattie

All of my definitions of family were heavily influenced by my 'Star Trek' experience.

Quotes by Justin Lin

There are definitions of morbid obesity. Doctors define it.

Quotes by Jane Velez-Mitchell

There are alternate definitions of manhood in the West.

Quotes by Frank Dobson

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do people define the same idea so differently?
Because personal background shapes meaning. One quote here ties family definitions to a childhood experience, showing how upbringing colors what a word means to us.
What are some examples of contested definitions in these quotes?
The collection touches on co-dependency, morbid obesity, and manhood, showing that even seemingly settled terms can carry multiple accepted meanings.
Do doctors and everyday people define things the same way?
Not always. One quote notes that doctors apply clinical definitions to conditions like obesity that differ from how the public talks about them.
Is manhood defined the same way everywhere?
No, one quote specifically points out that alternate definitions of manhood exist in Western culture, suggesting the concept is far from universal.
Why are there so many definitions of the same concept?
As one quote suggests, there can be almost as many definitions of an idea as there are individual experiences of it, which is why definitions rarely stay fixed.

Beyond family and medicine, this set touches on how almost countless definitions can exist for a single concept, and how alternate readings of the same idea keep showing up in everyday conversation.