What is the meaning of "family?"?

Question

How should we approach the relationship between ourselves and those we share a common bloodline with? What does it all mean? How should we treat our mom, our dad, brothers, sisters, ourselves, the uncles, cousins, and so on? What driving force in you tells yourself that these people are your family? What makes that any different than the way you would treat anyone else?

Then, if you really wanna go all out, what's the difference between that and how you would treat and approach, say, your inlaws - the family you inheret through a marriage between you and the one you love? :)

Thanks for the input! You rock!

Wow!! Some of these answers are, uuhhhh, Enlightening! :) lol

This is really cool! Thanks for sharing!

Answer 1

Family isn't only blood related. It can include friends, people that you work with. They to me are extended families, not by blood.
They are people who stand by you know matter what, love you for who you are, faults included. They are someone you can confide in and know that no matter what you say it will go no further.

Although in-laws are considered family not everyone is lucky to have good in-laws and embrace you as part of their own. That part is a bit tricky. But you try your best to be accepted by them and to accept them as well for your partner's sake.

Family is the kind of word that can embody a multitude of meaning. Its really how you interpret it. But know that without family life is pretty much meaningless.

(Sometimes in-laws can give a bad name to family)

Answer 2

fam·i·ly (făm'ə-lē, făm'lē) pronunciation
n., pl. -lies.

1.
1. A fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children.
2. Two or more people who share goals and values, have long-term commitments to one another, and reside usually in the same dwelling place.
2. All the members of a household under one roof.
3. A group of persons sharing common ancestry. See Usage Note at collective noun.
4. Lineage, especially distinguished lineage.
5. A locally independent organized crime unit, as of the Cosa Nostra.
6.
1. A group of like things; a class.
2. A group of individuals derived from a common stock: the family of human beings.
7. Biology. A taxonomic category of related organisms ranking below an order and above a genus. A family usually consists of several genera.
8. Linguistics. A group of languages descended from the same parent language, such as the Indo-European language family.
9. Mathematics. A set of functions or surfaces that can be generated by varying the parameters of a general equation.
10. Chemistry. A group of elements with similar chemical properties.
11. Chemistry. A vertical column in the periodic table of elements.

adj.

1. Of or having to do with a family: family problems.
2. Being suitable for a family: family movies.

Answer 3

Family is bloodline. Family is also choices (marriage or adoption)
We marry into families.
The way we treat family is either by choice or by how we learn to treat each other. Sometime we treat our family worse than we treat strangers which is a shame.

A family history tells us a great deal about who we are.....afterall we are part nature and part nuture. I found out that I have ansestors were wood carvers....thus my artistic abilities. My dad and my grandad were catchers and first basemen...so were both of my boys. Without knowing that it ran in the family.
Thus we are part of the past.......and bigger yet.....who we are is
part of the future. It is amazing to think the genetically we are part
of the beginning of mankind......and parts of us will be in the future.
Family also means any group of people who stick together through thick and thin. That is when family is a choice.

Sometimes I think we dislike parts of our family so much because either they have failed to live up to our expectations or they are too much like us that it is scary.

There are no difference in family....there are just different kinds of
families.

Answer 4

Do you particularly choose to circulate there. Yopu do be attentive to the phraseology trouble-free era became probable coined by utilising christrians. after all, it is not christ era it particularly is christian era. it particularly isn't any secret that christians have ruled the planet militarily for the final 2000 years. even whilst the "BC" designation became regularly occurring it purely shown what all and sundry already knew, the romans desperate to make their calendars coincide with their new chanced on faith. i'm specific if muslims take over they're going to chaznge the calendars to in shape their ideals and which will make it not greater or much less valid.

Answer 5

You can start your own family , I am not talking about having children, I mean choose your friends and associates carefully . That is the start of making a family of your own choosing. I personally treat everyone the way I desired to be treated, and it is a major let down for the most part but I still try.

Answer 6

family are those that we are supposed to get along the best and the ones who would help us in our time of need (example if we need money for rent)

the connection here is that we are happier if something goes right for them (like a new job) than if we heard it from someone else ; same as if they are hurt (we regret it more)

with the inlaws is different, we might care for them or not;
unlike family we can choose not to care

Answer 7

you shouldnt treat one by blood different from that of marriage, becuase they are both your family, you dont have to be blood to care for another. if you truly love you partner, you will treat them all equaly because that is the right thing to do. and because if you treat them differntly they will treat you differently and not except you or your family into theirs. and plus two wrongs dont make a right.. you dont want to have a family frude. and congradulations on being married...

Answer 8

Family is abunch of people who love you no matter what you are or do. as for inlaws, they suck. they take all your money and are stupid, they treat you like crap ans put you down all the time. MY family is great- my inlaws can all die for alli care.

Answer 9

well family is when your indistress they will always be there for you and no matter what you do they will still love you and stand by you. but it can be the same way with your in-laws. and pretty much everyone that care about you and stand by you should be you family.

Answer 10

people put together in one life and people who care about one another an defend each other!!people willing 2 say anything or do anythng for anyone!!