--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When women and men understand that…" description: "\"When women and men understand that working to eradicate patriarchal domination is a struggle rooted in the longing to make a world where everyone can l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/bell-hooks-464_awareness_when-women-and-men-understand-that-worki_452774.jpg" --- # When women and men understand that working to eradicate… ![“When women and men understand that working to eradicate patriarchal domination is a struggle rooted in the longing to make a world where everyone can live fully and freely, then we know our work to be a gesture of love. Let us draw upon that love to heighten our awareness, deepen our compassion…” quote by Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/bell-hooks-464_awareness_when-women-and-men-understand-that-worki_452774.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/bell-hooks-464_awareness_when-women-and-men-understand-that-worki_452774.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/516/bell-hooks-464_awareness_when-women-and-men-understand-that-worki_452774.jpg) > “When women and men understand that working to eradicate patriarchal domination is a struggle rooted in the longing to make a world where everyone can live fully and freely, then we know our work to be a gesture of love. Let us draw upon that love to heighten our awareness, deepen our compassion, intensify our courage and strengthen our commitment.” [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True love drives the fight against patriarchy, urging compassion, courage, and commitment for a freer world. **In simple terms:** Love fuels gender equality work. Key Takeaway Act with love to empower change. Themes gender equality love activism Mood hopeful determined Type political inspirational When to use this quote - community organizing - policy advocacy - education - personal relationships Key Concepts intersectionality compassion courage Questions to Reflect On - What does love look like in concrete actions? - How can love sustain long‑term activism? A Different Perspective Love alone cannot dismantle systemic power. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Awareness Deepen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness-deepen-3947537/) [Commitment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commitment/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Deepen Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deepen-compassion-3947538/) [Domination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/domination/) [Draws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/draws/) [Eradicate Patriarchal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eradicate-patriarchal-3947535/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Gesture Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gesture-love-1923689/) [Gestures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gestures/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Longing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/longing/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Patriarchal Domination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriarchal-domination-3947536/) [Rooted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rooted/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Feminist effort to end patriarchal domination should be of primary concern precisely because it insists on the eradication of exploitation and oppression in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/feminist-effort-to-end-patriarchal-domination-should-be-of-primary/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [There is no question I owe Mia a great deal for adopting me. For that gesture, I still love her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soon-yi-previn/there-is-no-question-i-owe-mia-a-great-deal-for-adopting-me-for-that/) [Soon-Yi Previn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soon-yi-previn/) > [“If a mark of affection can sometimes be taken for an insult, perhaps the gesture of love is not universal: it too must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-th-y/if-a-mark-of-affection-can-sometimes-be-taken-for-an-insult-perhaps/) [Kim Thúy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-th-y/) > [Being shown a gesture of love is like being offered a portion of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/being-shown-a-gesture-of-love-is-like-being-offered-a-portion-of-god/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I want to be clear that I only share passages from the Bible as a gesture of love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-folau/i-want-to-be-clear-that-i-only-share-passages-from-the-bible-as-a/) [Israel Folau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-folau/) > [... privacy is ... connected to a politics of domination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/privacy-is-connected-to-a-politics-of-domination/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [I want there to be a place in the world where people can engage in one another’s differences in a way that is redemptive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-want-there-to-be-a-place-in-the-world-where-people-can-engage-in/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Why is it so difficult for many white folks to understand that racism is oppressive not because white folks have prejudicial feelings about blacks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/why-is-it-so-difficult-for-many-white-folks-to-understand-that-racism/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Feminism is the struggle to end sexist oppression. Therefore, it is necessarily a struggle to eradicate the ideology of domination that permeates Western culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/feminism-is-the-struggle-to-end-sexist-oppression-therefore-it-is/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [To build community requires vigilant awareness of the work we must continually do to undermine all the socialization that leads us to behave in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/to-build-community-requires-vigilant-awareness-of-the-work-we-must/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Patriarchy, like any system of domination (for example, racism), relies on socializing everyone to believe that in all human relations there is an inferior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/patriarchy-like-any-system-of-domination-for-example-racism-relies-on/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Feminism is a struggle to end sexist oppression. Therefore, it is necessarily a struggle to eradicate the ideology of domination that permeates Western culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/feminism-is-a-struggle-to-end-sexist-oppression-therefore-it-is/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [It is obvious that many women have appropriated feminism to serve their own ends, especially those white women who have been at the forefront…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/it-is-obvious-that-many-women-have-appropriated-feminism-to-serve/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [If you're in a domestic situation where the man is violent, patriarchy and male domination - even though you understand it intersectionally - you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/if-you-re-in-a-domestic-situation-where-the-man-is-violent-patriarchy/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [The moment we choose to love, we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love, we begin to move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/the-moment-we-choose-to-love-we-begin-to-move-against-domination/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) ## More by Bell Hooks > [Right now, for many Americans, class is being foregrounded like never before because of the economic situation. It doesn't mean that race doesn't matter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/right-now-for-many-americans-class-is-being-foregrounded-like-never/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Most folks believe we are hardwired biologically to long for sex but they do not believe we are hardwired to long for love. Almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/most-folks-believe-we-are-hardwired-biologically-to-long-for-sex-but/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [... we need to interrogate "reverence," for idolization can be another way one is objectified and not really taken seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/we-need-to-interrogate-reverence-for-idolization-can-be-another-way/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Couples who rarely or never have sex can know lifelong love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/couples-who-rarely-or-never-have-sex-can-know-lifelong-love/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [The power of patriarchy has been to make maleness feared and to make men feel that it is better to be feared that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/the-power-of-patriarchy-has-been-to-make-maleness-feared-and-to-make/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“I feel enormously blessed to be a successful black woman writer in this culture, but I have found my small fame, such as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-feel-enormously-blessed-to-be-a-successful-black-woman-writer-in/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [Language is also a place of struggle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/language-is-also-a-place-of-struggle/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [In this culture, the phrase 'black woman' is not synonymous with 'tender,' or 'gentle.' It's as if those words couldn't possibly speak to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/in-this-culture-the-phrase-black-woman-is-not-synonymous-with-tender/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [It's interesting to look at all the aspects where everyday Americans, many of whom are not college educated, are thinking deeply now about our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/it-s-interesting-to-look-at-all-the-aspects-where-everyday-americans/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [The true teacher is within us. A good teacher is someone who can help you to go back and touch the true teacher within,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/the-true-teacher-is-within-us-a-good-teacher-is-someone-who-can-help/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Advancing the notion that there can be many "feminisms" has served the conservative and liberal political interests of women seeking status and privileged class…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/advancing-the-notion-that-there-can-be-many-feminisms-has-served-the/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [I love my family, even as I critique their dysfunctionalities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/i-love-my-family-even-as-i-critique-their-dysfunctionalities/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [You must have courage to love, you have to have a profound will to do what is right to love, and it does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/you-must-have-courage-to-love-you-have-to-have-a-profound-will-to-do/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [To truly love we must learn to mix various ingredients - care, affection, recognition, respect, commitment, and trust, as well as honest and open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/to-truly-love-we-must-learn-to-mix-various-ingredients-care-affection/) [Bell Hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) > [“Often emphasis on identity and lifestyle is appealing because it creates a false sense that one is engaged in praxis. However, praxis within any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bell-hooks/often-emphasis-on-identity-and-lifestyle-is-appealing-because-it/) [bell hooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) [Explore all 541 Bell Hooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bell-hooks/) ## More Awareness quotes > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [We have a fear of facing ourselves. That is the obstacle. 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