--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A white person was by definition…" description: "\"A white person was by definition somebody. Other people needed, across their hearts, one steel rib.\" — Gish Jen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/659/gish-jen-21997_definitions_a-white-person-was-by-definition-somebod_1742734.png" --- # A white person was by definition somebody. Other people… ![“A white person was by definition somebody. Other people needed, across their hearts, one steel rib.” quote by Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/659/gish-jen-21997_definitions_a-white-person-was-by-definition-somebod_1742734.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/659/gish-jen-21997_definitions_a-white-person-was-by-definition-somebod_1742734.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/659/gish-jen-21997_definitions_a-white-person-was-by-definition-somebod_1742734.png) > “A white person was by definition somebody. Other people needed, across their hearts, one steel rib.” [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A metaphorical statement suggesting that white people are defined by a rigid, heartless core, implying a lack of emotional depth. **In simple terms:** Critique of perceived emotional coldness in white identity. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge stereotypes. Themes race identity stereotype Mood critical provocative Type analytical controversial When to use this quote - academic discussion - social media debate - diversity training - personal reflection Key Concepts cultural critique social commentary racial dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What assumptions underlie racial stereotypes? - How can we foster nuanced cultural understanding? A Different Perspective Risk of overgeneralization and offense. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [A geek by definition is somebody who eats live animals. I?ve never eaten live animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crispin-glover/a-geek-by-definition-is-somebody-who-eats-live-animals-i-ve-never/) [Crispin Glover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crispin-glover/) > [And that point is, it doesn't matter how long you've known somebody. People change. Or you don't really know them as well as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-andrews/and-that-point-is-it-doesn-t-matter-how-long-you-ve-known-somebody/) [Mary Kay Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-andrews/) > [I think that, like anything, people take their image and what they want somebody else to be and then people just run with it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-hudson/i-think-that-like-anything-people-take-their-image-and-what-they-want/) [Kate Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-hudson/) > [If you wanna show love to somebody, the first people to show love is your family!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thulane-kc/if-you-wanna-show-love-to-somebody-the-first-people-to-show-love-is/) Thulane Kc > [Never wish you were somebody else; There are people out there envying you for who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pacifiersucker/never-wish-you-were-somebody-else-there-are-people-out-there-envying/) Pacifiersucker > [Your take on things is what is either going to make you somebody people talk about or no.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-soderbergh/your-take-on-things-is-what-is-either-going-to-make-you-somebody/) [Steven Soderbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-soderbergh/) > [Never wish you were somebody else, because their are people out there envying you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica/never-wish-you-were-somebody-else-because-their-are-people-out-there/) Jessica > [I know the pain of somebody who's too thin and the pain of somebody that people say is too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyra-banks/i-know-the-pain-of-somebody-who-s-too-thin-and-the-pain-of-somebody/) [Tyra Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyra-banks/) > [I'm not somebody that's trying to be somebody else. I'm being myself for the most part and people respect that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gervonta-davis/i-m-not-somebody-that-s-trying-to-be-somebody-else-i-m-being-myself/) [Gervonta Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gervonta-davis/) > [Another boat, a straight-four, four sweep oarsmen without a coxswain, raced through our flotilla. I looked at them as they jetted past, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-alan-lewis/another-boat-a-straight-four-four-sweep-oarsmen-without-a-coxswain/) [Brad Alan Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-alan-lewis/) > [I can be whatever it takes to be a folksinger. Folk music to me, if we had to have a definition, is portable music.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-gilbert/i-can-be-whatever-it-takes-to-be-a-folksinger-folk-music-to-me-if-we/) Vance Gilbert > [“...how sorry she felt for white people, who couldn't do any of this (sit talking with friends and growing melons) and who were always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/how-sorry-she-felt-for-white-people-who-couldn-t-do-any-of-this-sit/) [Alexander Mccall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [“White people are drawn to farmer’s markets like moths to a flame. In fact, white people have such strong instincts that if you release…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-lander/white-people-are-drawn-to-farmer-s-markets-like-moths-to-a-flame-in/) [Christian Lander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-lander/) > [a white person who claims to have no impediment of vision in this country is not, I think, telling the whole truth. And when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-wolf/a-white-person-who-claims-to-have-no-impediment-of-vision-in-this/) [Naomi Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-wolf/) > [The three greatest people in my life as a young person were white. I'm not a person that really deals in color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brown/the-three-greatest-people-in-my-life-as-a-young-person-were-white-i-m/) [Jim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-brown/) ## More by Gish Jen > [A man was the sum of his limits; freedom only made him see how much so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/a-man-was-the-sum-of-his-limits-freedom-only-made-him-see-how-much-so/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [I like to listen. I'm much more interested in listening than in speaking, for sure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/i-like-to-listen-i-m-much-more-interested-in-listening-than-in/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [I hate to generalize because there are always so many exceptions to any rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/i-hate-to-generalize-because-there-are-always-so-many-exceptions-to/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [It's a matter of whether you see the self as fundamentally in relationship to other selves or not - whether you see the boundary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/it-s-a-matter-of-whether-you-see-the-self-as-fundamentally-in/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [For students who are in the most creative group in America to somehow be presumed to be narrow is just completely meshugga.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/for-students-who-are-in-the-most-creative-group-in-america-to-somehow/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [There's nothing about interdependence that would keep somebody from making art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/there-s-nothing-about-interdependence-that-would-keep-somebody-from/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [“To have no particular aim was to open grand possibilities...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/to-have-no-particular-aim-was-to-open-grand-possibilities/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [It's human to hear stories and to know how people live and to imagine how that is for them. It's very interdependent!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/it-s-human-to-hear-stories-and-to-know-how-people-live-and-to-imagine/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [Anything is possible. A man is what he makes up his mind to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/anything-is-possible-a-man-is-what-he-makes-up-his-mind-to-be/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [Chinese language tends to be quick, economical. To know what people are saying, you always need to know what the context is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/chinese-language-tends-to-be-quick-economical-to-know-what-people-are/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [Many women tend toward the interdependent end of things, we tend to see ourselves in relationship to others to a far greater degree than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/many-women-tend-toward-the-interdependent-end-of-things-we-tend-to/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [The independents are the ones who tend to commit suicide. I'm not against this way of being in the world. Individuals have brought us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/the-independents-are-the-ones-who-tend-to-commit-suicide-i-m-not/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [“In truth, he had always considered the sight of men eating croissants slightly ridiculous, especially at the beginning, when for the first bite they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/in-truth-he-had-always-considered-the-sight-of-men-eating-croissants/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [I'm trying to give people an idea of what black looks like and what white looks like before I introduce them to gray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/i-m-trying-to-give-people-an-idea-of-what-black-looks-like-and-what/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) > [“Plain boiled food, plain boiled thinking. Even his name is plain boiled: John. Maybe because I grew up with black bean sauce and hoisin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gish-jen/plain-boiled-food-plain-boiled-thinking-even-his-name-is-plain-boiled/) [Gish Jen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) [Explore all 28 Gish Jen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gish-jen/) ## More Definitions quotes > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [The poet reminds men of their uniqueness and it is not necessary to possess the ultimate definition of this uniqueness. Even to speculate is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-cousins/the-poet-reminds-men-of-their-uniqueness-and-it-is-not-necessary-to/) [Norman Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-cousins/) > [Bruce Katz is a spectacular talent! He's a brilliant composer and arranger who uses uncommon and unique musical intelligence to redefine jazz and blues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-coryell/bruce-katz-is-a-spectacular-talent-he-s-a-brilliant-composer-and/) [Larry Coryell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-coryell/) > [But when you have to deal with notes, and to be able to make a full definition of what a sound is - if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-brown/but-when-you-have-to-deal-with-notes-and-to-be-able-to-make-a-full/) [Dennis Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-brown/) > [ The self is defined psychologically as the psychic totality of the individual. Anything that a \[person\] postulates as being a greater totality than \[oneself\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-self-is-defined-psychologically-as-the-psychic-totality-of-the/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [Before I had kids, I thought you should never lie to a kid. But now I've had them, I realize you almost lie to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-donoghue/before-i-had-kids-i-thought-you-should-never-lie-to-a-kid-but-now-i/) [Emma Donoghue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-donoghue/) > [my definition of the ideal man is 'that particular man with whom a woman happens to be in love at that particular time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-boothe-luce/my-definition-of-the-ideal-man-is-that-particular-man-with-whom-a/) [Clare Boothe Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-boothe-luce/) > [He emphasised basic truths: you are not dying yet, you have to live your life until you are. Underpinning them was the belief that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/he-emphasised-basic-truths-you-are-not-dying-yet-you-have-to-live/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [My briefest ever definition of science fiction is 'Hubris clobbered by Nemesis.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-aldiss/my-briefest-ever-definition-of-science-fiction-is-hubris-clobbered-by/) [Brian Aldiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-aldiss/) > [Was man made stupid to see his own stupidity? Is God by definition indifferent, beyond us all? Is the eternal truth man's fighting soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-eberhart/was-man-made-stupid-to-see-his-own-stupidity-is-god-by-definition/) [Richard Eberhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-eberhart/) > [Science manipulates things and gives up living in them. It makes its own limited models of things; operating upon these indices or variables to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/science-manipulates-things-and-gives-up-living-in-them-it-makes-its/) [Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/) > [The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, selfappointed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-accumulation-of-all-powers-legislative-executive-and-judiciary-in/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [“I'm going to use them to track him down and thwart him." "Thwart?" Sarissa asked. "Thwart." I said. "To prevent someone from accomplishing something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/i-m-going-to-use-them-to-track-him-down-and-thwart-him-thwart-sarissa/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [A design may be called organic when there is an harmonious organization of the parts within the whole, according to structure, material, and purpose.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliot-noyes/a-design-may-be-called-organic-when-there-is-an-harmonious/) Eliot Noyes > [Of Rhetoric various definitions have been given by different writers; who, however, seem not so much to have disagreed in their conceptions of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/of-rhetoric-various-definitions-have-been-given-by-different-writers/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) Browse all 2,047 Definitions quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A white person was by definition somebody. 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