--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no inherent reason or necessity…" description: "\"“There is no inherent reason or necessity that all women should voluntarily choose to devote their lives to one animal function and its consequences. N..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/harriet-taylor-mill-97975_wives_there-is-no-inherent-reason-or-necessity_1073265.jpg" --- # There is no inherent reason or necessity that all women… ![“There is no inherent reason or necessity that all women should voluntarily choose to devote their lives to one animal function and its consequences. Numbers of women are wives and mothers only because there is no other career open to them,---no other occupation for their feelings or activities.” quote by Harriet Taylor Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/harriet-taylor-mill-97975_wives_there-is-no-inherent-reason-or-necessity_1073265.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/harriet-taylor-mill-97975_wives_there-is-no-inherent-reason-or-necessity_1073265.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/653/harriet-taylor-mill-97975_wives_there-is-no-inherent-reason-or-necessity_1073265.jpg) > ““There is no inherent reason or necessity that all women should voluntarily choose to devote their lives to one animal function and its consequences. Numbers of women are wives and mothers only because there is no other career open to them,---no other occupation for their feelings or activities.”” Harriet Taylor Mill ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques the societal expectation that women should confine themselves to domestic roles, arguing that limited career options force this outcome. **In simple terms:** Societal limits force women into domestic roles. Key Takeaway Advocate broader career opportunities for women. Themes gender equality career choice societal norms women’s rights freedom Mood determined hopeful Type statement question When to use this quote - education reform - career counseling - legislative advocacy - community outreach - media campaigns Key Concepts feminist theory economics social policy Questions to Reflect On - What policies expand women’s career options? - How can education shift gender expectations? A Different Perspective Economic structures also influence choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Wives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wives/) ## Related quotes > [Women--wives and mothers--are the same everywhere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-boykin-chesnut/women-wives-and-mothers-are-the-same-everywhere/) [Mary Boykin Chesnut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-boykin-chesnut/) > [Women are wives and mothers and girlfriends, but not the center of our own stories. No one's the good guy; no one's the bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/women-are-wives-and-mothers-and-girlfriends-but-not-the-center-of-our/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [We broke through the feminine mystique and women who were wives, mothers and housewives began to find themselves as people. That didn't mean they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-friedan/we-broke-through-the-feminine-mystique-and-women-who-were-wives/) [Betty Friedan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-friedan/) > [Housekeepers, homemakers, wives, and mothers are fundamental social relations, which rest upon woman's characteristics, physical, mental, and moral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-heber-newton/housekeepers-homemakers-wives-and-mothers-are-fundamental-social/) R. Heber Newton > [Brigham Young had 47 children, and over 50 women as wives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-henson/brigham-young-had-47-children-and-over-50-women-as-wives/) [Keith Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-henson/) > [The word and works of God is quite clear, that women were made either to be wives or prostitutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/the-word-and-works-of-god-is-quite-clear-that-women-were-made-either/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers, and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/our-journey-is-not-complete-until-our-wives-our-mothers-and-daughters/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The unsung heroes of the civil rights movement were always the wives and the mothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/the-unsung-heroes-of-the-civil-rights-movement-were-always-the-wives/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [The difficulty of course is that I like women. It is only wives I am in trouble with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/the-difficulty-of-course-is-that-i-like-women-it-is-only-wives-i-am/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [Maids must be wives and mothers to fulfill the entire and holiest end of woman's being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-kemble/maids-must-be-wives-and-mothers-to-fulfill-the-entire-and-holiest-end/) [Fanny Kemble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-kemble/) > [A lot of men get women, but only few get wives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/a-lot-of-men-get-women-but-only-few-get-wives/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [No marriage or family, no ward or stake is likely to reach its full potential until husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheri-l-dew/no-marriage-or-family-no-ward-or-stake-is-likely-to-reach-its-full/) [Sheri L. Dew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheri-l-dew/) > [All married women are not wives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/japanese-proverb/all-married-women-are-not-wives/) Japanese Proverb > [Maids must be wives, and mothers, to fulfil Th' entire and holiest end of woman's being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-kemble/maids-must-be-wives-and-mothers-to-fulfil-th-entire-and-holiest-end/) [Fanny Kemble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-kemble/) > [I was at one time a football wife, and there is a certain level of bonding that happens between women who are the wives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-union/i-was-at-one-time-a-football-wife-and-there-is-a-certain-level-of/) [Gabrielle Union](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-union/) ## More by Harriet Taylor Mill > [We deny the right of any portion of the species to decide for another portion what is and what is not their 'proper sphere.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harriet-taylor-mill/we-deny-the-right-of-any-portion-of-the-species-to-decide-for-another/) Harriet Taylor Mill Explore all 2 Harriet Taylor Mill quotes ## More Wives quotes > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Some husbands regard it as their prerogative to compel their wives to fit their standards of what they think to be the ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/some-husbands-regard-it-as-their-prerogative-to-compel-their-wives-to/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [People still cheat on their wives, that hasn't fallen out of fashion. We all speak of it badly, but it has not fallen out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/people-still-cheat-on-their-wives-that-hasn-t-fallen-out-of-fashion/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [“Military Wives—Sacrificing Months of Sex for the Country.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aditi-mathur-kumar/military-wives-sacrificing-months-of-sex-for-the-country/) [Aditi Mathur Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aditi-mathur-kumar/) > [But seriously, I believe I'm a sort of Ideal Woman, if you know what I mean. I'm the sort of woman who can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-isherwood/but-seriously-i-believe-i-m-a-sort-of-ideal-woman-if-you-know-what-i/) [Christopher Isherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-isherwood/) > [People label themselves husbands, wives, moms, sisters, and friends before they label themselves Democrats or Republicans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-ruhle/people-label-themselves-husbands-wives-moms-sisters-and-friends/) [Stephanie Ruhle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-ruhle/) > [Biographers know nothing about the intimate sex lives of their own wives, but they think they know all about Stendhal's or Faulkner's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/biographers-know-nothing-about-the-intimate-sex-lives-of-their-own/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Come, let us choose us wives from among the children of men and beget us children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enoch/come-let-us-choose-us-wives-from-among-the-children-of-men-and-beget/) [Enoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enoch/) > [I think women have long been defined by their roles as procreators and wives, and we're expected to serve, take care of, say 'Yes,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-coon/i-think-women-have-long-been-defined-by-their-roles-as-procreators/) [Carrie Coon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-coon/) > [“Men are highly attracted to smiles. That includes your husband.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/men-are-highly-attracted-to-smiles-that-includes-your-husband/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've had three wives. I've had five weddings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-bronfman-sr/i-ve-had-three-wives-i-ve-had-five-weddings/) [Edgar Bronfman, Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-bronfman-sr/) > [First ladies throughout our history have been expected to be adoring wives and perfect mothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalynn-carter/first-ladies-throughout-our-history-have-been-expected-to-be-adoring/) [Rosalynn Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalynn-carter/) > [Here's to our wives and girlfriends...may they never meet!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/here-s-to-our-wives-and-girlfriends-may-they-never-meet/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [I don't think there are any men who are faithful to their wives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-kennedy/i-don-t-think-there-are-any-men-who-are-faithful-to-their-wives/) [Jackie Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-kennedy/) > [“I wish I had five wives, one for each day of the workweek. This would leave me the weekends to enjoy time with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wish-i-had-five-wives-one-for-each-day-of-the-workweek-this-would/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) [Browse all 415 Wives quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wives/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There is no inherent reason or necessity that all women should voluntarily choose to devote their lives to one animal function and its consequences. 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