--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being a father ... I can't help feeling…" description: "\"Being a father ... I can't help feeling that, by comparison with being a mother, being a father is a rather abstract business.\" — J. M. Coetzee" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_abstract_being-a-father-i-can-t-help-feeling-that_1058286.jpg" --- # Being a father ... I can't help feeling that, by… ![“Being a father ... I can't help feeling that, by comparison with being a mother, being a father is a rather abstract business.” quote by J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_abstract_being-a-father-i-can-t-help-feeling-that_1058286.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_abstract_being-a-father-i-can-t-help-feeling-that_1058286.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee4/j-m-coetzee-2-5391_abstract_being-a-father-i-can-t-help-feeling-that_1058286.jpg) > “Being a father ... I can't help feeling that, by comparison with being a mother, being a father is a rather abstract business.” [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Compares fatherhood to motherhood, describing it as abstract and less tangible. **In simple terms:** Fatherhood feels abstract compared to motherhood. Key Takeaway Recognize differing parental experiences. Themes parenthood gender abstraction family dynamics Mood reflective analytical Type sociological psychological When to use this quote - Parenting workshops - family counseling - gender studies Key Concepts Feminist theory psychology social roles Questions to Reflect On - How does society shape paternal identity? - What makes motherhood more concrete? A Different Perspective May oversimplify paternal roles. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abstract/) [Being a father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-father/) [Being a mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-a-mother/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Comparison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comparison/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Father Abstract](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-abstract-2569755/) [Father Help](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father-help-553121/) [Feeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling/) [Feeling Comparison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-comparison-2569756/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mother Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-father/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [Mother liked beauty wherever she found it, and she found it in many different places, both in nature and in contemporary art. And that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rockefeller/mother-liked-beauty-wherever-she-found-it-and-she-found-it-in-many/) [David Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rockefeller/) > [This is for the women that have to play the role of a Mother and a Father to their children, Happy Fathers Day!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/this-is-for-the-women-that-have-to-play-the-role-of-a-mother-and-a/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [At the opening of the Odyssey, Telemachus, inspired by the male-born Athena, searches for his father by turning against his mother. Jesus too publicly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/at-the-opening-of-the-odyssey-telemachus-inspired-by-the-male-born/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Having your father to help you to get back up is good, but you need to get up by yourself and walk alone. Life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyoto-machida/having-your-father-to-help-you-to-get-back-up-is-good-but-you-need-to/) [Lyoto Machida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyoto-machida/) > [“I looked at the faces around me, wondering what was going to happen to me ... wondering when I would see Father again. "I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-l-legette-2/i-looked-at-the-faces-around-me-wondering-what-was-going-to-happen-to/) [M.L LeGette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-l-legette-2/) > [“Father, help me today speak only words of excellence. Help me be a good listener and think before I speak. I want my words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/father-help-me-today-speak-only-words-of-excellence-help-me-be-a-good/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [People killin', people dyin' Children hurt can you hear them cryin'? Can you practice what you preach? And would you turn the other cheek?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/black-eyed-peas/people-killin-people-dyin-children-hurt-can-you-hear-them-cryin-can/) [Black Eyed Peas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/black-eyed-peas/) > [I love my father,, my father is no more but he always with me & help me every situation... My Papa is a God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anjana-bijalwan/i-love-my-father-my-father-is-no-more-but-he-always-with-me-help-me/) [Anjana Bijalwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anjana-bijalwan/) > [Listen to me, kid. Don't forget that you are in a concentration camp. In this place, it is every many for himself, and you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/listen-to-me-kid-don-t-forget-that-you-are-in-a-concentration-camp-in/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Your Heavenly Father will help you find the right path as you seek His guidance. 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That is what we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/it-pleases-our-heavenly-father-when-we-acknowledge-and-confess-to-him/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) ## More by J. M. Coetzee > [“For I am no orator. What would I have said if they had let me go on? That it is worse to beat a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/for-i-am-no-orator-what-would-i-have-said-if-they-had-let-me-go-on/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [To me, a philosopher who says that the distinction between human and nonhuman depends on whether you have a white or a black skin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/to-me-a-philosopher-who-says-that-the-distinction-between-human-and/) [J. M. 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Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [“The Empire does not require that its servants love each other, merely that they perform their duty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-empire-does-not-require-that-its-servants-love-each-other-merely/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) > [The most important of all rights is the right to life, and I cannot foresee a day when domesticated animals will be granted that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee-2/the-most-important-of-all-rights-is-the-right-to-life-and-i-cannot/) [J. M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) [Explore all 96 J. M. Coetzee quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee-2/) ## More Abstract quotes > [Love is like that, fragile and light. 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