--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human rights are difficult to pin down…" description: "\"“Human rights are difficult to pin down because their definition, indeed their very existence, depends on emotions as much as on reason.”\" — Lynn Hunt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/lynn-hunt-91056_human-rights_human-rights-are-difficult-to-pin-down-b_2127977.jpg" --- # Human rights are difficult to pin down because their… ![“Human rights are difficult to pin down because their definition, indeed their very existence, depends on emotions as much as on reason.” quote by Lynn Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/lynn-hunt-91056_human-rights_human-rights-are-difficult-to-pin-down-b_2127977.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/lynn-hunt-91056_human-rights_human-rights-are-difficult-to-pin-down-b_2127977.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/lynn-hunt-91056_human-rights_human-rights-are-difficult-to-pin-down-b_2127977.jpg) > ““Human rights are difficult to pin down because their definition, indeed their very existence, depends on emotions as much as on reason.”” [Lynn Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-hunt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human rights are shaped by both emotion and reason, making them fluid and contested. **In simple terms:** Human rights blend feeling and logic. Key Takeaway Balance empathy with rationality. Themes human rights emotion reason philosophy Mood thoughtful critical Type Emotions:1 Human rights:1 Life:0 Nature of man:0 Rights:1 Rights Difficult:0 Emotions Reason:1 Depends Emotions:0 When to use this quote - policy making - social movements Key Concepts law ethics politics Questions to Reflect On - How do emotions shape rights? - Can reason alone define rights? A Different Perspective Emotion may undermine universal standards. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Depends Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depends-emotions-4372531/) [Emotions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) [Emotions Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions-reason-1860744/) [Human rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-rights/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Rights Difficult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-difficult-235022/) ## Related quotes > [“One cannot fail to notice the inconsistency of those rejecting human rights: their rejection takes place in the public square created by human rights.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/filip-spagnoli/one-cannot-fail-to-notice-the-inconsistency-of-those-rejecting-human/) [Filip Spagnoli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/filip-spagnoli/) > [I state in no uncertain terms: An order to uproot an Arab village or a Jewish settlement violates the most basic of human rights...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naftali-bennett/i-state-in-no-uncertain-terms-an-order-to-uproot-an-arab-village-or-a/) [Naftali Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naftali-bennett/) > [We have emotions for a reason; for instance, imagine pain. You have pain so that if you touch something that's hot, or if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/we-have-emotions-for-a-reason-for-instance-imagine-pain-you-have-pain/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [“With reason, we go beyond what we can sense. With emotions, we go beyond what we can reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-s-ter/with-reason-we-go-beyond-what-we-can-sense-with-emotions-we-go-beyond/) [Pierre Sóter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-s-ter/) > [I'm not as careful as I look, which is why I choose not to do social media. It's really because I don't trust myself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-bo-young/i-m-not-as-careful-as-i-look-which-is-why-i-choose-not-to-do-social/) [Park Bo-young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-bo-young/) > [“Sometimes we choose to be blindfolded with the love of life. Putting emotions before reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/sometimes-we-choose-to-be-blindfolded-with-the-love-of-life-putting/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [The respect for human rights, essential if we are to use technology wisely, is not something alien that must be grafted onto science. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-charles-polanyi/the-respect-for-human-rights-essential-if-we-are-to-use-technology/) [John Charles Polanyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-charles-polanyi/) > [A nuclear-weapons armed Iran is not in anyone's human-rights interests. That is a direct threat to the lives and the livelihoods and the stability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/a-nuclear-weapons-armed-iran-is-not-in-anyone-s-human-rights/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [When we struggle for human rights, for freedom, for dignity, when we feel that it is a ministry of the church to concern itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-we-struggle-for-human-rights-for-freedom-for-dignity-when-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [America should be leading the world in green and clean solutions, and human rights. We shouldn't be leading the world in wars and incarceration…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/america-should-be-leading-the-world-in-green-and-clean-solutions-and/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Currently, the United States provides 22 percent of the U.N. annual budgets, over $900 million in fiscal year 2007, and some of that funding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mccaul/currently-the-united-states-provides-22-percent-of-the-u-n-annual/) [Michael McCaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mccaul/) > [Its up to any government to decide how to react to the denial of basic human rights anywhere in the world, including Egypt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/its-up-to-any-government-to-decide-how-to-react-to-the-denial-of/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [UN peacekeeping operations are now increasingly complex and multi-dimensional, going beyond monitoring a ceasefire to actually bringing failed States back to life, often after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/un-peacekeeping-operations-are-now-increasingly-complex-and-multi/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) ## More by Lynn Hunt > [“GREAT THINGS sometimes come from rewriting under pressure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-hunt/great-things-sometimes-come-from-rewriting-under-pressure/) [Lynn Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-hunt/) [Explore all 2 Lynn Hunt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-hunt/) ## More Emotions quotes > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [On stage, you can bring all those strong emotions that you don't have the opportunity to live. You don't want to die for love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/on-stage-you-can-bring-all-those-strong-emotions-that-you-don-t-have/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [You will never fully understand how much you mean to me, because there are no amount of words that can begin to describe my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-never-fully-understand-how-much-you-mean-to-me-because-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Of course I like you. It's because I like you I don't wanna be with you. It's a complicated emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin/of-course-i-like-you-it-s-because-i-like-you-i-don-t-wanna-be-with/) [Marlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlin/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/) [Ryan Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-newman/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My mind has trouble processing all the emotions I feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-mind-has-trouble-processing-all-the-emotions-i-feel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Its a lack of clarity that creates chaos and frustration. Those emotions are poison to any living goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/its-a-lack-of-clarity-that-creates-chaos-and-frustration-those/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [“When love carries us away on its brittle wings, we are too intoxicated to comprehend its power. We just want to soar and feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/balroop-singh/when-love-carries-us-away-on-its-brittle-wings-we-are-too-intoxicated/) [Balroop Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/balroop-singh/) > [God, help me to focus on Truth instead of the trial. Help me to give thanks instead of giving into fear. Help me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-daugherty/god-help-me-to-focus-on-truth-instead-of-the-trial-help-me-to-give/) [Whitney Daugherty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-daugherty/) > [Love is an ocean of emotions entirely sorrounded by expensee..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-an-ocean-of-emotions-entirely-sorrounded-by-expensee/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood and was raised by a man who did not emote, ever... I always cry at movies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-quick/i-grew-up-in-a-blue-collar-neighborhood-and-was-raised-by-a-man-who/) [Matthew Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-quick/) [Browse all 4,415 Emotions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Human rights are difficult to pin down because their definition, indeed their very existence, depends on emotions as much as on reason.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lynn Hunt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-hunt/human-rights-are-difficult-to-pin-down-because-their-definition/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Emotions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-hunt/human-rights-are-difficult-to-pin-down-because-their-definition/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/lynn-hunt-91056_human-rights_human-rights-are-difficult-to-pin-down-b_2127977.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/lynn-hunt-91056_human-rights_human-rights-are-difficult-to-pin-down-b_2127977.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/999/lynn-hunt-91056_human-rights_human-rights-are-difficult-to-pin-down-b_2127977.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Human rights are difficult to pin down because their definition, indeed their very existence, depends on…” — Lynn Hunt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lynn Hunt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-hunt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Human rights are difficult to pin...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-hunt/human-rights-are-difficult-to-pin-down-because-their-definition/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-hunt/human-rights-are-difficult-to-pin-down-because-their-definition/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```