--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In our contemporary world, no one can…" description: "\"In our contemporary world, no one can think or work with a single picture of what a family is. No one can fit all human behavior, all thought and feeli..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/margaret-mead-982_behavior_in-our-contemporary-world-no-one-can-thi_1718214.jpg" --- # In our contemporary world, no one can think or work with a… ![“In our contemporary world, no one can think or work with a single picture of what a family is. No one can fit all human behavior, all thought and feeling, into a single pattern.” quote by Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/margaret-mead-982_behavior_in-our-contemporary-world-no-one-can-thi_1718214.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/margaret-mead-982_behavior_in-our-contemporary-world-no-one-can-thi_1718214.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/906/margaret-mead-982_behavior_in-our-contemporary-world-no-one-can-thi_1718214.jpg) > “In our contemporary world, no one can think or work with a single picture of what a family is. No one can fit all human behavior, all thought and feeling, into a single pattern.” [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human behavior is too complex for a single definition; families and individuals cannot be reduced to one pattern. **In simple terms:** People are diverse, not one‑dimensional. Key Takeaway Embrace complexity in understanding others. Themes diversity family identity psychology Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - parenting - team building - social research - conflict resolution Key Concepts cultural anthropology systems thinking Questions to Reflect On - How might you broaden your view of family? - What patterns do you assume about people? A Different Perspective Simplifying can overlook nuance and lead to stereotypes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Behavior Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior-thought-1311732/) [Contemporary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary/) [Contemporary World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemporary-world-418423/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Human behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-behavior/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Patterns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patterns/) [Picture Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picture-family-1311731/) [Single picture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-picture/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thoughts and feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-and-feelings/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [A psychiatrist once asked me to draw a picture of my family. This is when I was a member of a family of four.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/a-psychiatrist-once-asked-me-to-draw-a-picture-of-my-family-this-is/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [We are the children of our landscape; it dictates behavior and even thought in the measure to which we are responsive to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/we-are-the-children-of-our-landscape-it-dictates-behavior-and-even/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [I do not consume alcohol. You won't find a single picture that shows me drinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-honey-singh/i-do-not-consume-alcohol-you-won-t-find-a-single-picture-that-shows/) [Yo Yo Honey Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-honey-singh/) > [I don't believe so much in the value of a single picture anymore. I don't really photograph for the wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-haas/i-don-t-believe-so-much-in-the-value-of-a-single-picture-anymore-i/) [Ernst Haas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-haas/) > [Collect impressions. Don't be in a hurry to write them down. Because that's something music can do better than painting: it can centralise variations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-debussy/collect-impressions-don-t-be-in-a-hurry-to-write-them-down-because/) [Claude Debussy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-debussy/) > [I want to be remembered much more by a total vision than a few perfect single pictures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-haas/i-want-to-be-remembered-much-more-by-a-total-vision-than-a-few/) [Ernst Haas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-haas/) > [I went with Tom Ford to a bunch of events one year, and he's so wonderful and handsome and so much fun to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-went-with-tom-ford-to-a-bunch-of-events-one-year-and-he-s-so/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [“It occurred to Yancy that, in the time they’d known each other, he hadn’t once seen her look at her cell phone. She never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hiaasen/it-occurred-to-yancy-that-in-the-time-they-d-known-each-other-he-hadn/) [Carl Hiaasen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hiaasen/) > [Ladies, please remember that every single picture you see in a magazine is airbrushed...we do not look like that. Love yourself!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ladies-please-remember-that-every-single-picture-you-see-in-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have to experiment with methods and I'm trying to find an authentic way of making an equivalent of the living, breathing person within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wright/i-have-to-experiment-with-methods-and-i-m-trying-to-find-an-authentic/) [Peter Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wright/) > [“as Hume expressed it. The mind is 'a kind of theater, where several perceptions successively make their appearance; pass, re-pass, slide away, and mingle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/as-hume-expressed-it-the-mind-is-a-kind-of-theater-where-several/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [“Gogol flips through the book. A single picture at the front, on smoother paper than the rest of the pages, shows a pencil drawing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/gogol-flips-through-the-book-a-single-picture-at-the-front-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The point is, there was a gap in Miss Emily's calendar collection: none of them had a single picture of Norfolk. I'd always wonder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kazuo-ishiguro/the-point-is-there-was-a-gap-in-miss-emily-s-calendar-collection-none/) [Kazuo Ishiguro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kazuo-ishiguro/) > [Motherhood has most definitely changed me and my life. It's so crazy how drastic even the small details change - in such an amazing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kourtney-kardashian/motherhood-has-most-definitely-changed-me-and-my-life-it-s-so-crazy/) [Kourtney Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kourtney-kardashian/) > [I don't think I missed a single picture Billie Dove ever made. I was crazy for her. I tried to do my hair like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-holiday/i-don-t-think-i-missed-a-single-picture-billie-dove-ever-made-i-was/) [Billie Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-holiday/) ## More by Margaret Mead > [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [The contempt for law and the contempt for the human consequences of lawbreaking go from the bottom to the top of American society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-contempt-for-law-and-the-contempt-for-the-human-consequences-of/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [If one cannot state a matter clearly enough so that even an intelligent twelve-year-old can understand it, one should remain within the cloistered walls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/if-one-cannot-state-a-matter-clearly-enough-so-that-even-an/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [I learned the value of hard work by working hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/i-learned-the-value-of-hard-work-by-working-hard/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/children-must-be-taught-how-to-think-not-what-to-think/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Women are scolded both for being mothers and for not being mothers, for wanting to eat their cake and have it too, and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/women-are-scolded-both-for-being-mothers-and-for-not-being-mothers/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [we came to realize that a civilization which rode roughshod over the way of life of other peoples was incorporating evil in its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/we-came-to-realize-that-a-civilization-which-rode-roughshod-over-the/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [WE MUST DEVISE A SYSTEM IN WHICH PEACE IS MORE REWARDING THAN WAR.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/we-must-devise-a-system-in-which-peace-is-more-rewarding-than-war/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Through a grandmother's voice and hands the end of life is known at the beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/through-a-grandmother-s-voice-and-hands-the-end-of-life-is-known-at/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [today's children are the first generation to grow up in a world that has the power to destroy itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/today-s-children-are-the-first-generation-to-grow-up-in-a-world-that/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [We are now at a point where we must educate our children in what no one knew yesterday, and prepare our schools for what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/we-are-now-at-a-point-where-we-must-educate-our-children-in-what-no/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Humanity . . . lies in man's capacity to question the known and imagine the unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/humanity-lies-in-man-s-capacity-to-question-the-known-and-imagine-the/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Fathers are biological necessities, but social accidents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/fathers-are-biological-necessities-but-social-accidents/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [“One of the most dangerous things that can happen to a child is to kill or torture an animal and not be held responsible.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/one-of-the-most-dangerous-things-that-can-happen-to-a-child-is-to/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [We end up with the contradictory picture of a society that appears to throw its doors wide open to women, but translates her every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/we-end-up-with-the-contradictory-picture-of-a-society-that-appears-to/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) [Explore all 314 Margaret Mead quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) ## More Behavior quotes > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I now know that deep within the human concept is something dark, selfish, and completely willing to do whatever is necessary to support the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-west/i-now-know-that-deep-within-the-human-concept-is-something-dark/) [Melissa West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-west/) > [“We are endowed with genes which code out our reaction to beavers and otters, maybe our reaction to each other as well. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) [Burne Hogarth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/burne-hogarth/) > [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/) [Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) [J. Willard Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-gibbs/) > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) [Browse all 4,218 Behavior quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In our contemporary world, no one can think or work with a single picture of what a family is. 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