---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That's why every society on the planet…"
description: "\"That's why every society on the planet has very definite rules, ideas about how sex should be regulated, how sex should be expressed, what's okay, what..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/mary-gaitskill-7551_behavior_that-s-why-every-society-on-the-planet-h_3074263.jpg"
---

#  That's why every society on the planet has very definite…

![“That's why every society on the planet has very definite rules, ideas about how sex should be regulated, how sex should be expressed, what's okay, what's not okay. And I guess we do live in a place, and have for a long time, where there's more openness and there's more willingness to tolerate…” quote by Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/mary-gaitskill-7551_behavior_that-s-why-every-society-on-the-planet-h_3074263.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/mary-gaitskill-7551_behavior_that-s-why-every-society-on-the-planet-h_3074263.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87a/mary-gaitskill-7551_behavior_that-s-why-every-society-on-the-planet-h_3074263.jpg)

> “That's why every society on the planet has very definite rules, ideas about how sex should be regulated, how sex should be expressed, what's okay, what's not okay. And I guess we do live in a place, and have for a long time, where there's more openness and there's more willingness to tolerate different kinds of behavior, but with that comes people creating other rules and other kinds of controls. It's always going to be a question of what's acceptable and what isn't and what's the danger point and what rouses people's contempt and what people are allowed to get away with.”

[Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Societies create rules around sexuality, balancing openness with control, and constantly negotiating what is acceptable.

**In simple terms:** Rules about sex evolve and are contested.

Key Takeaway

Navigate personal and societal sexual norms.

Themes

society sexuality norms freedom control

Mood

analytical empathetic

Type

sociological ethical

When to use this quote

- relationship counseling
- policy development
- media analysis

Key Concepts

cultural standards personal boundaries legal frameworks

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines acceptable sexual behavior?
- How do we protect freedoms while ensuring safety?

A Different Perspective

Tolerance can clash with moral panic.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Contempt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contempt/) [Danger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/danger/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Different kinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-kinds/) [Get away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/get-away/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Ideas Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-sex-3994019/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Long time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long-time/) [Not okay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/not-okay/) [Okay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/okay/) [Openness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/openness/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Regulated Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regulated-sex-5215032/) [Sex Expressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex-expressed-5215033/) [Sex Regulated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex-regulated-5215031/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Tolerate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerate/) [Tolerate Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerate-different-3094372/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/)

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