---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always felt that sexuality is a…"
description: "\"I've always felt that sexuality is a really slippery thing. In this day and age, it tends to get categorized and labeled, and I think labels are for fo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49e/michael-stipe-6714_age_i-ve-always-felt-that-sexuality-is-a-rea_2129435.jpg"
---

#  I've always felt that sexuality is a really slippery…

![“I've always felt that sexuality is a really slippery thing. In this day and age, it tends to get categorized and labeled, and I think labels are for food. Canned food.” quote by Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49e/michael-stipe-6714_age_i-ve-always-felt-that-sexuality-is-a-rea_2129435.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49e/michael-stipe-6714_age_i-ve-always-felt-that-sexuality-is-a-rea_2129435.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49e/michael-stipe-6714_age_i-ve-always-felt-that-sexuality-is-a-rea_2129435.jpg)

> “I've always felt that sexuality is a really slippery thing. In this day and age, it tends to get categorized and labeled, and I think labels are for food. Canned food.”

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

## About This Quote

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

Sexuality resists rigid categories and thrives when seen as fluid rather than fixed.

**In simple terms:** Sexuality is fluid, not fixed.

Key Takeaway

Embrace fluidity, avoid limiting labels.

Themes

identity fluidity culture

Mood

reflective critical

Type

philosophical social commentary

When to use this quote

- personal relationships
- activism
- education
- media representation

Key Concepts

sexuality labeling social constructs

Questions to Reflect On

- How do labels help or hinder self-understanding?
- Can fluidity be respected without losing cultural context?

A Different Perspective

Labels can simplify but also erase personal nuance.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality/)

## Related quotes

> [My sexuality is a part of me that I really like. But it's not the totality of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/my-sexuality-is-a-part-of-me-that-i-really-like-but-it-s-not-the/)

[Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/)

> [Some people have their sexuality really at the forefront of who they are, and I applaud those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoni-porowski/some-people-have-their-sexuality-really-at-the-forefront-of-who-they/)

[Antoni Porowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoni-porowski/)

> [Some people make records that are defined by their sexuality, but mine really are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mika/some-people-make-records-that-are-defined-by-their-sexuality-but-mine/)

[Mika](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mika/)

> [I think one's sexuality can be the center of life, and coming out and discovering your sexuality is something that really can define your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-kirshner/i-think-one-s-sexuality-can-be-the-center-of-life-and-coming-out-and/)

[Mia Kirshner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-kirshner/)

> [ At the \[teenage\] time, I did have an inkling of my sexuality. And I had an inkling that I was different from other people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/at-the-teenage-time-i-did-have-an-inkling-of-my-sexuality-and-i-had/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [I remember talking with Arcade Fire after their first record, when they were getting all kinds of offers from major labels, and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/i-remember-talking-with-arcade-fire-after-their-first-record-when/)

[David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/)

> [When the darkness is seen as a necessary prelude to the creative light, one is less likely to ascribe frustration to personal inadequacy or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/when-the-darkness-is-seen-as-a-necessary-prelude-to-the-creative/)

[Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/)

> [While opponents label (Howard) Dean a throwback liberal, The New York Times recently noted that as governor, Dean cut income taxes, reformed welfare and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/while-opponents-label-howard-dean-a-throwback-liberal-the-new-york/)

[Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/)

> [When the idea came up, (Newman's Own) I said, "Are you crazy? Stick my face on the label of salad dressing?" And then, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/when-the-idea-came-up-newman-s-own-i-said-are-you-crazy-stick-my-face/)

[Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/)

> [Louisville is a place with no labels. It’s not the South, it’s not Chicago, and you don’t think of it as you think of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-james/louisville-is-a-place-with-no-labels-it-s-not-the-south-it-s-not/)

[Jim James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-james/)

> [Those are decisions only the Lord will make. I believe the love of God is absolute. He said he gave his son for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/those-are-decisions-only-the-lord-will-make-i-believe-the-love-of-god/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [How is it that labels like 'centrist' and 'moderate,' which common sense tells us should reflect the views of a majority of Americans, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehdi-hasan/how-is-it-that-labels-like-centrist-and-moderate-which-common-sense/)

[Mehdi Hasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehdi-hasan/)

> [I would be a huge hypocrite if I didn't tell you that at one time in my life I thought the way that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neko-case/i-would-be-a-huge-hypocrite-if-i-didn-t-tell-you-that-at-one-time-in/)

[Neko Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neko-case/)

> [People who live in the post-totalitarian system know only too well that the question of whether one or several political parties are in power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vaclav-havel/people-who-live-in-the-post-totalitarian-system-know-only-too-well/)

[Vaclav Havel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vaclav-havel/)

> [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/)

[Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/)

## More by Michael Stipe

> [We don't get groupies.We get teenagers who want to read us their poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/we-don-t-get-groupies-we-get-teenagers-who-want-to-read-us-their/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [ At the \[teenage\] time, I did have an inkling of my sexuality. And I had an inkling that I was different from other people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/at-the-teenage-time-i-did-have-an-inkling-of-my-sexuality-and-i-had/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [I don't find R.E.M. to be nihilistic. There is a constant undertone of joyous optimism. I'm not going to kill myself to Patti Smith…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-don-t-find-r-e-m-to-be-nihilistic-there-is-a-constant-undertone-of/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [ I simply constructed a project to try to snap Kurt \[Cobain\] out of a frame of mind. I sent him a plane ticket and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-simply-constructed-a-project-to-try-to-snap-kurt-cobain-out-of-a/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [I was vulnerable every day. Every night that I stepped on stage I was laying myself open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-was-vulnerable-every-day-every-night-that-i-stepped-on-stage-i-was/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [We're absolutely American and distinctly so, I think. That's part of what people respond to outside of this country, part of the reason that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/we-re-absolutely-american-and-distinctly-so-i-think-that-s-part-of/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [ \[Columbia House\] magazines were how I found out about the punk world going on in New York. Because of what I read, at the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/columbia-house-magazines-were-how-i-found-out-about-the-punk-world/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [I'm tired of being this solemn poet of the masses, the enigma shrouded in a mystery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-m-tired-of-being-this-solemn-poet-of-the-masses-the-enigma-shrouded/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [Frankly I'm not great with heroin addicts. I tried heroin, but it was by accident. I'm not great with that level of substance abuse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/frankly-i-m-not-great-with-heroin-addicts-i-tried-heroin-but-it-was/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [The whole punk ethic was do-it-yourself, and I've always been very literal, especially as a kid. When they said that anybody can do this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/the-whole-punk-ethic-was-do-it-yourself-and-i-ve-always-been-very/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [They spoke truth and a lot of people listened… that voice, Kurt we miss you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/they-spoke-truth-and-a-lot-of-people-listened-that-voice-kurt-we-miss/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [A wise man once said-'the skill in attending a party is knowing when it's time to leave,'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/a-wise-man-once-said-the-skill-in-attending-a-party-is-knowing-when/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [They always want me to play myself and that's a big snooze.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/they-always-want-me-to-play-myself-and-that-s-a-big-snooze/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [Anything you do as a group is fraught with compromise... But everyone 's got to do that, right? It's part of being a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/anything-you-do-as-a-group-is-fraught-with-compromise-but-everyone-s/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [To be called an elder statesman is so unbelievably insulting. Brad Pitt is exactly three years younger than me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/to-be-called-an-elder-statesman-is-so-unbelievably-insulting-brad/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

[Explore all 98 Michael Stipe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

## More Age quotes

> [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/)

[Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/)

> [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/)

[Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/)

> [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/)

[Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/)

> [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/)

[Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [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/)

> [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/)

[Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/)

> [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/)

[Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/)

> [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/)

[Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/)

> [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/)

[Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/)

> [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/)

[Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/)

[Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I've always felt that sexuality is a really slippery thing. In this day and age, it tends to get categorized and labeled, and I think labels are for food. Canned food.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Michael Stipe"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-ve-always-felt-that-sexuality-is-a-really-slippery-thing-in-this/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Age"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-ve-always-felt-that-sexuality-is-a-really-slippery-thing-in-this/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49e/michael-stipe-6714_age_i-ve-always-felt-that-sexuality-is-a-rea_2129435.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49e/michael-stipe-6714_age_i-ve-always-felt-that-sexuality-is-a-rea_2129435.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49e/michael-stipe-6714_age_i-ve-always-felt-that-sexuality-is-a-rea_2129435.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I've always felt that sexuality is a really slippery thing. In this day and age, it tends to get categorized…” — Michael Stipe",
                "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": "Michael Stipe",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I've always felt that sexuality is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-ve-always-felt-that-sexuality-is-a-really-slippery-thing-in-this/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-ve-always-felt-that-sexuality-is-a-really-slippery-thing-in-this/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
