--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have a 2-year-old son, and I know I'm…" description: "\"I have a 2-year-old son, and I know I'm dealing with a big, grand word when I can't point to the thing when I define it. Right? If he wants to know wha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/noah-feldman-12383_anything_i-have-a-2-year-old-son-and-i-know-i-m-d_478729.jpg" --- # I have a 2-year-old son, and I know I'm dealing with a… ![“I have a 2-year-old son, and I know I'm dealing with a big, grand word when I can't point to the thing when I define it. Right? If he wants to know what a chair is, I can point to the chair. If he wants to know what religion is, I can't point to anything in particular. The same is true of the state.” quote by Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/noah-feldman-12383_anything_i-have-a-2-year-old-son-and-i-know-i-m-d_478729.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/noah-feldman-12383_anything_i-have-a-2-year-old-son-and-i-know-i-m-d_478729.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/noah-feldman-12383_anything_i-have-a-2-year-old-son-and-i-know-i-m-d_478729.jpg) > “I have a 2-year-old son, and I know I'm dealing with a big, grand word when I can't point to the thing when I define it. Right? If he wants to know what a chair is, I can point to the chair. If he wants to know what religion is, I can't point to anything in particular. The same is true of the state.” [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Defining abstract concepts is harder than concrete ones because they lack a single, observable reference. **In simple terms:** Abstract ideas are harder to point to than concrete objects. Key Takeaway Use examples and stories to explain abstract ideas. Themes communication abstraction learning Mood analytical thoughtful Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - teaching children - explaining philosophy - discussing politics - writing essays Key Concepts epistemology language pedagogy Questions to Reflect On - How do you make abstract ideas concrete? - What examples help you understand? A Different Perspective Abstract concepts may be interpreted differently by each person. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) ## Related quotes > [Catch a dog in your favorite chair, and he slinks away abashed. The cat will pretend incomprehension; surely you must know it's her chair?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonore-fleischer/catch-a-dog-in-your-favorite-chair-and-he-slinks-away-abashed-the-cat/) [Leonore Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonore-fleischer/) > [Chanting just hits you and you want to be a part of it. That’s the point of this whole thing. That’s what cuts through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/chanting-just-hits-you-and-you-want-to-be-a-part-of-it-that-s-the/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) > [“It's the whole point of the thing, you know—that, and leaving the business to take care of itself, as it seems to have made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/it-s-the-whole-point-of-the-thing-you-know-that-and-leaving-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [My highest point was the first thing I won, a short story competition in a women's magazine in the Eighties. It was the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-atkinson/my-highest-point-was-the-first-thing-i-won-a-short-story-competition/) [Kate Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-atkinson/) > [The more history I read, the more everything seems to point to the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-buffett/the-more-history-i-read-the-more-everything-seems-to-point-to-the/) [Peter Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-buffett/) > [“It is impossible for there to be a person with no religion (i.e. without any kind of relationship to the world) as it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/it-is-impossible-for-there-to-be-a-person-with-no-religion-i-e/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Know your religion, know who you are and don't be ashamed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-mencia/know-your-religion-know-who-you-are-and-don-t-be-ashamed/) [Carlos Mencia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-mencia/) > [Those who say religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/those-who-say-religion-has-nothing-to-do-with-politics-do-not-know/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“When you try to talk to God you don’t get him, instead you just get a sniveling little assistant who says he’ll relay your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabe-habash/when-you-try-to-talk-to-god-you-don-t-get-him-instead-you-just-get-a/) [Gabe Habash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabe-habash/) > [Religions have been universal in the sense that all the people we know anything about have had a religion. 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It has long been obvious - even to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-dennett/i-don-t-think-the-9-11-attacks-taught-us-anything-we-didn-t-already/) [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) > [“He's a scientist, and they know everything. Religion is crap.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-farmer/he-s-a-scientist-and-they-know-everything-religion-is-crap/) [Nancy Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-farmer/) > [I spent a lot of time in India with my father. I don't know all about their religion. But I know they love God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-in-india-with-my-father-i-don-t-know-all-about/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) ## More by Noah Feldman > [The administration of George W. Bush, emboldened by the Sept. 11 attacks and the backing of a Republican Congress, has sought to further extend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/the-administration-of-george-w-bush-emboldened-by-the-sept-11-attacks/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [Our post-denominational age should be the perfect time for a Mormon to become president, or at least the Republican nominee. Mormons share nearly all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/our-post-denominational-age-should-be-the-perfect-time-for-a-mormon/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [In 1953, after the armistice ending the Korean War, South Korea lay in ruins. President Eisenhower was eager to put an end to hostilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/in-1953-after-the-armistice-ending-the-korean-war-south-korea-lay-in/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [The Chinese public is deeply nationalist, which matters to China's unelected political leadership as much as U.S. nationalism does to American politicians. As China…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/the-chinese-public-is-deeply-nationalist-which-matters-to-china-s/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [In an ideological age, diplomacy may seem weak and prosaic. 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But this is mostly myth. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/we-often-imagine-that-the-court-serves-as-a-sort-of-neutral-umpire/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [Every generation gets the Constitution that it deserves. As the central preoccupations of an era make their way into the legal system, the Supreme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/every-generation-gets-the-constitution-that-it-deserves-as-the/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) [Explore all 55 Noah Feldman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) ## More Anything quotes > [I guess I've never really wanted to be anything else. 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That said, I really love Naple-style pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-zakarian/comfort-food-is-really-anything-you-want-at-that-time-that-said-i/) [Geoffrey Zakarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-zakarian/) > [I haven't shut any doors, and I'm really open to anything, so I think it's just about the material and what is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-panabaker/i-haven-t-shut-any-doors-and-i-m-really-open-to-anything-so-i-think/) [Danielle Panabaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-panabaker/) > [When it really comes down to it, the job you do is more important and is more representative of who you are than your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/when-it-really-comes-down-to-it-the-job-you-do-is-more-important-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [The reason I'm drawn to it is - both the off road racing and the motorcycles on the track - it takes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dax-shepard/the-reason-i-m-drawn-to-it-is-both-the-off-road-racing-and-the/) [Dax Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dax-shepard/) > [I never did drama at school. I did it for one term, when it was compulsory, and I hated it. Tennis was the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-mitchell/i-never-did-drama-at-school-i-did-it-for-one-term-when-it-was/) [Luke Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-mitchell/) > [We live in such a special time when literally anything we can think of is possible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-willey/we-live-in-such-a-special-time-when-literally-anything-we-can-think/) [Daniel Willey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-willey/) > [You know, I'm from Baltimore; nobody has anything. When somebody had talent, I was hiring my uncle, my cousin, you know? Getting people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sisqo/you-know-i-m-from-baltimore-nobody-has-anything-when-somebody-had/) [Sisqo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sisqo/) > [I said to my agent, 'I want short, sharp, well-paid jobs because I haven't got time for anything else.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billie-whitelaw/i-said-to-my-agent-i-want-short-sharp-well-paid-jobs-because-i-haven/) [Billie Whitelaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billie-whitelaw/) > [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [If the Bible is correct, and the Earth is only 6,000 years old, that means there were no dinosaurs, and museum curators have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-shock/if-the-bible-is-correct-and-the-earth-is-only-6-000-years-old-that/) [Ron Shock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-shock/) > [Don't do anything drastic like getting your eyebrows tattooed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-lee/don-t-do-anything-drastic-like-getting-your-eyebrows-tattooed/) [Greta Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-lee/) > [Whenever you define family as anything other than a man and a woman married together, you have just introduced an ethical nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-evans/whenever-you-define-family-as-anything-other-than-a-man-and-a-woman/) [Tony Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-evans/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) Browse all 9,437 Anything quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have a 2-year-old son, and I know I'm dealing with a big, grand word when I can't point to the thing when I define it. Right? If he wants to know what a chair is, I can point to the chair. If he wants to know what religion is, I can't point to anything in particular. 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