--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We say that one gets cancer, or a cold…" description: "\"We say that one gets cancer, or a cold, or kidney disease. One would never think to say that one is cancer. But we say that one is depressed, or bipola..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abd/paul-gruchow-51790_animal_we-say-that-one-gets-cancer-or-a-cold-or_2936045.jpg" --- # We say that one gets cancer, or a cold, or kidney disease… ![“We say that one gets cancer, or a cold, or kidney disease. One would never think to say that one is cancer. But we say that one is depressed, or bipolar, or schizophrenic. A disease of the body is a condition. But a disease of the mind, we think, is a state of being. We no longer believe, as we…” quote by Paul Gruchow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abd/paul-gruchow-51790_animal_we-say-that-one-gets-cancer-or-a-cold-or_2936045.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abd/paul-gruchow-51790_animal_we-say-that-one-gets-cancer-or-a-cold-or_2936045.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/abd/paul-gruchow-51790_animal_we-say-that-one-gets-cancer-or-a-cold-or_2936045.jpg) > “We say that one gets cancer, or a cold, or kidney disease. One would never think to say that one is cancer. But we say that one is depressed, or bipolar, or schizophrenic. A disease of the body is a condition. But a disease of the mind, we think, is a state of being. We no longer believe, as we did 250 years ago, that the mentally ill are animals, but we are not yet ready to grant that they are fully human either.” [Paul Gruchow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gruchow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage highlights how physical illnesses are called conditions, while mental illnesses are labeled as states of being, reflecting lingering dehumanization. **In simple terms:** Mental illness is often described as a state, not a condition. Key Takeaway Treat mental illness with the same dignity as physical illness. Themes stigma language mental health Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical advocacy When to use this quote - clinical practice - public health policy - education campaigns Key Concepts humanization medical sociology Questions to Reflect On - How can we change the language around mental illness? - What impact does labeling have on treatment? A Different Perspective Language can reinforce stigma. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Bipolar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bipolar/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Cancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cancer/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Conditions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conditions/) [Disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease/) [Disease Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease-mind-418278/) [Disease Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disease-think-1002853/) [Grants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grants/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Kidney disease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kidney-disease/) [Kidneys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kidneys/) [Mentally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentally/) [Mentally ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentally-ill/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Ready](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ready/) [Say Cancer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-cancer-805359/) [Schizophrenic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schizophrenic/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) [Years ago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years-ago/) ## Related quotes > [Elsewhere the paper notes that vegetarians and vegans (including athletes) 'meet and exceed requirements' for protein. 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