This quote is from the book, Beloved, by Toni Morrison, which describes the basis of slavery, where the ‘definers’ are the white people and the ‘defined’ are the slaves. In essence, the definers stated the rights and privileges slaves (the defined) had in the world they ruled. However, it did not mean that their definition was all that slaves could do.

Although many of us live in societies in which slavery has been abolished, to varying degrees, we can still feel pigeonholed or limited – be it due to our race, gender, education, social or economic status, or sexuality. However, we also need to be careful that the constraints that we feel are not self-imposed.

We do not have to be limited by the definitions others have for us. In doing so, we allow those definitions to be self-fulfilling.

We are all unique, and to a considerable degree, we make the life we live. And to do so, we need to feel empowered and mindful of the limitations that we put on ourselves based on the attitudes, prejudices and expectations of others.

 

 

Best wishes and have a great day!