# people are not limited to one definition... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 28, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-are-not-limited-to-one-definition/617011 "2012-03-28T02:10:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-are-not-limited-to-one-definition/617011/21 "2012-03-30T14:59:30Z")
> [@living\_in\_hell](#): > > I think there’s few things more amazing than watching someone with this diagnosis function fully in the world. We’ve come a long way since Cuckoo’s Nest. 🙂 > > (oh and sorry for being a “hack writer” and misusing language…) You don’t want to talk about how people refer to each other in conversation. You want to talk about how mentally ill people can function in society. So why not just say that? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-are-not-limited-to-one-definition/617011/22 "2012-03-30T15:02:20Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > You don’t find this combo too often, I’d imagine. Seems to be quite common in the software business. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-are-not-limited-to-one-definition/617011/23 "2012-03-30T15:17:24Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Someone whose addiction is currently active is truly an addict before they’re a parent, child, sibling, employee, co-worker, etc. That’s because said addict is putting their addiction ahead of all those other roles. > > So at times it’s a pretty good description. I disagree with that STRONGLY, just because you are physically dependent on a substance to function doesn’t mean you put it ahead of your family or children. There are tons of functional addicts out there raising kids and taking care of their families better than sober people. ---
**Author:** ![FlyByNight512](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@FlyByNight512](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyByNight512)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-are-not-limited-to-one-definition/617011/24 "2012-03-30T15:44:35Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I disagree with that STRONGLY, just because you are physically dependent on a substance to function doesn’t mean you put it ahead of your family or children. > > There are tons of functional addicts out there raising kids and taking care of their families better than sober people. And I strongly disagree with you. I’ve known a number of addicts who only _thought_ they were functional and were putting their families ahead of their addiction. Their families knew the truth. And that was the most harmful part of the whole thing. (Sorry, hot button issue for me. Probably a hot button for you, too.) ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-are-not-limited-to-one-definition/617011/25 "2012-03-30T15:56:45Z")
> [@FlyByNight512](#): > > . . .I’ve known a number of addicts who only _thought_ they were functional and were putting their families ahead of their addiction. Their families knew the truth. (Once you take away the substance, you start to see the real priorities of the addict.) Anyway–this particular concern about language–and everything about language–always depends on context. There is no definition that isn’t contingent upon context, so the complaint of the OP is kind of meaningless. ---
**Author:** ![living\_in\_hell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@living\_in\_hell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/living_in_hell)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-are-not-limited-to-one-definition/617011/26 "2012-03-31T02:43:26Z")
Actually there’s a big difference between use, abuse, and dependence…and the criteria for the latter has to do with functional impairment in life domains, so if there are no negative effects (among other criteria) in no domains, it is likely abuse vs dependence/addiction. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-are-not-limited-to-one-definition/617011/27 "2012-03-31T17:19:20Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > "My husband, son of Soandso and Thusandsuch, brother of MissThang, nephew of the Whosits, cousin to Thing 1 and Thing 2, friend of Dooflitchy, physician, musician, volunteer DJ, NPR donor and listener, cook, gardener, Wildcats fan, and general smartass, and I, daughter of What’shisface and Whoever, sister of Buttface, aunt to CutiePie, niece of the Thingumbobs, friend of XYZ, medical assistant, quilter, crocheter, gardener, keeper of animals, and possessor of the **Rack of Doom** , are thinking about going to Cancun. > [@tdn](#): > > Sounds like an entmoot. > [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > A-lalla-lalla-rumba-kamanda-lindor-burúmë! “The Bra cannot be destroyed, **living\_in\_hell** , provocative poster of the straight dope, by any crafts that we here possess. The Bra was made in the fires of Doom’s Rack. Only there can It be unmade. It must be taken deep into Cancun and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence It came.” ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-are-not-limited-to-one-definition/617011/28 "2012-03-31T22:30:06Z")
I’m a recovering alcoholic/addict. I’m not drinking or using drugs right now, but my abuse/dependence has shaped my life in huge ways(not all bad). I am not offended in the least by being called an alcoholic or an addict. It’s true. I’m a lot of other things, too, and I doubt that anyone who knows me would _ **define** _ me so simply as “that drunk junkie.” ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-are-not-limited-to-one-definition/617011/29 "2012-04-01T15:51:28Z")
> [@living\_in\_hell](#): > > Language is powerful: calling someone “an addict” or “a schizophrenic” fails to recognize the whole person. Sure it takes a little longer to say, but think about if someone defined you in one, simple, (and pretty negative) way. You mean like saying “Canadjun is a paraplegic”? Doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I quite regularly say “I am a paraplegic”. It puzzles me why people get so worried about trying to figure out exactly what phrase of the month to use to refer to someone. I am Canadian. I am semi-retired. I am a SAS programmer. I am paraplegic. I am male. I am NDP. etc. etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-are-not-limited-to-one-definition/617011/30 "2012-04-01T19:09:17Z")
A bunch of women’s bodies were recently unearthed on Long Island, and in the initial news reports they were referred to as “prostitutes.” This outraged me–they were VICTIMS! I wondered if the same type of designation would have been used for “housewives” or “business women.” Later reports said “women.” An episode of Criminal Minds had someone ask why they should spend time finding the serial killer of prostitues. Policeman: After all, who are these women? Hotchner: They are daughters. Some of them are sisters and nieces and mothers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-are-not-limited-to-one-definition/617011.md?page=1)