The actual saying is “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb”. The meaning of this saying is actually the opposite of the way we use it. The saying actually means that bonds that you’ve made by choice are more important than the people that you are bound to by the water of the womb. The saying reflects the fact that the bonds you choose for yourself can mean much more than the ones you don’t have much say in.
Despite this "Blood is thicker than water" is a phrase that we use to justify choosing family bonds over the bonds that we have made by choice.
“I know that your friends have been planning this day for weeks but it’s your cousin’s birthday. Blood is thicker than water.”
This comes up often in religion as many of us inherit religion or are forced to participate due to peer pressure (some will argue indoctrination) by family members.
I am attached to my family by time and experience, not by blood, as some of my family my time and experience with them has caused me to keep my distance, and knowledge of the actual meaning of this phrase is empowering as it was used against me with the modern misinterpretion often when I was younger, and with more limited knowledge.
I love my families, both the birth one and my chosen ones, and whichever try to make me choose is likely to not be happy with the result (if past experice actually predicts future results)
Ps, I have chosen this evolving online family, as it is full of intelligent thoughtful people, not that we all come close to agreeing on anything, but you all make me think, make me consider other options, and the format of online helps me distance from some ;p
Despite this "Blood is thicker than water" is a phrase that we use to justify choosing family bonds over the bonds that we have made by choice.
“I know that your friends have been planning this day for weeks but it’s your cousin’s birthday. Blood is thicker than water.”
This comes up often in religion as many of us inherit religion or are forced to participate due to peer pressure (some will argue indoctrination) by family members.
I am attached to my family by time and experience, not by blood, as some of my family my time and experience with them has caused me to keep my distance, and knowledge of the actual meaning of this phrase is empowering as it was used against me with the modern misinterpretion often when I was younger, and with more limited knowledge.
I love my families, both the birth one and my chosen ones, and whichever try to make me choose is likely to not be happy with the result (if past experice actually predicts future results)
Ps, I have chosen this evolving online family, as it is full of intelligent thoughtful people, not that we all come close to agreeing on anything, but you all make me think, make me consider other options, and the format of online helps me distance from some ;p