Show John Anderson Lyrics"Black Sheep" My daddy was a brakeman on a highball traveling train Big brother went to
college and became a doctor man Yeah I drive me a big ol' semi truck I'm makin' payments on a two room shack Little sister married a banker yeah he owns a country club Yeah I drive me a big ol' semi
truck... Writer(s): Robert B. Altman, Daniel Darst
album: "All The People Are Talkin'" (1983) Definition: The oddball member of the family who does not fall in line with the others; the worst member of the family. Also used as the shortened phrase black sheep, the black sheep of the family is someone who makes bad decisions or has a bad
reputation within a family unit. While the rest of a family may follow laws, the person who is the black sheep of that family may have been to jail or is simply the “odd man out” when it comes to family relations. While often used to describe a person with drastically bad behavior, the phrase can also be used to describe somebody who does not fit in with his or her family. For example, a girl who wants to join the cheerleading squad while the rest of her sisters and mother are all
competitive swimmers may feel like she is the black sheep of the family because she does not fit in with them. This phrase may have originated from the fact that black sheep were less valuable than white sheep because their wool was more difficult to dye various colors. This phrase can also be traced to the Bible. A 1535 translation of the Bible includes the phrase “all blacke shepe amonge the lambes” [all black sheep among the lambs] in Genesis 30:32. In this biblical sense, Jacob is negotiating a wage from Laban. Sensing Laban’s extreme selfishness, Jacob proposes that he be paid with animals, not with money, and that he will accept only the black or speckled sheep. Of course, that vast majority of sheep are white, so his pay would be very little. Additionally, in the 1600s, Religious Puritans who immigrated to the Americas began using this phrase to describe people with unwanted behaviors. Thomas Shepard wrote In The Sincere Convert,
Commonly, the word black references negativity or evil, and so black sheep continues to be a phrase to describe an outsider or negative person. Examples of Black Sheep of the FamilyA man who has cheated on his wife might be referred to by his family members as the family’s black sheep because his family does not support his immoral choice. People might also say, “I feel like the black sheep of the family” if they feel as if they do not fit in with the rest of their family. It is common to hear teens describe themselves as “black sheep” and emphasize their differences. More Examples
SummaryThe black sheep of the family is a person who makes bad or very different decisions and may not fit in within their family. Contents
What does it mean to be the black sheep of the family?If you describe someone as the black sheep of their family or of a group that they are a member of, you mean that they are considered bad or worthless by other people in that family or group.
How do I know if M black sheep of the family?Pay attention to the verbal cues family members give when a loved one walks away. If one member of the family is most often talked about over others, they might be the black sheep, especially if they way they are talked about is negative. Subtle or passive behaviors might fall to the way of more aggressive ones.
How do you deal with the black sheep in your family?7 Ways to Handle Being the Black Sheep of the Family. Understand human nature. ... . Identify your “chosen family” and nurture your connections with them. ... . Reframe your negative experiences. ... . Establish and maintain personal boundaries (with family). ... . Change the way you think about your marginalization. ... . Be authentic.. Is being the black sheep a good thing?The potential for a greater and stronger sense of self.
Those who embody “the black sheep” of the family may often have more psychological “scars” than other, more accepted family members, but they may also have a greater sense of self than others in the family, too.
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