Concept in Definition ABC

If we hear the phrase "my neighbor is the black sheep of the family"We can imagine several things and all of them negative: that it is someone who is very rebellious, with bad character, who is a criminal or who has any trait contrary to what is considered acceptable socially. In fact, the phrase "is the black sheep of the family" means that he is someone troublesome within the family group. By extension, someone can be the black sheep in relation to any group.

A psychological explanation

In any group there is usually someone different and who breaks the homogeneity of the group. Every human group needs a certain social cohesion, that is, ties of union. If someone breaks these ties he becomes an undesirable person and, therefore, ends up being the black sheep. We can observe this idea through individuals who are considered rare by some reason and its rarity ends up becoming discrimination Social.

Origin of the expression

It is believed that its origin is due to the low value that black sheep wool once had. Thus, a specific circumstance of livestock was adapted to the

language current and nowadays it is a very common expression in the communicationcolloquial. Even in English the same concept is used (black sheep), which is because the English considered that the black sheep had some relationship with the devil.

The world of animals in language

Our language has a multitude of expressions and idioms in which animals appear. If we say that so and so is a weirdo, we know that he is someone with some normally negative peculiarity. If someone has a habit of threatening others but does not quite comply with their threats, it is likely that someone will mention the saying "biting little barking dog."

Thus, the list of phrases or sayings with animals is very extensive: slower than a turtle, more stubborn than a mule, the lion as they paint it, bird in hand is better than a hundred flying, crocodile tears, being a worm, scapegoat and a long etc. In all cases, the characteristics of an animal are extrapolated to the human relations. In other words, animals serve us as inspiration and as an explanatory resource. Consequently, it could be said that we have humanized animals.

Animals have become symbols of ideas and human valuations. For example, the donkey has a good reputation probably because there was a donkey in the manger where Jesus Christ was born and the serpent is an animal feared and hated by the biblical episode of Adam and Eve.

Photos: iStock - Tolola / Nicolas McComber

Themes in Black Sheep