“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

― Leo Tolstoy , Anna Karenina

💬 What does this quote mean? Do you agree with it?

What he meant is that at core, happy families are functioning as expected, and are therefore alike in the way that matters the most. In contrast, unhappy families are dysfunctional, and the source of this dysfunction could come from any number of things. Maybe dad hits mom, maybe mom can’t hold down a job, maybe Junior is using hard drugs, maybe all of this is occurring, etc. Within a family dynamic, there’s a near-infinite combination of things that can go wrong and result in unhappiness, hence Tolstoy’s observation that every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

LISTENING: TYPES OF FAMILIES

💬 Do you agree/half-agree or disagree?

It´s better to be an only child than to have brothers and sisters.
You should always defend members of your family against the police, even if they have done something wrong.
Mothers and daughters have a more difficult relationship than mothers and sons.
If a couple doesn´t get on, it´s better for their children for them to divorce than to stay together and completely argue.
If we want to save the planet, no couples should be allowed to have more than two children.
Your "family" are the people who care about you, not necessarily your blood relatives.
Your parents brought you up, so it´s your responsibility to take care of them when they´re old.