What do people mean when they say "blood is thicker than water"?

Question

I always hear this saying but i never really under stood what it meant

Answer 1

It means family bonds are stronger than bonds with people outside your family.

Answer 2

It refers generally to the hierarchy of loyalties that people have felt throughout the ages and in all cultures: family first, tribe and village next, ethnic group next after that, and thereafter language, religion, culture, etc serve as the binding priority.

These days we might refer to "gene loyalty" with those in your family sharing genes with you to a greater degree than anyone else and those in your genetic pool being next, etc. Much of evolutionary psychology is based on this "natural" loyalty ( with self-sacrifice for the benefit of one's genes being sometimes/often of Darwinian value e.g. bees, mole rats, etc )

Answer 3

It means your Family Members (especially immediate) are more important than your so-called friends/homies & Family is always first & never second!

Answer 4

It means that family(blood) will always be more important than people who are not family(water).

Answer 5

Family is most important.You cant change who your related to.

Answer 6

All answerers are right, and water is really THINNER than blood. Hehehehehehe!!!!!

It simply means: Family first before anybody else.....

Answer 7

referring to family/relative relationships always stronger than other relationships

Answer 8

Your family is more important than anything else!!