The funny thing about all these “too much / too emotional / too sensitive” labels is that most of us weren’t actually excessive, we were just inconvenient.
These old witch metaphors always make me think the same thing: women weren’t punished for feeling too much, they were punished for refusing to make other people comfortable. Different century, same mechanics. Ugh.
Women don't have to fit society's mould and so many of them are choosing not too anymore. None of it means you “failed” or are “behind”. I'm exploring these themes in my series about a woman finding herself at 40. I just dropped Chapter 3, looking for my community ❤️
Such a great article! Especially the part about why women cry. As a therapist, I hear women express so much frustration around their tears and this is a great reminder that tears are often the only outlet we are taught to have.
It’s exhausting, performing calm while your body is screaming, while work expects you to be pleasant and professional, while everyone around you gets to express frustration without being labelled difficult or emotional. And the kicker is that even the tears get misread as fragility, when they’re really just fury with nowhere else to go.
What you’re doing here with the conversation starters and classroom resources matters. Giving young people the language to name what they’re feeling before they learn to suppress it; that’s the kind of work that actually shifts things.
As a mother of a fierce and smart daughter, I really appreciate these resources. As a parent, I’m terrified of perpetuating gender biases, even if I’m extremely aware of them. But she doesn’t evolve in a closed environment, we need to fight the limiting beliefs the outside world is putting on her.
Wenches, are them witches, or are it reformed witches, are she/he worse than witches?
Seriously the word wench has always to me sounded more palatable, is it a witch from Wales, hence the word wench, welsh and witch combined?
Come now leader, guide me to a straight and arrow path of what exactly a wench is?
Do wenches resent being called witches, do they wear the same garments, this is not a be careful what you wish for request, this is an honest question,
Wench to witch is hamburger to hotdog, or is it more so wench to witch is hamburger/turkeyburger?
This resonates deeply. Your description of how we are taught to cope with emotions is bang on! Frustrations expressed as tears does not get you far in the workplace. It’s seen as weakness. At yet frustration culminates when your input is usually repeated ignored….
Great post and great work influencing young women.
Double standards everywhere need to be challenged.
The funny thing about all these “too much / too emotional / too sensitive” labels is that most of us weren’t actually excessive, we were just inconvenient.
These old witch metaphors always make me think the same thing: women weren’t punished for feeling too much, they were punished for refusing to make other people comfortable. Different century, same mechanics. Ugh.
Women don't have to fit society's mould and so many of them are choosing not too anymore. None of it means you “failed” or are “behind”. I'm exploring these themes in my series about a woman finding herself at 40. I just dropped Chapter 3, looking for my community ❤️
https://open.substack.com/pub/calmperspective/p/chapter-3-the-first-ripple?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=6wky17
Such a great article! Especially the part about why women cry. As a therapist, I hear women express so much frustration around their tears and this is a great reminder that tears are often the only outlet we are taught to have.
It’s exhausting, performing calm while your body is screaming, while work expects you to be pleasant and professional, while everyone around you gets to express frustration without being labelled difficult or emotional. And the kicker is that even the tears get misread as fragility, when they’re really just fury with nowhere else to go.
What you’re doing here with the conversation starters and classroom resources matters. Giving young people the language to name what they’re feeling before they learn to suppress it; that’s the kind of work that actually shifts things.
This is great post!
As a mother of a fierce and smart daughter, I really appreciate these resources. As a parent, I’m terrified of perpetuating gender biases, even if I’m extremely aware of them. But she doesn’t evolve in a closed environment, we need to fight the limiting beliefs the outside world is putting on her.
I’m definitely in my “claiming my witch” era. Anyone else?
Can you help me with this question they,
Wenches, are them witches, or are it reformed witches, are she/he worse than witches?
Seriously the word wench has always to me sounded more palatable, is it a witch from Wales, hence the word wench, welsh and witch combined?
Come now leader, guide me to a straight and arrow path of what exactly a wench is?
Do wenches resent being called witches, do they wear the same garments, this is not a be careful what you wish for request, this is an honest question,
Wench to witch is hamburger to hotdog, or is it more so wench to witch is hamburger/turkeyburger?
These word have totally different meanings, and I think you must know that…
Witch comes from the Old English word “wicce,” meaning “wise woman.”
Wench has an altogether different flavour 🙈
This only makes me more empowered to claim I am a witch
💋 #proudwitchywoman
The quiet policing often feels like brazen disrespect. Imposing mandates that they wouldn't give to their worst enemy... Very important article here!
This resonates deeply. Your description of how we are taught to cope with emotions is bang on! Frustrations expressed as tears does not get you far in the workplace. It’s seen as weakness. At yet frustration culminates when your input is usually repeated ignored….
As a woman who is consistently and reliably labeled “too much,” I approve this message.
LOVE THIS - Thank you for writing