In order to be accepted, women must compensate for their ambition and strength by being nice. Men don't have to be nearly as much d as women. I do not believe women are natively nicer than men. They may learn that niceness brings rewards and hat names ambition is often punished. They may ingratiate themselves because such behavior is rewarded and a strategy of stealth may lead to better results than being forthright, but even when women are open and direct, they are not always seen or heard. Siri Hustvedt
About This Quote

Women are constantly judged by society based on how much they’re willing to compromise. Men are not. This is something I’ve noticed in almost every relationship I’ve ever had with a woman. They feel that if they “sweeten up” or act like they “can take it,” then men will be attracted to them.

They think that if they act like they don’t want anything too challenging, then men will want them. If women don’t believe in themselves enough to be aggressive, the theory goes, then men won’t want them because being assertive is scary.

Source: A Woman Looking At Men Looking At Women: Essays On Art, Sex, And The Mind

Some Similar Quotes
  1. She just smiled, said that she loved books more than anything, and started telling him excitedly what each of the ones in her lap was about. And Ove realised that he wanted to hear her talking about the things she loved for the rest of... - Fredrik Backman

  2. And besides . . . I don’t want to leave you. Er, you guys.” He smiled, and it lit up his whole face. “Well, ‘we’ are certainly happy to hear that. Oh, and I’m also happy to watch our darling little love child dragon while... - Richelle Mead

  3. Women speak because they wish to speak, whereas a man speaks only when driven to speak by something outside himself-like, for instance, he can't find any clean socks. - Jean Kerr

  4. Tell me something. Do you believe in God?'Snow darted an apprehensive glance in my direction. 'What? Who still believes nowadays?'' It isn't that simple. I don't mean the traditional God of Earth religion. <span style="margin:15px; display:block"></span>I'm no expert in the history of religions, and perhaps... - Unknown

  5. Take lightly what you hear about individuals. We need not distort trust for our paltry little political agendas. We tend to trust soulless, carried information more than we trust soulful human beings; but really most people aren't so bad once you sit down and have... - Criss Jami

More Quotes By Siri Hustvedt
  1. You're on Earth. There's no cure for that.

  2. The end is in the beginning and yet you go on.

  3. No, I regret nothing, all I regret is having been born, dying is such a long tiresome business I always found.

  4. The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep somewhere else another stops. The same is true of the laugh.

  5. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.

Related Topics