3.07.2007

"Women Who Intimidate"

I ran across this article today. The title definitely piqued my interest--not because I see myself as intimidating, but because my mother has told me that I am. (At least, she used to--she seemed to think that's why my having dates was so rare!) And, to be perfectly honest, there are plenty of times when I want to be intimidating. I found it interesting that the author points out the difference between being competent/successful and being intimidating, and how the world tends to equate the two.

1 comment:

Monica said...

She made some interesting points, and she certainly has a good part of the equation correct. People (not just women) who have been divinely gifted with the drive to lead and to accomplish, with energy and enthusiasm, and with verbal prowess have a huge vulnerability to pride and ungodly arrogance. It's just part of the territory, and it has to be carefully fended off.

What gives me pause is the idea that that's all there is to it. Women (and men) most certainly do have a responsibility to be humble and considerate of others, but no matter how humble one is, there will always be people who will equate "intimidating" and "competent." I actually talked to a guy in college that admitted that he would feel threatened if his wife was smarter than he was. Not if she was proud, but if she was smarter. And that problem is also part of the equation that ought to be addressed with equal fervor.