As we all know, society can be full of contradictions everywhere we look — especially when you are a woman. Be smart, but not too smart. Have a natural look, but not too natural. Try hard, but not too hard. The list goes on and on.
However, one of the biggest contradictions is amongst females themselves. We preach "girl power" and declare ourselves feminists to the world, yet why is it that when we see the girl on Instagram who has the perfect clothes, hair, body and life that we can't help but still feel a little jealousy festering inside us?
Society has created and endorsed this idea that women need to compete against each other and that to be happy, you need to be the best. It is so embedded into our minds that it almost comes as natural instinct to find yourself sizing up and comparing yourself to nearly every woman you encounter. This message that women should be jealous of one another and compete with each other is present in nearly every platform of media starting from the time we are children.
It's always the same classic story line — the popular girl must embarrass and undermine the less popular girls in order to achieve the highest possible status and feel a sense of self-worth. Starting as children, this concept only manifests itself and gets worse and worse throughout life. It's gotten to the point that almost every time we have an interaction with another female, there's a 15-second period of unspoken but mutual judgement as we look each other up and down in order to make accurate comparisons, and only do we feel better after we've found a flaw in the other person.
By the time we are in high school, this almost becomes second nature. Is it just me, or does any of this seem a little backwards? As women in today's society, we have enough battles to overcome and things to compete for. Let's not let one of them be each other.
My proposal to all of you is that instead of focusing your energy comparing and competing with each other, instead women should be supporting and uplifting each other. Being a girl is hard. There's no question about it. And the last thing we need is to be judged and to feel as though we need to live up to the expectations and standards of not only society, but other women.
What we do need, however, is a good pat on the back and to know we are not alone from time to time. I challenge all of you to be the change. Go against the pressures of society and repurpose your negative energy into a way to uplift and support your fellow women.
So, the next time you find yourself jealously staring at the picture of the girl on Instagram who has the prefect everything — try leaving a nice comment. Use that as an opportunity to not only boost someone's day, but to empower yourself. The phrase "empowered women empower women" comes to mind, and it could not be more accurate. Girl power at its finest.
