There’s an unspoken bond between women that is one of the most powerful forces in the world. We can see the pain and suffering in another woman’s eyes without a spoken word. We can sense when another woman needs help, or simply a hand to hold. The bonds of womanhood, of sisterhood, and of motherhood carry our world forward. With this in mind, we need to stop putting down other women. As easy as it is to point fingers at someone else and pick on them for their flaws and insecurities, it is hurtful and malicious. We all have flaws and insecurities, and putting other women down is a destructive and false form of self-validation.
The funny part is, we often bad-mouth women who we do not even know. We hear something about them or see something they posted on social media and mindlessly impose an unjustified label: “whore”, “skank”, “narcissist”, “ugly”, “fat”. We might not think that this is hurtful, as we are not insulting them to their faces, but the hate that we are radiating when we say these things pollutes the air like a smokestack. The girl who you are calling a whore may have been sexually assaulted. The woman who you tell your friend is too fat to be posting a picture on Instagram in a bikini may have overcome an eating disorder. The girl who you label a narcissist may suffer from depression and feel alone and worthless.
Moreover, as much as we share personal details with our friends, there are things about them that we may not know. When you make a harsh comment about another girl, you may be striking a chord with the friend you are talking to and unintentionally hurt her. As much as she knows you are not trying to cause her pain, it could damage your friendship and make her less likely to open up to you in the future. Thus, practice being mindful before you say something nasty about another woman. She is a daughter, a friend, and is connected to you in the bonds of womanhood. She is trying her best to make it in this big, sometimes scary world, just like you. You are both perfectly imperfect creatures.
Let’s make this world a brighter place together, my friends, by lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down.