“A woman is handicapped by her sex, and handicaps society, either by slavishly copying the pattern of man's advance in the professions, or by refusing to compete with man at all.”
What this quote means
Friedan highlights the dilemma of women: either imitate men in a world designed by them, or withdraw from competition altogether. Both paths are dead ends because they deny female identity. This quote pushes us to seek a third way, where difference is not a handicap but a strength. It invites us to redefine success criteria and create spaces where diversity is valued.
How to apply it daily
Examine your career or engagement choices. Ask yourself if they reflect your own aspirations or social expectations. Adjust them to be more authentic to you.
Continue
Related quotes
Same author or same theme — keep reading.
“Please, sir, I want some more.”Create visual
“The family is the first and fundamental school of social living.”Create visual
“The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”Create visual
“We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.”Create visual
“Imagine all the people living life in peace.”Create visual
“There is a greater percentage of the population in prison in the United States than in any other country on earth, including Russia, including China, including Iran.”Create visual
More quotes by Betty Friedan
“The problem that has no name — which is simply the fact that American women are kept from growing to their full human capacities — is taking a far greater toll on the physical and mental health of our country than any known disease.”Create visual
“It is easier to live through someone else than to complete yourself. The freedom to lead and plan your own life is frightening if you have never faced it before.”Create visual