Linda Picone - Quotes for Nasty Women: Empowering Wisdom from Women Who Break the Rules

There have always been strong women: women who stood up for themselves and their ideals, despite the odds; women who took on roles that werent ladylike; women who refused to limit their words or their actions to what was deemed proper. The first such woman in Judeo-Christian tradition may well have been Eve, who wasnt content to idle in the Garden of Eden but let curiosity get the better of herand urged Adam to bite that apple as well.

The reaction to strong, sometimes outspoken, sometimes loud, sometimes downright annoying women has been both admiration, by some, and criticism, by others. When Donald Trump referred to Hillary Clinton as such a nasty woman during the last presidential debate in 2016, it felt familiar to many women, no matter their politics or their feelings about Clinton. They recognized that kind of criticism, that labeling, of women who dared to stand up for themselves. Too many had experienced it in their own lives, in school, at work, even in what should have been the safety of their own homes. Hillary Clinton had done nothing moreand nothing lessthan any of the many male candidates who preceded her in presidential debates and on the campaign trail. Shed argued, made strong statements, and sometimes equivocated instead of answering a question.

In short, she was a politician. But while similar behavior by male candidates is taken for granted, she was such a nasty woman. Although Hillary Clinton did not lay claim to the title Nasty Woman, many others havehappily. You can find a T-shirt or a mug, an embroidered pillow or a hat. The label has become a source of pride for many women of all ages and in all walks of life. Some Nasty Women are quiet, some are loud.

Some work behind the scenes, some stand in front of crowds. Some seek out the role, some are thrust into it by circumstances. They vary greatly in historic era, philosophy, voice, and the causes they fight foror against. This collection of quotations by, for, and about Nasty Women includes a few women from centuries past, many from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and a wide range of contemporary women. Their voices are different, just as their concerns often are, but their comments and advice are consistent across generations, geography, race, and history in encouraging other women to: Be yourself. Stand up for what you believe in. Stand up for what you believe in.

For some Nasty Women, this has meant giving their lives. For many, it meant losing a comfortable place in society. Dont worry about what other people think. From Joan of Arc to Mae West to Lady Gaga, Nasty Women have stood out from the crowd because they dont really care what the crowd thinks of them. Individual Nasty Women have been silenced, at times permanently. But there always have been Nasty Women, and its likely that there always will be.

In February 2017, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren made her view of the attorney general nominee Senator Jeff Sessions known. They werent positive views. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell found her in violation of a Senate rule that forbids criticizing another senator in that way. Warren continued and McConnell barred her from speaking until the hearings on the attorney general were completed. Sen.

Warren was giving a lengthy speech, said McConnell. She had appeared to violate the rule. She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.

You ought to be out raising hell.

You ought to be out raising hell.

This is the fighting age. Put on your fighting clothes. Mother Jones

Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little. Agnes de Mille Every word a woman writes changes the story of the world, revises the official version. Carolyn See I thank you trolls so much.

It fills me with hope and power to see you all furiously posting, so as always accuse me of whatever lies you want. Call me a whale. Call me a thief, and I will continue to rise and fight and lead. Amy Schumer I dont want happy-face conclusions. I want the TRUTH . Elizabeth Warren Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.

The fearful are caught as often as the bold. Helen Keller

I was the conductor of the Underground Railroad for eight years, and I can say what most conductors cant sayI never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger. Harriet Tubman What matters in a character is not whether one holds this or that opinion: what matters is how proudly one upholds it. Germaine de Stal I like to help women help themselves, as that is, in my opinion, the best way to settle the woman question. Whatever we can do and do well, we have a right to, and I dont think anyone will deny us. Lady Bird Johnson I dont look at what Ive lost. Lady Bird Johnson I dont look at what Ive lost.

I look instead at what I have left. Betty Ford

People thought I was ruthless, which I was. I didnt give a darn who was on the other side of the net. Id knock you down if you got in my way. Althea Gibson When a woman becomes her own best friend, life is easier.