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Lack of confidence leads us into the dark waters of envy. We see men are functioning without hang-ups—and like girls who envy the unfettered freedom of older brothers, we find it easier to focus on how "lucky" the men are and how "unlucky" we are. Sequestered in an unfair situation, we don't have to do anything about achieving the competence and self-esteem we so admire in others.

— Colette Dowling The Cinderella Complex: Women's Hidden Fear of Independence (1981)

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More quotes by Colette Dowling

If girls could do nothing else in this world, they were supposed to be able to keep their blood from showing.

The Frailty Myth: Women Approaching Physical Equality (2000)

Female physical frailty is not a reality but a myth with an agenda.

The Frailty Myth: Women Approaching Physical Equality (2000)

Males are educated for independence from the day they are born.

The Cinderella Complex: Women's Hidden Fear of Independence (1981)

There's something spectacularly freeing about acknowledging that one has both resources and limitations, and that both of these give shape to one's life.

Perfect Women: Hidden Fears of Inadequacy and the Drive to Perform (1988)

Only after she begins to disengage from her belief in her own helplessness can she break out of the vicious cycle of dependency and its brutal effect in her life.

The Cinderella Complex: Women's Hidden Fear of Independence (1981)

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Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Colette Dowling (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.