For thousands of years, men have written history, so it seems to me that most of what we've read is from the male point of view.
Stacy SchiffRead
How does a woman in authority convey that authority? Is it possible for a woman to rule without sounding shrill? Is it possible for a woman to manage without manipulating? All of these things seem to me to be very much at the fore today, and were no less the case 2,000 years ago.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote addresses the challenges women in authority face in conveying their leadership while avoiding negative stereotypes.
Stacy Schiff's quote reflects on the complex dynamics of female leadership and authority. It highlights the societal perceptions that imply women often struggle to assert themselves without being labeled negatively. By questioning the balance between authority and perceived manipulation or stridency, Schiff points to an ongoing discourse that has persisted over millennia, showing that the issues of gender and power are both relevant today and historically significant.
Themes
WomenAuthorityLeadershipSocietyGenderPower
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel on women's leadership, this quote can initiate discussions about the perception of female authority.
More from Stacy Schiff
All quotes βAnd in the absence of facts, myth rushes in, the kudzu of history.
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It has always been preferable to attribute a woman's success to her beauty rather than to her brains, to reduce her to the sum of her sex life.
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Cleopatra had one great advantage. She lived at a time when female sovereigns were not anomalies. And when women enjoyed rights they would not again enjoy for another 2,000 years. You could call them early feminists, if I may use a dirty word.
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Power has for so long been a male construct that it distorted the shape of the first women who tried it on, only to find themselves in a sort of straitjacket.
Stacy SchiffRead
Women enjoyed rights in Egypt they would not again enjoy for more than 2,000 years. They owned ships, ran vineyards, filed lawsuits, practiced medicine. Their husbands supported them after divorce. Their power was unprecedented.
Stacy SchiffRead
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