Chimamanda Adichie Wants Girls and Women to Stop Worrying About Being Liked

Last week, Chimamanda Adichie was honored at the Girls Write Now Awards. Her message to the attendees was simple: Do you and don’t worry about what others say.

“Forget about likability. I think that what our society teaches young girls and I think that it’s something that’s quite difficult for even older women, self-confessed feminists, to shrug off is this idea that likability is an essential part of the space you occupy in the world. That you’re supposed to twist yourself into shapes to make yourself likable. That you’re supposed to kind of hold back sometimes, pull back. Don’t quite say, don’t be too pushy … because you have to be likable. And I say that is bullshit,” Adichie told the audience.

Words to live by:

Photo: Girls Write Now