Gloria Steinem is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She was the co-founder of Ms. Magazine. She had lived in India for a couple of years after college. In 2013, President Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The above mentioned book was just published in 2019. I liked the book very much.
In this article I have selected some of the quotes from her book. I am hoping it will inspire all us, especially women.
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off!
Revolutions, like tress grow from bottom up.
Voting is not the most we can do, but it’s the least.
Democracy begins in the family.
If you don’t vote, you don’t count.
If you have more power than others, remember to listen as much as you talk. If you have less power than others, remember to talk as much as you listen. This is instant democracy.
Be sure you like whom you love.
Whether by dowry murder in India, honor killing in Egypt, or domestic violence in the United States, statistics show that women are most likely to be beaten or killed at home by men they know.
Don’t listen to any advice. Listen to the voice inside.
You are going to make mistakes, and you will learn from them. Say you are sorry, ask what you could have done better, learn –and move on.
Growth comes from saying yes to the unknown.
Don’t worry about what you can do, just do whatever you can.
There are not many jobs that require a penis or a vagina and all other occupations should be open to everyone.
People who are experiencing the problem are the most likely to know the solution.
All movements need few people who cannot be fired. If you’re dependent, it’s very hard not to be concerned about the approval of whomever and whatever you are dependent on.
Fear is asign of growth.
We learn from difference, not from sameness.
And remember that having some adversaries is a good thing.
The world is divided into two kinds of people. Those who divide everything into two, and those who don’t.
In many ways, “race” is an invention of colonialism.
We don’t learn while we are talking, we learn while we are listening.
If you want people to listen to you, you have to listen to them.
Elephants are nonviolent, they are matrilineal, vegetarian, and they have a sense of humor, long memories- If only we all be a little more like elephants.
Forget about approval. Go for respect.
The first resistance to social change is to say: It is necessary.
Beware of any motto that glorifies the past. It is code for restoring hierarchy. For example: ‘Make America great again’
Gender and race are fictions. Unique individuals are truth.
People invented race and gender. People can uninvent them.
A woman who aspires to be something will be called a bitch.
If they call you a bitch, say: Thank you!
Power can be taken, not given.
Only by taking power gives you the strength to use it.
Power does not have to be power over; it can be power to do.
It is easier to blame the person with less power.
Evil is obvious only in retrospect.
Trust your intuition.
It is an incredible con job when you think about it: Patriarchal religions get us to believe and behave now for a reward after death. Even corporations only promise to reward you after your retirement.
Never ever give up. And dance a little.
Hope is a form of planning.
When anybody asks me, ‘What should I do?’ I say, ‘Just do whatever you can’.
The clearest view is always from the bottom.
Sometimes we must put our bodies where our beliefs are.
A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and humanity of all people.
Law and justice are not always the same. When they aren’t, disobeying the law may be the first step toward justice.
The idea of freedom is contagious.
There is always one true inner voice: Trust it.”
Conclusion
Gloria Steinem has been a feminist, political organizer, writer and a change maker for more than fifty years. She has written this book based on her life experiences. This book has lot to teach those of us, who want to make a change in our lives and in our society.
Dr Saheb Sahu