Women share 10 things they do out of societal pressure and it's striking a chord with many

How societal pressure is influencing women's choices

People living in society will always be subjected to a certain amount of pressure formed by the entire community. In the case of women, societal pressure often ends up playing a crucial role in shaping their choices and behaviors in many intrusive ways. These pressures are a result of cultural norms and traditions that have been passed down across generations. Many women do not even realize that a lot of their actions are purely influenced by the community's framework and needs. Reddit user u/Jhorra44 posed an insightful question to women on the platform, asking them about the things they did out of societal pressure and here are the ten best answers that sum up their sentiments: 

1. Shave

Shave. Don’t get me wrong, I mainly do it for me because it feels good. But ultimately it feels good because we’ve been told that hair on a woman is unattractive and gross. And sadly although I do it to feel more attractive for myself and no one else, it’s bad that having hair is deemed as unattractive on a woman at all. Also being polite to everyone all the time (especially men) even when they don’t always deserve it. The moment you stand up for yourself or are “rude” you’re deemed problematic and undesirable and open yourself up to a barrage of abuse. u/Alwaysjustamaybe247

2. Acting dumb

Playing dumb. Some people really don’t like an intelligent woman. I have been told many nasty things in response to my simply being knowledgeable, engaging, and curious in conversation. Over time, I have caught myself pretending to not know what term someone has brought up in conversation or peppering my contributions with 'I don’t know' as if I were saying 'um' or 'like.' I am now trying to unlearn this habit because I am just done with acting this way. u/herekittykittypsst

3. Forced friendliness

I act way friendlier than I want to. There's quite a bit that I let slide in conversation because it simply wouldn't be worth the energy to confront. I went from unattractive to moderately good-looking and as a result I've had to completely change my 'unfriendly' introverted personality because I suddenly was approached a lot more. I forced myself to learn to be more sociable and less argumentative. I have boundaries but I tend to cater to the feelings of others…I feel like I have to be overly patient and kind or else I'm labelled a stuck-up b**ch. u/7paperdragons

4. Using makeup 

If I didn't feel like pretty privilege was real and my worth wasn't at least somewhat based on my appearance, I would happily give up doing makeup. I would still have a good skincare routine, but doing my makeup every day is exhausting. I'm good at it, and I used to see it as a fun creative expression, but I'm also 30 now and would love to just get up in the morning, brush my hair and start my day. u/Spilled_Milktea

5. Adjusting clothes

I personally like wearing shorts, and sometimes I pull them up further if they're longer, but I always feel the need to push them down again whenever I'm near others. I mostly do so around men, but I also do it near women since I worry they'll judge me. There are way too many people who still think that the clothes you wear justify whatever disgusting things others do to you, and I always worry this will be seen as me 'asking for it'. I walk past a group of men and adjust my clothing... It's exhausting. u/Hearteyesswitch

6. Pretending to not like sports

I love sports, but I always feel uncomfortable talking about them until I know people very well because most people don’t expect a woman to like sports. Back in college, I was in a sorority and at a frat house party. I didn’t know many people there... walked into the living room where some of the guys were watching Sports Center. One of the guys asked me if I was lost. If looks could kill, this man would have been dead. I spouted off some stats and predictions about the upcoming football season. That guy ended up being my frat 'big brother' and is the best 'uncle' to my kids. u/hatty_writes

7. Sticking to presentable hairstyles

I try to make sure my hair looks presentable by clipping it down and wearing a sun hat. It's curly and can get big, and I don't want the attention. My hair can get wild and crazy but I don't want people I don't know to come up and talk to me about it. I think society pressures us to stand out, but then makes it okay for others to approach or harass you over it. u/IntentionNo3217

8. Using wigs

I lost my hair in my 20s. Been to many (many) doctors and all of them just shrugged and said male pattern baldness doesn’t just happen to men. I wear wigs. Wigs never look 100% like real hair, and unless you’re willing to spend a couple thousand, you’re stuck with fake plastic hair which will melt if you wear it near heat. I love to cook and entertain but I can’t do it until I can afford to spend $2-3k for a real hair wig. The only upside is I can always tell when someone else is wearing a wig. Reddit

9. Weight loss

Lose weight. My family is mostly of Eastern Asian descent, so having the pressure to be as light as a feather while childless is everywhere. I'm by no means obese, but definitely curvier and heavier compared to say K-pop idols or the run-of-the-mill celebrity/model/girl-next-door type. One look at me and family and friends go, 'Oh you look fatter! You should exercise more and go on a diet! That's just coming from a place of love.' No, it's not. u/soupforthoufam

10.  Being told to calm down

I feel like I have to tone down my excitement and passion for things. I tend to have strong feelings about specific subjects, and I will show my passion, but I almost always get told to calm down. I'm sure other people experience this as well regardless of sex but I don't know. It's so incredibly irritating to be told to calm down, and I'm somehow not allowed to have strong feelings. u/Weareallmad8834