Ladylikeness can be empowering or demeaning depending on the woman and the circumstance. Ladylikeness can be empowering for women by helping them be more gentle and fruitful in everyday life. Ladylikeness can cause a woman who is more of the calm type to be demeaned, disrespected and dismissed. Women become more aggressive and assertive because they don’t want to be treated unfairly and women taken serious. Most women who are successful and acknowledged in society today display strength. A definition of “ladylikeness” is “lacking in strength, force, or virility”. Ladylikeness for a “Woman M” who is rough, destructive, vulgar and violent would be empowering. She will be empowered by being more gentle and fruitful in everyday life. For example, this woman being more nurturing toward her children and taking time to listen and understand before acting on impulse. Ladylikeness for a “Woman N” who is meek, gentle, weak and pleasant would not be demeaning until she tries to stand up for a belief or position. Woman N will be demeaned by being discouraged and falling short of her position. The more timid she is the easier it is for people to shun her and her ideas. The more she is shot down people will look at her less seriously. The more people see how weak she is they will be comfortable with dismissing her. A definition of “demean” is “to lower character, status, or reputation”. There are many things that can lower character, status, or reputation. For example, a loss of wages, a loss of respect, a loss of a position, etc. Ladylikeness should not demean a woman. I am assuming the word “lady” in the word “ladylikeness” implies that ladylikeness is safe for women. Therefore, a woman being ladylike should not be lowered in character, status or reputation. If a lady can be ladylike without negative repercussion, then who can?
The definition of “ladylikeness” implies that being feminine and resilient cannot co-exist together in one