Monday, March 26, 2007

8 Hateful Things Women Do To Each Other

This is not a confession by any means, I just found this to be interesting to say the least. Tell me what you think.


by Norka Blackman-Richards | Circle Sister

It's become the silent emotional killer among women. Women who are downright mean, malicious and disrespectful with each other. This trend is creating havoc in our relationships with each other, for it strikes the core of sisterhood. Real sisterhood can only exist when respect and trust stand unshakeable. In this
particular, most men are quite opposite to us.

For a man, a brother is a brother is a brother. However, what is most disturbing about our malicious ways is that we are passing on a legacy of a broken sisterhood to our daughters. Girls that
are mean and catty are usually this way because their understanding is that this is a normal part of femaleness. They grow up to become mean and catty women who perpetuate a diseased sisterhood. To break this cycle we each need to make a conscious effort to validate all women. Be they our friends or not. Otherwise, we will continue to find ourselves moving within circles of female hostility, suspicion, and pain. Here is my list of the most detestable practices that we need to discontinue in order to heal our sisterhood:

1. Talking about each other - You are really not her friend if what you have to say about her is so bad you can't say it in front of her. If you are a real friend you should be able to tell her your concerns for her life to her face. If you have the need to tell others, but you haven't found the time to tell her - red lights should be flashing. Believe it or not, gossiping is not an intrinsic
part of being female. Women who gossip do it not because it's a woman-thing, but because they want to elevate themselves and put other women in a place of inferiority. Gossiping is just another symptom of deeper insecurities.

2. Fighting for men
- One of the most undignified things that any woman can do is to fight, argue, or curse another woman over a man. It's a disgusting trend that used to be a school girl thing, but today adult women are doing it too. If both of you are in conflict - because his choice is not clear - then that means that he's really not into any of you. He's probably playing both of
you. That man really does not deserve love or attention from either one of you.
Let him go.

3. Joining female gangs - Women who make you feel unwelcome and unwanted within their circle of friends are not to be trusted. Women cliques have become common in the workplace, at church, in the neighborhood. Cliques are the dwelling place of insecure women. Women who join cliques are seeking refuge from their own lack of confidence by cocooning themselves within this circle of supposed exclusivity. Again, the need to belong to, or be part of a clique is also a sign of deeper insecurities. Beware, cliques are usually encouraged and thrive on a type of gang mentality.

4. Undermining each other - Beware of any woman who can never celebrate your accomplishments with you. It could be a new boyfriend, a promotion, an award, a new job, a new acquisition, weight loss. If she has nothing positive to say to
you about it, does not show emotional support, or chooses to remain silent she is not a true friend. Real friends know how to recognize and genuinely rejoice for our successes with pride.

5. Competing against each other - You need to get this straight. There will always be another woman with nicer hair, a more caring husband or boyfriend, better behaved children, a better paying job, a bigger house, a more fashionable wardrobe - there will always be some woman with more of what you don't have.
Consequently, the only person that you need to compete against is yourself. Strive to be the best that you can be - for you. Competing against other women to prove yourself superior is a financial and emotional drainer. Because of this mindless competition we become mean, envious and hypocritical. It is pointless.

6. Disrespecting boundaries
- To survive peacefully every relationship and every friendship must have clear boundaries. Good relationships operate within margins of respect. Within this level of respect, privacy and intimacy are keywords. Yes, you are my friend, but that doesn't give me the right to walk into your bedroom or your kitchen, unbeknownst to you, and help myself to your stuff. I don't do this not because you won't allow me to, but because I respect your privacy and your things. Consequently, we both need to know and respect each other's levels of privacy and intimacy.

7. Crossing boundaries - This is similar to the above; the only difference is that my respect of your boundaries should never depend on my friendship with you. We need to respect women for the simple fact that they are women. If she is a woman she is a sister. Period. Therefore, from that understanding I will have
the utmost respect for her children, her man, her opinions, her choices, and for her as a person. It amazes me how women are quick to disrespect another sister's boundaries, but feel offended if another woman does to them the same exact thing. Honestly, that type of inconsistent behavior can only be credited to some
form of mental illness.

8. Exploiting our friendships - This is a major one. Why are you friends? Do you only remember her being around whenever she could get something from you? It doesn't even have to be material. It could just be your time or your positive energy. Does she happen to be always on the receiving side, with you dishing out ton loads of yourself or your stuff? Or is she your friend because of what you represent? It could be that your husband's position or yours, your possessions, your talent, whatever, represents some form of achievement. Is she a friend because that link to you places her on a higher platform? In a real friendship appreciation, support, and loyalty must be reciprocal.

15 comments:

Lance said...

golly sheletha, it's like that????...i think i'll marry a white woman instead!

wowzers! can't i be happy too?!....hahaha

dc_speaks said...

and ya'll talk abou tblack men....dayum...ya'll hate on each other far more than any dude will try to tear ya'll down!!

thanks for sharing Sheletha!!

Sheletha said...

thats how you get deleted lance.

Shai said...

It is a sad thing that women don't get much respect from men and women at times. That sucks.

DC, men tear women down in areas another woman cannot.

dc_speaks said...

@Shai...who cares about comparing notes...thats like saying one sin is greater than another...BS! The mere fact that women tear each other down makes it easier for men. Haterade drinkers soften the blows for a man to perform the "coupe de grace". Hell he may not even know it..a woman could have been beaten down so far that a brotha could have just been the breaking point with a small incident.

I see you prodding me still. And you say I'm a big kid pickin....please! Check it in, homie!

Shai said...

No one comparing notes. LOL. I am not pickin at all. Far from it. You'll know once you really get to know me when I am pickin.

DC, why the edge?

dc_speaks said...

@Shai..I don't have an edge...we cool!

Mizrepresent said...

Okay, Shai and DC, this is Sheletha's....what's up with y'all, group hug! Okay, now all better....Well here's my 2 cents, which ain't worth nuthin these days...some of this is true, hell, most of it is true, and it's all bc of you...MEN! Yeah i said it, that's right, but it's our fault too, WOMEN! We got to get a handle on this thing...hell, i'm not about to upset my life, situation, livelihood over no BS! So, let's just respect, live and love...it's as easy as that!

IYMS said...

that ws so on the money!

Lance said...

i had to read that post again and it's official.

y'all sum backstabbin' bitches.

'nuff said.

i'm fixin' to find me a white woman. one who gonna have my hot bacon & grits in the morning, and cold beer ready at night....ahhhhhh, such is the life!....jealous?

CapCity said...

sadly, growing up in a house FILLED w/estrogen i've kept my friendships w/ women to a very LOW number. i'm now coming into the sistah-hood, but admit i'm still wary & can only deal with women who are confident enough not to turn their shyt on me!

dc_speaks said...

what's with this group hug, Miz?

I'm straight! I rather enjoyed reading the post because it showed what lance said....that I won't retype...

I hate that it's true...but appreciate that it's being brought to the light.

I believe in elevating our women and teaching young men how to appreciate our women. It's unfortunate that some of ya'll have been broken down so far that every man has become your adversary and the enemy from within continued to hate on you too.

I truly am sorry,ladies!

Lance said...

hey d.c., like miles davis' "bitches brew"...i'm just stirrin' up da pot!

ladies, you may fire when ready!

(;-P

dc_speaks said...

hahahahahahaha...too damn funny!!

Rich Fitzgerald said...

I've always known this to be true, because I study women. That's another discussion in and of itself. Anyway, it amazes me the show of siterhood that is portrayed considering all the hating that goes on in the background.