“You’re a B****”

Have you ever been a called a b****? If you’re a girl or who has friends that are girls, you probably have heard the term thrown around here and there. But is being called a b**** really a bad thing?

Yes, the word is considered an insult but it doesn’t always have to mean that. When thinking about the girls who are usually called this term, there are a couple of similarities. In other words, women who have stronger personalities and are not afraid to stand up for themselves, are usually associated with the insult. Interestingly enough, the same traits that a so-called b**** would have, share the same personality traits with an average man. Another detail to point out is that the majority of the time the insult is used, it is a man using it towards a woman and not woman towards woman. 

Standing up for yourself is a common theme I have noticed that a man and a woman who is considered a b**** have in common. It is not uncommon for men to show unwanted advances toward women at a bar, coffee shop, really anywhere. If a woman were to turn down the advances it might reflect on themselves as a person, rather than understanding the actual situation at hand. This not only comes along with unwanted advances, but can also happen generally when women are being honest about not wanting to partake in something. 

Another theme that is common is when a woman displays authority. Whether this is shown in the workplace or towards other individuals, authority from a woman has become a negative trait to display. This can be explained due to authority mainly being considered a personality trait from a man. When a man exerts dominance and sends out direct orders, he is considered to be a good leader, or worse case scenario, bossy. On the other hand, a woman showing authority can be received as intimidating, and can cause the insult of being a called a b**** to arise. In this case, the insult is a compliment because it shows that the woman is exerting confidence and showing the great traits of a leader.

An independent woman is a theme that comes along with the insult as well. When a woman is solely focusing on herself by taking care of her mental, emotional, and physical health, it can be displayed as her shutting people out. In reality, this state in a woman’s life is more beneficial than anything and will help more than worrying about what others think of them. An example of this is cutting toxic people out of their lives, it might come off as bad but the outcome is far more beneficial. On the other hand, when a man is in this stage of his life, no one really has an opinion and it can be viewed as a good thing. 

The themes above are only a few examples of things I have seen throughout my experiences. The point was to analyze behaviors that a woman displays and compare them to what is considered to be average or normal coming from a man. This problem has been present since hundreds of years ago and is still an issue women struggle with everyday. The takeaway is that a woman should be able to do whatever she wants and behave how she sees fit even if it warrants being called a b****, because the majority of the time it is a compliment.