Wonder Woman Syndrome

It's been a while since the blog muse has hit me, but I've been hit smack dab with it tonight, and so here I go.

This week while expressing my feelings of doubt, my consoler launched straight into a pep talk about how wonderful and strong I am....and I immediately put the brakes on the trajectory of this well-meaning pep talk, because my more vulnerable feelings do not negate my strength or self confidence.  It's okay to just feel and let your guard down.

Source:
http://shirtoid.com/5701/wonder-woman-logo/ 

 

And this got me to thinking.  It's a misconception that to be a strong person means that you never have moments of doubt, and that if you do you are somehow weakening or belittling yourself.  This is particularly true for self-confident women.  

While I appreciate that we live in place and time where it is more possible for women to blossom into their confident and strong selves**, I do believe that many succumb to Wonder Woman Syndrome, in that they feel it is a sign of weakness to express doubt, fear and even disappointment.  

This syndrome name just came to me tonight (hey I've been a Wonder Woman fan since I was knee high to a grasshopper), and I while it's admirable to be dubbed a wonder woman, I just want to put it out there that it's more than okay to doubt, fear, and let your guard down. To do so does not make you any less strong or self-confident. In fact, I would argue it's quite the opposite to do so.  For it takes a confident person to acknowledge their feelings, and frankly confident and strong people need to be able to have moments where they aren't the reliable ever resilient rock.  

Wonder Woman herself said it best,

You must let go of your arrogance. You may need help more than you realize. 

And so, to all of you strong, confident women (and men) out there, remember that moments of doubt are not moments of weakness.  They are moments when you let go of the arrogant belief that you can be completely 100% self-reliant.  We all, from time-to-time, need a rock of our own to lean on, and it takes a strong person to recognize that. 

**I must acknowledge that gender inequality is still prevalent in our world, however, the time and place within which I live has allowed me to become the woman I am today.  A woman who confidently uses her voice.