--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If it's unseemly and possibly dangerous…" description: "\"If it's unseemly and possibly dangerous for a man to be angry, it's totally unacceptable for a woman to be angry.\" — Claire Messud" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97d/claire-messud-1372_angry_if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous_1765156.png" --- # If it's unseemly and possibly dangerous for a man to be… ![“If it's unseemly and possibly dangerous for a man to be angry, it's totally unacceptable for a woman to be angry.” quote by Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97d/claire-messud-1372_angry_if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous_1765156.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97d/claire-messud-1372_angry_if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous_1765156.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97d/claire-messud-1372_angry_if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous_1765156.png) > “If it's unseemly and possibly dangerous for a man to be angry, it's totally unacceptable for a woman to be angry.” [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She argues that societal double standards make women's anger less acceptable than men's, highlighting gender bias. **In simple terms:** Women’s anger is judged more harshly. Key Takeaway Challenge gendered expectations about emotion. Themes gender anger double standards social norms Mood critical reflective Type analytical thought‑provoking When to use this quote - workplace - political activism - family dynamics - media representation Key Concepts feminist theory emotional labor equality Questions to Reflect On - What are the roots of this bias? - How can we normalize women’s anger? A Different Perspective Context may vary across cultures and generations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman/) ## Related quotes > [Anyway, these books I love, they’re all books by men—every last one of them. Because if it’s unseemly and possibly dangerous for a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/anyway-these-books-i-love-they-re-all-books-by-men-every-last-one-of/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Do you think she's going to hang out your dirty laundry for all to see?" 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Perhaps when she is even throwing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marat-safin/my-friend-there-is-nothing-so-sexy-as-a-woman-who-is-angry-perhaps/) [Marat Safin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marat-safin/) > [You should make a woman angry if you wish her to love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/you-should-make-a-woman-angry-if-you-wish-her-to-love/) [Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/) > [“A woman can never be angry; she can only be neurotic, hysterical, frustrated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shashi-deshpande/a-woman-can-never-be-angry-she-can-only-be-neurotic-hysterical/) [Shashi Deshpande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shashi-deshpande/) > [“I swear, the only thing worse than an angry woman, is an angry woman who’s got a big stick to whack you with.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-muchamore/i-swear-the-only-thing-worse-than-an-angry-woman-is-an-angry-woman/) [Robert Muchamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-muchamore/) > [Never ask a woman why she's angry at you. She will either get angrier at you for not knowing, or she'll tell you. Both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-shoales/never-ask-a-woman-why-she-s-angry-at-you-she-will-either-get-angrier/) [Ian Shoales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-shoales/) > [She writhes under her life. A woman more angry, passionate, reckless, and revengeful never lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/she-writhes-under-her-life-a-woman-more-angry-passionate-reckless-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The moment a man or a woman becomes angry they show a great weakness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilford-woodruff/the-moment-a-man-or-a-woman-becomes-angry-they-show-a-great-weakness/) [Wilford Woodruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilford-woodruff/) ## More by Claire Messud > [I'd wish for my work to be remembered rather than myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-d-wish-for-my-work-to-be-remembered-rather-than-myself/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I have said it somewhere - our literary lived lives are as important as our literally lived lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-have-said-it-somewhere-our-literary-lived-lives-are-as-important-as/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Life is about deciding what matters. It’s about the fantasy that determines the reality. Have you ever asked yourself whether you’d rather fly or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/life-is-about-deciding-what-matters-it-s-about-the-fantasy-that/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [Life's funny. You have to find a way to keep going, to keep laughing, even after you realize that none of your dreams will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/life-s-funny-you-have-to-find-a-way-to-keep-going-to-keep-laughing/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [It's the strangest thing about being human: to know so much, to communicate so much, and yet always to fall so drastically short of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-s-the-strangest-thing-about-being-human-to-know-so-much-to/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [The fictional narratives that television, film, and the news provide for girls and young women are appalling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/the-fictional-narratives-that-television-film-and-the-news-provide/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“I don't want to sleep,' my mother said. 'I want -- for God's sake, I want to wake up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-don-t-want-to-sleep-my-mother-said-i-want-for-god-s-sake-i-want-to/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“It was supposed to say “Great Artist” on my tombstone, but if I died right now it would say “such a good teacher/​daughter/​friend” instead;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-was-supposed-to-say-great-artist-on-my-tombstone-but-if-i-died/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Live, my dear Nora. Satisfy your hunger. There's food all around you, you know.' 'What kind of food, I'd like to know?' 'Ah'-he smiled-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/live-my-dear-nora-satisfy-your-hunger-there-s-food-all-around-you-you/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [I digress a lot - it's how I experience the world. I would like to write in a way that will convey that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/i-digress-a-lot-it-s-how-i-experience-the-world-i-would-like-to-write/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [We think that - as kids, you know - that kids make up stories and live in a sort of fictional place, but that,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/we-think-that-as-kids-you-know-that-kids-make-up-stories-and-live-in/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“It makes sense that if you stand almost daily in the middle of a perfect crescent of shore, with a vista open to eternity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/it-makes-sense-that-if-you-stand-almost-daily-in-the-middle-of-a/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“Once aware of my isolation, I was afraid not of it but of its interruption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/once-aware-of-my-isolation-i-was-afraid-not-of-it-but-of-its/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“who I am in my head, very few people really get to see that. Almost none. It’s the most precious gift I can give,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/who-i-am-in-my-head-very-few-people-really-get-to-see-that-almost/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) > [“My everyday Appleton life, my phones calls to my father, my occasional beers with friends, my Saturday-morning jobs around the reservoir - what was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/my-everyday-appleton-life-my-phones-calls-to-my-father-my-occasional/) [Claire Messud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) [Explore all 249 Claire Messud quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/) ## More Angry quotes > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [There's only so much for a man to take...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gilchrist/there-s-only-so-much-for-a-man-to-take/) Kirsten Gilchrist > [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/) [David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [When you're frustrated with people, when they've made you angry, it just may be because you haven't given them enough time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/when-you-re-frustrated-with-people-when-they-ve-made-you-angry-it/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [When I was writing 'Black Panther,' on one level, I was angry because DC would never let me write 'Batman,' so I was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/when-i-was-writing-black-panther-on-one-level-i-was-angry-because-dc/) [Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/) > [Another step had her backed up against the wall, and he braced his arms on both sides of her. "I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) > [I'm an angry guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gandolfini/i-m-an-angry-guy/) [James Gandolfini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gandolfini/) > [Apparently, I'm the angriest man. I don't know. It's just an interpretation. If it was someone else, they might be called focused or competitive.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alun-wyn-jones/apparently-i-m-the-angriest-man-i-don-t-know-it-s-just-an/) [Alun Wyn Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alun-wyn-jones/) > [In the 1998 Oscars, I found myself in the bathroom in a stall, next to Tom Selleck. So I leaned over and I said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/in-the-1998-oscars-i-found-myself-in-the-bathroom-in-a-stall-next-to/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [Of course I get angry, but I want to use my brain a little bit and not just smash things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/of-course-i-get-angry-but-i-want-to-use-my-brain-a-little-bit-and-not/) [Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/) > [“Rather than being incensed by the nature of the bruise, maybe we should be inspired by the possibilities in the bruise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/rather-than-being-incensed-by-the-nature-of-the-bruise-maybe-we/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) [Browse all 3,857 Angry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If it's unseemly and possibly dangerous for a man to be angry, it's totally unacceptable for a woman to be angry.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Claire Messud" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous-for-a-man-to-be-angry-it-s/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Angry" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous-for-a-man-to-be-angry-it-s/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97d/claire-messud-1372_angry_if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous_1765156.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97d/claire-messud-1372_angry_if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous_1765156.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/97d/claire-messud-1372_angry_if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous_1765156.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If it's unseemly and possibly dangerous for a man to be angry, it's totally unacceptable for a woman to be…” — Claire Messud", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Claire Messud", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claire-messud/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If it's unseemly and possibly dangerous...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous-for-a-man-to-be-angry-it-s/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claire-messud/if-it-s-unseemly-and-possibly-dangerous-for-a-man-to-be-angry-it-s/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```