Anxiety Quote by Colette Dowling
““Fear (...) that has no relation to capabilities or even to reality is epidemic among women today. Fear of being independent (that could mean we'd end up alone and uncared for); fear of being dependent (that could mean we'd be swallowed by some dominating "other"); fear of being competent and good at what we do (that could mean we'd have to keep on being good at what we do); fear of being incompetent (that could mean we'd have to keep on feeling shlumpy, depressed, and second class ). (...) Phobia has so thoroughly infiltrated the feminine experience it is like a secret plague. It has been built up over long years by social conditioning and is all the more insidious for being so thoroughly acculturated we do not even recognize what has happened to us. Women will not become free until they stop being afraid. We will not begin to experience real change in our lives, real emancipation, until we begin the process - almost a de-brainwashing - of working through the anxieties that prevent us from feeling competent and whole.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Woman Who Changed Her Mind, Colette Dowling, 1995
Social conditioning creates pervasive, irrational fears in women, limiting independence and self‑worth.
In simple terms: Women are held back by socially imposed fears.
Key Takeaway
Challenge and dismantle limiting beliefs.
Themes
gender
psychology
freedom
empowerment
social conditioning
Mood
anxious
determined
hopeful
Type
motivational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- career advancement
- personal relationships
- mental health
- activism
Key Concepts
feminist theory
anxiety
identity
self‑efficacy
Questions to Reflect On
- What fear is most paralyzing for you?
- How can you test the reality of that fear?
A Different Perspective
Fear can be reinforced by cultural narratives that validate it.
![“(...) performance anxiety [in the worplace] is connected to other, more general fears which have to do with feeling inadequate and defenseless in the world: the fear of retaliation from someone with whom one disagrees; the fear of being critisized for doing something wrong; the fear of saying…” quote by Colette Dowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/59c/colette-dowling-45069_anxiety_performance-anxiety-in-the-worplace-is-c_2472026.jpg)
