Able Quote by Kathrine Switzer
“When I was first running marathons, we were sailing on a flat earth. We were afraid we'd get big legs, grow mustaches, not get boyfriends, not be able to have babies. Women thought that something would happen to them, that they'd break down or turn into men, something shadowy, when they were only limited by their own society's sense of limitations.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Oral History of Women Marathon Runners, 1990s
Women internalized societal limits, fearing physical change and loss of femininity, which constrained their ambitions.
In simple terms: Women feared change and societal judgment, limiting their potential.
Key Takeaway
Challenge internalized limits and pursue goals despite fear.
Themes
gender
societal expectations
self‑limiting beliefs
Mood
anxious
determined
hopeful
Type
motivational
inspirational
When to use this quote
- marathon training
- career advancement
- personal growth
- public speaking
Key Concepts
feminist critique
psychology of fear
Questions to Reflect On
- What societal beliefs limit your ambitions?
- How can you reframe fear into motivation?
A Different Perspective
Fear of judgment can be a self‑fulfilling prophecy.
![“Women had always been thought of as looking after the family when men go and earn an income and they're the bread earner and so on. So there is a kind of generation of inequality, [and], on top of the fact, women have pregnancies and periods, [and] when the children are very small, there are…” quote by Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cf2/amartya-sen-2518_another-woman_women-had-always-been-thought-of-as-look_605962.jpg)
