---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was raised by a formidable woman. She…"
description: "\"I was raised by a formidable woman. She always pushed me to be competitive in a man's world. That's maybe one of the attractions to journalism in the b..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/maria-shriver-8191_attraction_i-was-raised-by-a-formidable-woman-she-a_3174911.jpg"
---

#  I was raised by a formidable woman. She always pushed me…

![“I was raised by a formidable woman. She always pushed me to be competitive in a man's world. That's maybe one of the attractions to journalism in the beginning. It was a male profession, and I was comfortable in that.” quote by Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/maria-shriver-8191_attraction_i-was-raised-by-a-formidable-woman-she-a_3174911.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/maria-shriver-8191_attraction_i-was-raised-by-a-formidable-woman-she-a_3174911.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/maria-shriver-8191_attraction_i-was-raised-by-a-formidable-woman-she-a_3174911.jpg)

> “I was raised by a formidable woman. She always pushed me to be competitive in a man's world. That's maybe one of the attractions to journalism in the beginning. It was a male profession, and I was comfortable in that.”

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

She credits a strong, competitive mother for shaping her drive to enter a male‑dominated field like journalism.

**In simple terms:** A powerful mother inspired her career choice.

Key Takeaway

Embrace role models who challenge norms.

Themes

gender dynamics family influence career motivation

Mood

inspirational reflective

Type

career gender

When to use this quote

- choosing a career
- overcoming gender bias
- leadership development

Key Concepts

empowerment breaking barriers media industry

Questions to Reflect On

- How did your mother’s guidance affect your confidence?
- What obstacles did you face as a woman in journalism?

A Different Perspective

Male‑dominated fields can be exclusionary.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Attraction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attraction/) [Comfortable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfortable/) [Competitive Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/competitive-man-2923822/) [Formidable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formidable/) [Formidable Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/formidable-woman-4501784/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Journalism Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism-beginning-5794226/) [Male Profession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/male-profession-5794227/) [Males](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/males/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Profession](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profession/) [Raised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raised/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

> [I love reading other people's diaries, especially someone like Virginia Woolf's - such a formidable woman that it's a revelation when she shows you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palin/i-love-reading-other-people-s-diaries-especially-someone-like/)

[Michael Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palin/)

> [“Men have worked as essentially shop keepers and store clerks for a lot longer than they have worked on assembly lines. There have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-mannion/men-have-worked-as-essentially-shop-keepers-and-store-clerks-for-a/)

[Lance Mannion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-mannion/)

> [“ She gave him a cool glance over her shoulder. "May your balls wither away and you develope an allergy to Viagra and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-johansen/she-gave-him-a-cool-glance-over-her-shoulder-may-your-balls-wither/)

[Iris Johansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-johansen/)

> [Capitalism’s concept of competitive man who seeks only to maximize wealth and power, who subjects himself to market relationships, to exploitation and external authority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/capitalism-s-concept-of-competitive-man-who-seeks-only-to-maximize/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Drew is the most competitive man on the planet. It doesn't matter if we're running to the car: he has to get there first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-scott/drew-is-the-most-competitive-man-on-the-planet-it-doesn-t-matter-if/)

[Jonathan Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-scott/)

> [The world's most competitive man, my dad. Wouldn't let us win at Monopoly... he wouldn't cut any slack for his children. My sister's also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-coren/the-world-s-most-competitive-man-my-dad-wouldn-t-let-us-win-at/)

[Giles Coren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-coren/)

> [I'm real competitive in everything I do, man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-ingram-ii/i-m-real-competitive-in-everything-i-do-man/)

[Mark Ingram II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-ingram-ii/)

> [I'm competitive, man. Competitive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt-jr/i-m-competitive-man-competitive/)

[Dale Earnhardt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt-jr/)

> [We may be in a rapidly evolving international financial system with all the bells and whistles of the so-called new economy. But the old-economy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/we-may-be-in-a-rapidly-evolving-international-financial-system-with/)

[Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/)

> [What opium is instilled into all disaster? It shows formidable as we approach it, but there is at last no rough rasping friction,but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/what-opium-is-instilled-into-all-disaster-it-shows-formidable-as-we/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [All reformations seem formidable before they are attempted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-more/all-reformations-seem-formidable-before-they-are-attempted/)

[Hannah More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-more/)

> [It is a misfortune that necessity has induced men to accord greater license to this formidable engine, in order to obtain liberty, than can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-f-cooper/it-is-a-misfortune-that-necessity-has-induced-men-to-accord-greater/)

[James F. Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-f-cooper/)

> [For me personally, and as a band, there are a lot of challenges. Being in a band is like war, it's a battle -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-rutan/for-me-personally-and-as-a-band-there-are-a-lot-of-challenges-being/)

[Erik Rutan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-rutan/)

> [I need no bodyguard at all, for even the bravest men who approach me get weak at the knees and their hearts turn to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaka/i-need-no-bodyguard-at-all-for-even-the-bravest-men-who-approach-me/)

[Shaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaka/)

> [When you consider the sheer magnitude of investable equities to choose from in the world's emerging markets, you realize that finding one that looks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mobius/when-you-consider-the-sheer-magnitude-of-investable-equities-to/)

[Mark Mobius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mobius/)

## More by Maria Shriver

> [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [Make time in your life to listen to your own voice. Do not let it get drowned out by others. Your voice is yours…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/make-time-in-your-life-to-listen-to-your-own-voice-do-not-let-it-get/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [Pausing allows you to take a beat to take a breath in your life. As everybody else is rushing around like a lunatic out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/pausing-allows-you-to-take-a-beat-to-take-a-breath-in-your-life-as/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [God puts mentors in your path. They may not look like you, sound like you, or be what you expect. But they always know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/god-puts-mentors-in-your-path-they-may-not-look-like-you-sound-like/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [One of my greatest joys is poetry. I read it almost every day, and I've even taken a stab at writing some of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/one-of-my-greatest-joys-is-poetry-i-read-it-almost-every-day-and-i-ve/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [We've witnessed history in the making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/we-ve-witnessed-history-in-the-making/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [I stand on the shoulders of women who marched before me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/i-stand-on-the-shoulders-of-women-who-marched-before-me/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [So many people don't know who's on the State Seal and they don't know, not just in California but the United States of America,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/so-many-people-don-t-know-who-s-on-the-state-seal-and-they-don-t-know/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [I like meeting people and I like being able to help.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/i-like-meeting-people-and-i-like-being-able-to-help/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [I don't believe in gutter politics. I don't believe in gutter journalism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/i-don-t-believe-in-gutter-politics-i-don-t-believe-in-gutter/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [“Listen: You can't short-circuit the learning process. It takes time to get to the top, and that's good-because by the time you get there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/listen-you-can-t-short-circuit-the-learning-process-it-takes-time-to/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [I think that public service is tough on a family - no ifs, ands, buts about it. I have my own personal wishes, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/i-think-that-public-service-is-tough-on-a-family-no-ifs-ands-buts/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [We all know what happens to first ladies who shoot their mouths off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/we-all-know-what-happens-to-first-ladies-who-shoot-their-mouths-off/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [You don't wanna walk around and say, 'I'm somebody's niece, I'm somebody's cousin, I'm somebody's daughter. Who are you?' And I think that's always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/you-don-t-wanna-walk-around-and-say-i-m-somebody-s-niece-i-m-somebody/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [Have the courage to go beyond other people's rules and expectations. I pray that you will live and write your own story and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/have-the-courage-to-go-beyond-other-people-s-rules-and-expectations-i/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

[Explore all 83 Maria Shriver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

## More Attraction quotes

> [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/)

[Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/)

> [You cannot perceive what you are not in the vibration of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darryl-anka/you-cannot-perceive-what-you-are-not-in-the-vibration-of/)

[Darryl Anka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darryl-anka/)

> [What the Laws of Attraction are really about; how to harness the power of creation within you to make life what you truly desire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/what-the-laws-of-attraction-are-really-about-how-to-harness-the-power/)

[Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/)

> [You are the one who calls the law of attraction into action, and you do it through your thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/you-are-the-one-who-calls-the-law-of-attraction-into-action-and-you/)

[Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/)

> [The vast majority of people are born, grow up, struggle and go through life in misery and failure, not realizing that it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-vast-majority-of-people-are-born-grow-up-struggle-and-go-through/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/)

[Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/)

> [You don't have to be Sigmund Freud to surmise that war has a perverse appeal for the human race, nor is the attraction limited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-willis/you-don-t-have-to-be-sigmund-freud-to-surmise-that-war-has-a-perverse/)

[Ellen Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-willis/)

> [It doesn't matter if they say you can't do it. It only matters if you say you can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-mackay/it-doesn-t-matter-if-they-say-you-can-t-do-it-it-only-matters-if-you/)

[Harvey Mackay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-mackay/)

> [If you want to find greater happiness and fulfillment in your life, you must begin to understand and live in harmony with the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/if-you-want-to-find-greater-happiness-and-fulfillment-in-your-life/)

[Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/)

> [We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories .. good feelings, bad feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/we-don-t-need-to-complicate-all-the-reasons-behind-our-emotions-it-s/)

[Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/)

> [Focus on being grateful for what you have already .. enjoy it!! Then release into the universe. The universe will manifest it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/focus-on-being-grateful-for-what-you-have-already-enjoy-it-then/)

[Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/)

> [I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy which spurs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-want-to-remind-priests-that-the-confessional-must-not-be-a-torture/)

[Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/)

> [All of my work is meant to evoke a whole bunch of different layers of discord between the attraction and repulsion that we feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-jordan/all-of-my-work-is-meant-to-evoke-a-whole-bunch-of-different-layers-of/)

[Chris Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-jordan/)

> [War is thus divine in itself, since it is a law of the world. War is divine through its consequences of a supernatural nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-de-maistre/war-is-thus-divine-in-itself-since-it-is-a-law-of-the-world-war-is/)

[Joseph de Maistre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-de-maistre/)

> [As your awareness of the riches available to you in your everyday life grows, you are on the way to becoming the laughing Buddha.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jeffers/as-your-awareness-of-the-riches-available-to-you-in-your-everyday/)

[Susan Jeffers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jeffers/)

[Browse all 2,005 Attraction quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attraction/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I was raised by a formidable woman. She always pushed me to be competitive in a man's world. That's maybe one of the attractions to journalism in the beginning. It was a male profession, and I was comfortable in that.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Maria Shriver"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/i-was-raised-by-a-formidable-woman-she-always-pushed-me-to-be/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Attraction"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/i-was-raised-by-a-formidable-woman-she-always-pushed-me-to-be/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/maria-shriver-8191_attraction_i-was-raised-by-a-formidable-woman-she-a_3174911.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/maria-shriver-8191_attraction_i-was-raised-by-a-formidable-woman-she-a_3174911.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df1/maria-shriver-8191_attraction_i-was-raised-by-a-formidable-woman-she-a_3174911.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I was raised by a formidable woman. She always pushed me to be competitive in a man's world. That's maybe…” — Maria Shriver",
                "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": "Maria Shriver",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I was raised by a formidable...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/i-was-raised-by-a-formidable-woman-she-always-pushed-me-to-be/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/i-was-raised-by-a-formidable-woman-she-always-pushed-me-to-be/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
