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Business Quote by Mary Wollstonecraft

“Like the FAIR sex, the business of their lives is gallantry. They were taught to please, and they only live to please. Yet they do not lose their rank in the distinction of sexes, for they are still reckoned superior to women, though in what their superiority consists, beyond what I have just…” quote by Mary Wollstonecraft
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““Like the FAIR sex, the business of their lives is gallantry. They were taught to please, and they only live to please. Yet they do not lose their rank in the distinction of sexes, for they are still reckoned superior to women, though in what their superiority consists, beyond what I have just mentioned, it is difficult to discover.””

Mary Wollstonecraft

About This Quote

Source Book: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, 1792

Women are socially conditioned to seek approval, yet their perceived superiority remains vague and unexamined.

In simple terms: Women are taught to please, but their claimed superiority is unclear.

Key Takeaway

Question societal expectations of women.

Themes

gender roles social conditioning feminism

Mood

reflective critical

Type

philosophical feminist

When to use this quote

  • education reform
  • workplace equality
  • media representation

Key Concepts

Patriarchy identity power dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

  • How does pleasing behavior limit women's agency?
  • What defines true superiority beyond gender?
A Different Perspective

The claim of superiority can reinforce harmful hierarchies.

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