---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Feminine virtue is nothing but a…"
description: "\"Feminine virtue is nothing but a convenient masculine invention.\" — Ninon de L'Enclos"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bd/ninon-de-l-enclos-11164_feminine_feminine-virtue-is-nothing-but-a-conveni_2578806.png"
---

#  Feminine virtue is nothing but a convenient masculine…

![“Feminine virtue is nothing but a convenient masculine invention.” quote by Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bd/ninon-de-l-enclos-11164_feminine_feminine-virtue-is-nothing-but-a-conveni_2578806.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bd/ninon-de-l-enclos-11164_feminine_feminine-virtue-is-nothing-but-a-conveni_2578806.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bd/ninon-de-l-enclos-11164_feminine_feminine-virtue-is-nothing-but-a-conveni_2578806.png)

> “Feminine virtue is nothing but a convenient masculine invention.”

[Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/)

## About This Quote

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

Societal expectations of women are constructed by men to serve male interests.

**In simple terms:** Women’s virtues are socially imposed.

Key Takeaway

Question gendered norms.

Themes

gender power social constructs

Mood

critical thoughtful

Type

analytical philosophical

When to use this quote

- activism
- education
- policy reform
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

feminist theory social constructionism

Questions to Reflect On

- How do cultural narratives shape gender expectations?
- What alternatives exist to redefine virtue?

A Different Perspective

May overlook individual agency within cultural contexts.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Feminine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminine/) [Invention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/invention/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/)

## Related quotes

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> [When I get home, I'm not the boss like I am at work - I slip into a more feminine role. I take everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-kerr/when-i-get-home-i-m-not-the-boss-like-i-am-at-work-i-slip-into-a-more/)

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> [People might not agree with me, but I think a woman should have a feminine shape, something you can get your hands on. You,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/people-might-not-agree-with-me-but-i-think-a-woman-should-have-a/)

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> [The male dares to be different to the degree that he accepts his passivity and his desire to be female, his fagginess. The farthest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-solanas/the-male-dares-to-be-different-to-the-degree-that-he-accepts-his/)

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[RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/)

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[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

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[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

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[Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/)

> [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/)

[Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/)

## More by Ninon de L'Enclos

> [A woman is more influenced by what she divines than by what she is told.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/a-woman-is-more-influenced-by-what-she-divines-than-by-what-she-is/)

[Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/)

> [The resistance of a woman is not always a proof of her virtue, but more frequently of her experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/the-resistance-of-a-woman-is-not-always-a-proof-of-her-virtue-but/)

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> [One must choose between loving women and knowing them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/one-must-choose-between-loving-women-and-knowing-them/)

[Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/)

> [Equality is the share of every one at their advent upon earth, and equality is also theirs when placed beneath it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/equality-is-the-share-of-every-one-at-their-advent-upon-earth-and/)

[Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/)

> [Novelty is the storehouse of pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/novelty-is-the-storehouse-of-pleasure/)

[Ninon de L'Enclos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ninon-de-l-enclos/)

> [Hatred is nearly always honest--rarely, if ever, assumed. So much cannot be said for love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ninon-de-l-enclos/hatred-is-nearly-always-honest-rarely-if-ever-assumed-so-much-cannot/)

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