--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s only after living through a decade…" description: "\"“It’s only after living through a decade of these three attacks, watching these other journalists get attacked, watching the 2016 presidential election..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba4/sarah-lacy-12531_credibility_it-s-only-after-living-through-a-decade_2544129.jpg" --- # It’s only after living through a decade of these three… ![“It’s only after living through a decade of these three attacks, watching these other journalists get attacked, watching the 2016 presidential election, and reading the work of philosopher Kate Manne and social psychologist Amy Cuddy that I began to see how simple, universal, and effective it is to…” quote by Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba4/sarah-lacy-12531_credibility_it-s-only-after-living-through-a-decade_2544129.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba4/sarah-lacy-12531_credibility_it-s-only-after-living-through-a-decade_2544129.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba4/sarah-lacy-12531_credibility_it-s-only-after-living-through-a-decade_2544129.jpg) > ““It’s only after living through a decade of these three attacks, watching these other journalists get attacked, watching the 2016 presidential election, and reading the work of philosopher Kate Manne and social psychologist Amy Cuddy that I began to see how simple, universal, and effective it is to destroy a woman’s credibility. Incompetent → Slut → Corrupt. Sometimes all those at once. One of the three will almost always stick. The three can be used to reinforce one another as well.”” [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author describes a pattern where women’s credibility is destroyed by labeling them incompetent, sexually promiscuous, or corrupt, often simultaneously, and how these labels reinforce each other. **In simple terms:** Women are discredited using three overlapping negative labels. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge credibility‑damaging stereotypes. Themes gender bias media credibility stereotypes Mood critical urgent Type analytical activist When to use this quote - political reporting - workplace harassment - online discourse Key Concepts discredit labeling intersectionality Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms reinforce these stereotypes? - How can institutions protect women’s credibility? A Different Perspective The pattern may not apply uniformly across cultures or contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Credibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credibility/) [Credibility Incompetent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credibility-incompetent-1460674/) [Destroy Woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroy-woman-1460673/) [Slut Corrupt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slut-corrupt-1460675/) [Woman Credibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woman-credibility-1460672/) ## Related quotes > [“Hunter and hunted. There are so many ways in which a man can destroy a woman.” Her handmaid sighed. “When it comes to matters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-altenburg/hunter-and-hunted-there-are-so-many-ways-in-which-a-man-can-destroy-a/) [Paula Altenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-altenburg/) > [Time can tear down a building or destroy a woman's face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-rolling-stones/time-can-tear-down-a-building-or-destroy-a-woman-s-face/) [The Rolling Stones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-rolling-stones/) > [You don't have to destroy me. Do you? I'm only a woman who loves you and wants to do what you want to do.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/you-don-t-have-to-destroy-me-do-you-i-m-only-a-woman-who-loves-you/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I think in fact that unless there is an organic link between the subjective impressions of the author and his objective representation of reality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/i-think-in-fact-that-unless-there-is-an-organic-link-between-the/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) > [Administrators are there because of the fans and the cricketers to run this game, so credibility of a game, or a board, or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-dravid/administrators-are-there-because-of-the-fans-and-the-cricketers-to/) [Rahul Dravid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-dravid/) > [Inconsistency on the part of pastors and the faithful between what they say and what they do, between word and manner of life, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/inconsistency-on-the-part-of-pastors-and-the-faithful-between-what/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Constantly there's a credibility issue; you're judged on how you look. If you look good, people assume you aren't credible. It's a battle you'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-guerrero/constantly-there-s-a-credibility-issue-you-re-judged-on-how-you-look/) [Lisa Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-guerrero/) > [You may be right that people say: You know what, we had Obama. He was inexperienced. The guy had great rhetoric, sounded good, looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rove/you-may-be-right-that-people-say-you-know-what-we-had-obama-he-was/) [Karl Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rove/) > [ I can assure the conspiracy theorists who have very effectively savaged \[Gerald\] Posner in their books that they're going to have a much, much… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-bugliosi/i-can-assure-the-conspiracy-theorists-who-have-very-effectively/) [Vincent Bugliosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-bugliosi/) > [“Intellectually and compassionately explaining the reason freedom works is required for credibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/intellectually-and-compassionately-explaining-the-reason-freedom/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [When the script for 'The Wrestler' kept coming to me I said, This movie is so good if you put me in the film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hulk-hogan/when-the-script-for-the-wrestler-kept-coming-to-me-i-said-this-movie/) [Hulk Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hulk-hogan/) > [The short of it is, as an aspiring writer, there is nothing as damaging to your credibility as saying that you don't like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/the-short-of-it-is-as-an-aspiring-writer-there-is-nothing-as-damaging/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [PM Narendra Modi had promised to bring back black money, which he said could put Rs 15 lakh in each of our pockets. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prashant-bhushan/pm-narendra-modi-had-promised-to-bring-back-black-money-which-he-said/) [Prashant Bhushan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prashant-bhushan/) > [The documentary style is an incredibly flexible and useful one. It's a wonderful tool for establishing the credibility of the version of things that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gohlke/the-documentary-style-is-an-incredibly-flexible-and-useful-one-it-s-a/) [Frank Gohlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gohlke/) > [The word of the Lord is this: "Just bless those that persecute you and ask for Justice, for the battle does not belong to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-loren/the-word-of-the-lord-is-this-just-bless-those-that-persecute-you-and/) [Julia Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-loren/) ## More by Sarah Lacy > [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [People always tell me the next stage of my career means moving to New York, but I never will. I don't care how that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/people-always-tell-me-the-next-stage-of-my-career-means-moving-to-new/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [I am a meat-loving Southern girl. Add in being a writer, and that means I drink more than I should, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/i-am-a-meat-loving-southern-girl-add-in-being-a-writer-and-that-means/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [To me, the last mile of the Internet that very few people have successfully really done. And this is like micro local. Things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/to-me-the-last-mile-of-the-internet-that-very-few-people-have/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [The biggest barrier to starting a company isn't ideas, funding or experience. It's excuses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/the-biggest-barrier-to-starting-a-company-isn-t-ideas-funding-or/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [Like patents - which also seek to protect the little guy - unions were started for all the right reasons. But like patents, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/like-patents-which-also-seek-to-protect-the-little-guy-unions-were/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [You know that American dream and American spirit of innovation we always talk about? Turns out, the bulk of it was built by people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/you-know-that-american-dream-and-american-spirit-of-innovation-we/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [I am honest enough with myself to admit it. I rarely offer strong opinions, I have a backbone like a pair of bifold doors,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/i-am-honest-enough-with-myself-to-admit-it-i-rarely-offer-strong/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [As smartphones have allowed us to have our computers, emails, social media feeds, and a full surveillance system in our pockets at all times,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/as-smartphones-have-allowed-us-to-have-our-computers-emails-social/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [Some people have blithely dismissed growth in markets like China and India, saying Silicon Valley will always be the hub for tech: that everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/some-people-have-blithely-dismissed-growth-in-markets-like-china-and/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [It's almost a cliche that great Silicon Valley entrepreneurs don't go sit on a beach when they make a lot of money; they get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-almost-a-cliche-that-great-silicon-valley-entrepreneurs-don-t-go/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [Get a lawyer to look at your contract or beware. Because no company - evil or not - is going to do it for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/get-a-lawyer-to-look-at-your-contract-or-beware-because-no-company/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [Benefitting from a job bubble is not only a first world problem, it's an upper-class-educated-lucky-to-be-in-the-right-industry-at-the-right-time kind of first world problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/benefitting-from-a-job-bubble-is-not-only-a-first-world-problem-it-s/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [One of the nice things about being a private company is operating without the intensity of public glare. It's hard to grow a company…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/one-of-the-nice-things-about-being-a-private-company-is-operating/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [Sometimes the hardest thing about committing the perfect crime can be keeping your genius to yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/sometimes-the-hardest-thing-about-committing-the-perfect-crime-can-be/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) [Explore all 54 Sarah Lacy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) ## More Credibility quotes > [The word of the Lord is this: "Just bless those that persecute you and ask for Justice, for the battle does not belong to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-loren/the-word-of-the-lord-is-this-just-bless-those-that-persecute-you-and/) [Julia Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-loren/) > [The documentary style is an incredibly flexible and useful one. It's a wonderful tool for establishing the credibility of the version of things that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gohlke/the-documentary-style-is-an-incredibly-flexible-and-useful-one-it-s-a/) [Frank Gohlke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gohlke/) > [PM Narendra Modi had promised to bring back black money, which he said could put Rs 15 lakh in each of our pockets. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prashant-bhushan/pm-narendra-modi-had-promised-to-bring-back-black-money-which-he-said/) [Prashant Bhushan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prashant-bhushan/) > [The short of it is, as an aspiring writer, there is nothing as damaging to your credibility as saying that you don't like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/the-short-of-it-is-as-an-aspiring-writer-there-is-nothing-as-damaging/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [When the script for 'The Wrestler' kept coming to me I said, This movie is so good if you put me in the film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hulk-hogan/when-the-script-for-the-wrestler-kept-coming-to-me-i-said-this-movie/) [Hulk Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hulk-hogan/) > [“Intellectually and compassionately explaining the reason freedom works is required for credibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/intellectually-and-compassionately-explaining-the-reason-freedom/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [ I can assure the conspiracy theorists who have very effectively savaged \[Gerald\] Posner in their books that they're going to have a much, much… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-bugliosi/i-can-assure-the-conspiracy-theorists-who-have-very-effectively/) [Vincent Bugliosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-bugliosi/) > [You may be right that people say: You know what, we had Obama. He was inexperienced. The guy had great rhetoric, sounded good, looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rove/you-may-be-right-that-people-say-you-know-what-we-had-obama-he-was/) [Karl Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rove/) > [Constantly there's a credibility issue; you're judged on how you look. If you look good, people assume you aren't credible. It's a battle you'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-guerrero/constantly-there-s-a-credibility-issue-you-re-judged-on-how-you-look/) [Lisa Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-guerrero/) > [Inconsistency on the part of pastors and the faithful between what they say and what they do, between word and manner of life, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/inconsistency-on-the-part-of-pastors-and-the-faithful-between-what/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Administrators are there because of the fans and the cricketers to run this game, so credibility of a game, or a board, or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rahul-dravid/administrators-are-there-because-of-the-fans-and-the-cricketers-to/) [Rahul Dravid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rahul-dravid/) > [I think in fact that unless there is an organic link between the subjective impressions of the author and his objective representation of reality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/i-think-in-fact-that-unless-there-is-an-organic-link-between-the/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) > [PROPHECY, n. The art and practice of selling one's credibility for future delivery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/prophecy-n-the-art-and-practice-of-selling-one-s-credibility-for/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Content that's generated out of America, whether it be film or music, has, in my opinion, much greater impact in sustaining our credibility and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyor-cohen/content-that-s-generated-out-of-america-whether-it-be-film-or-music/) [Lyor Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyor-cohen/) > [It's one thing to say, 'I don't like what you said to me and I find it rude and offensive,' but the moment you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/it-s-one-thing-to-say-i-don-t-like-what-you-said-to-me-and-i-find-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) [Browse all 571 Credibility quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credibility/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s only after living through a decade of these three attacks, watching these other journalists get attacked, watching the 2016 presidential election, and reading the work of philosopher Kate Manne and social psychologist Amy Cuddy that I began to see how simple, universal, and effective it is to destroy a woman’s credibility. 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