---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Modesty is a reflex, arising naturally to…"
description: "\"“Modesty is a reflex, arising naturally to help a woman protect her hopes and guide their fulfillment -specifically, this hope for one man. (...) Along..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d21/wendy-shalit-51764_delay_modesty-is-a-reflex-arising-naturally-to_1377746.jpg"
---

#  Modesty is a reflex, arising naturally to help a woman…

![“Modesty is a reflex, arising naturally to help a woman protect her hopes and guide their fulfillment -specifically, this hope for one man. (...) Along with this hope comes a certain vulnerability, because every time a man fails to stick by us, our hopes are, in a sense, dashed. This is where…” quote by Wendy Shalit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d21/wendy-shalit-51764_delay_modesty-is-a-reflex-arising-naturally-to_1377746.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d21/wendy-shalit-51764_delay_modesty-is-a-reflex-arising-naturally-to_1377746.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d21/wendy-shalit-51764_delay_modesty-is-a-reflex-arising-naturally-to_1377746.jpg)

> ““Modesty is a reflex, arising naturally to help a woman protect her hopes and guide their fulfillment -specifically, this hope for one man. (...) Along with this hope comes a certain vulnerability, because every time a man fails to stick by us, our hopes are, in a sense, dashed. This is where modesty fits in. For modesty armed this special vulnerability -not to oppress women, but with the aim of putting them on an equal footing with men. The delay modesty created not only made it more likely that women could select men who would stick by them, but in turning lust into love, it changed men from uncivilized males who ran after as many sexual partners as they can get to men who really wanted to stick by one woman.””

[Wendy Shalit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-shalit/)

## About This Quote

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

Modesty protects women's hopes, fostering vulnerability that can lead to equal partnerships.

**In simple terms:** Modesty shields hopes and encourages equality.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate modesty to build trust.

Themes

gender equality vulnerability trust modesty

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

sociological analytical

When to use this quote

- dating
- workplace
- friendships
- activism

Key Concepts

social dynamics psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- Can modesty be both protective and restrictive?
- How does vulnerability affect power balance?

A Different Perspective

Modesty may be misused to limit autonomy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Modesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modesty/)

## Related quotes

> [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/)

[Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/)

> [“Delay is never denial.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/delay-is-never-denial/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [If the politics of inaction and delay that have triumphed in this country continues for another decade, then Planetary Purgatory in the likely future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/if-the-politics-of-inaction-and-delay-that-have-triumphed-in-this/)

[Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/)

> [Everyone I have spoken with so far recognises the need for the IRA to respond positively and every has said sooner is better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-reiss/everyone-i-have-spoken-with-so-far-recognises-the-need-for-the-ira-to/)

[Mitchell Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-reiss/)

> [Procrastination comes in two types. Some of us procrastinate in order to pursue restful activities - spending time in bed, watching TV - while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/procrastination-comes-in-two-types-some-of-us-procrastinate-in-order/)

[Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/)

> [I take no pleasure in seeing DeLay swing gently in the wind. But the thing I believe in the most is ethics. If someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/i-take-no-pleasure-in-seeing-delay-swing-gently-in-the-wind-but-the/)

[Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/)

> [Systems program building is an entropy-decreasing process, hence inherently metastable. Program maintenance is an entropy-increasing process, and even its most skillful execution only delays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/systems-program-building-is-an-entropy-decreasing-process-hence/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/circumstances-may-cause-interruptions-and-delays-but-never-lose-sight/)

[Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/)

> [Naturally I feel no shame in writing these things because of the time which separates the moment when they are written--when only I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-ernaux/naturally-i-feel-no-shame-in-writing-these-things-because-of-the-time/)

[Annie Ernaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-ernaux/)

> [Right is the eternal sun; the world cannot delay its coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/right-is-the-eternal-sun-the-world-cannot-delay-its-coming/)

[Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/)

> [The measured blood beats out the year's delay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bogan/the-measured-blood-beats-out-the-year-s-delay/)

[Louise Bogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bogan/)

> [Delay always heeds danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/delay-always-heeds-danger/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Even speed, when we are anxious, seems like delay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/even-speed-when-we-are-anxious-seems-like-delay/)

[Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/)

> [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

> [We are being conditioned, as a population, to never wait, to never delay our gratification, to accept thoughtless, constant consumption as the new norm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-wortham/we-are-being-conditioned-as-a-population-to-never-wait-to-never-delay/)

[Jenna Wortham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-wortham/)

## More by Wendy Shalit

> [Modesty answers not the crude how of femininity, but the beautiful why.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-shalit/modesty-answers-not-the-crude-how-of-femininity-but-the-beautiful-why/)

[Wendy Shalit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-shalit/)

> [If you are not sensitive to rejection, doesn't that also mean you're indifferent to love?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-shalit/if-you-are-not-sensitive-to-rejection-doesn-t-that-also-mean-you-re/)

[Wendy Shalit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-shalit/)

> [“A society which sees her modesty or her "hang-ups" as a problem is necessarily a society which will not be able to get him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-shalit/a-society-which-sees-her-modesty-or-her-hang-ups-as-a-problem-is/)

[Wendy Shalit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-shalit/)

> [The best protection against rape, stalking, and domestic violence is to raise men who both understand that women are different, and would never dare…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-shalit/the-best-protection-against-rape-stalking-and-domestic-violence-is-to/)

[Wendy Shalit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-shalit/)

> [Modesty is the proof that morality is sexy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-shalit/modesty-is-the-proof-that-morality-is-sexy/)

[Wendy Shalit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-shalit/)

> [By not having sex before marriage, you are insisting on your right to take these things seriously, when many around you do not seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-shalit/by-not-having-sex-before-marriage-you-are-insisting-on-your-right-to/)

[Wendy Shalit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-shalit/)

[Explore all 7 Wendy Shalit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-shalit/)

## More Delay quotes

> [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/)

[Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/)

> [The execution was set for the 29th of March, at nine in the morning. This delay was due to a desire on the part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/the-execution-was-set-for-the-29th-of-march-at-nine-in-the-morning/)

[Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/)

> [Even speed, when we are anxious, seems like delay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/publilius-syrus/even-speed-when-we-are-anxious-seems-like-delay/)

[Publilius Syrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/publilius-syrus/)

> [Delay always heeds danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/delay-always-heeds-danger/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The measured blood beats out the year's delay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-bogan/the-measured-blood-beats-out-the-year-s-delay/)

[Louise Bogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-bogan/)

> [Right is the eternal sun; the world cannot delay its coming.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/right-is-the-eternal-sun-the-world-cannot-delay-its-coming/)

[Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/)

> [Naturally I feel no shame in writing these things because of the time which separates the moment when they are written--when only I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-ernaux/naturally-i-feel-no-shame-in-writing-these-things-because-of-the-time/)

[Annie Ernaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-ernaux/)

> [Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal. Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/circumstances-may-cause-interruptions-and-delays-but-never-lose-sight/)

[Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/)

> [Systems program building is an entropy-decreasing process, hence inherently metastable. Program maintenance is an entropy-increasing process, and even its most skillful execution only delays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/systems-program-building-is-an-entropy-decreasing-process-hence/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I take no pleasure in seeing DeLay swing gently in the wind. But the thing I believe in the most is ethics. If someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/i-take-no-pleasure-in-seeing-delay-swing-gently-in-the-wind-but-the/)

[Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/)

> [Procrastination comes in two types. Some of us procrastinate in order to pursue restful activities - spending time in bed, watching TV - while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/procrastination-comes-in-two-types-some-of-us-procrastinate-in-order/)

[Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/)

> [Everyone I have spoken with so far recognises the need for the IRA to respond positively and every has said sooner is better than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitchell-reiss/everyone-i-have-spoken-with-so-far-recognises-the-need-for-the-ira-to/)

[Mitchell Reiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitchell-reiss/)

> [If the politics of inaction and delay that have triumphed in this country continues for another decade, then Planetary Purgatory in the likely future…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-romm/if-the-politics-of-inaction-and-delay-that-have-triumphed-in-this/)

[Joseph J. Romm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-romm/)

> [“Delay is never denial.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/delay-is-never-denial/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [We are being conditioned, as a population, to never wait, to never delay our gratification, to accept thoughtless, constant consumption as the new norm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-wortham/we-are-being-conditioned-as-a-population-to-never-wait-to-never-delay/)

[Jenna Wortham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-wortham/)

Browse all 636 Delay quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Modesty is a reflex, arising naturally to help a woman protect her hopes and guide their fulfillment -specifically, this hope for one man. (...) Along with this hope comes a certain vulnerability, because every time a man fails to stick by us, our hopes are, in a sense, dashed. This is where modesty fits in. For modesty armed this special vulnerability -not to oppress women, but with the aim of putting them on an equal footing with men. The delay modesty created not only made it more likely that women could select men who would stick by them, but in turning lust into love, it changed men from uncivilized males who ran after as many sexual partners as they can get to men who really wanted to stick by one woman.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Wendy Shalit"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-shalit/modesty-is-a-reflex-arising-naturally-to-help-a-woman-protect-her/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Delay"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-shalit/modesty-is-a-reflex-arising-naturally-to-help-a-woman-protect-her/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d21/wendy-shalit-51764_delay_modesty-is-a-reflex-arising-naturally-to_1377746.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d21/wendy-shalit-51764_delay_modesty-is-a-reflex-arising-naturally-to_1377746.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d21/wendy-shalit-51764_delay_modesty-is-a-reflex-arising-naturally-to_1377746.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Modesty is a reflex, arising naturally to help a woman protect her hopes and guide their fulfillment…” — Wendy Shalit",
                "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": "Wendy Shalit",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-shalit/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Modesty is a reflex, arising naturally...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-shalit/modesty-is-a-reflex-arising-naturally-to-help-a-woman-protect-her/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-shalit/modesty-is-a-reflex-arising-naturally-to-help-a-woman-protect-her/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```