Words have significant power, and when used without thought, can damage and affect someone’s perceptions. Sadly, in this world, people like to tear others down. Thankfully, we have the power to change our own internal bias and become collectively more positive. The first change we can all make is phasing out these two negative words.
Fake: to have surface level depth and/or be two-faced
Example: “I hate Tiffany. She’s so fake. She can be nice and energetic, but it’s all an act. She probably talks about us behind our backs.”
Problem and Solution: In my experience, “fake” is used almost exclusively to describe women. Many act overly friendly or shallow in uncomfortable social situations, especially among people they do not know well. Instead of immediately labeling and brushing people off with the word “fake,” we should ask why. Ironically, calling people “fake” is also fake.
Attention Wh*re: A person who constantly makes things about themself usually to feed their need for acceptance
Example: “Tiffany always talks about herself, especially around guys. It’s so annoying. She’s such an attention wh*re.”
Problem and Solution: We all love attention, and this word encapsulates the jealousy we all feel when we don’t get enough. While annoying, I’ve found that the best way to deal with them and our own insecurities is to change your mindset. Instead of being sulky, give that person more attention. Not only does this make everyone feel better, it also makes you look good. After that, the attention will naturally shift. Try to avoid using this term because it suggests that attention is bad, and if there’s anything all of us women need more, it’s recognition and attention.
There are so many amazing words we can use to describe women! Why would we choose these two? If we consider our choice of adjectives, we can begin uplifting other women instead.