Why Do Women Do That?

On Monday, as I was turning on the TV for B's episode of Dora the Explorer (she is addicted to the show) I was temporarily sucked in to a morning talk show that was discussing what women shouldn't do. Supernanny Jo Frost was seated as a guest at the table. She knows a thing or two about handling difficult situations; so when she speaks, I listen. I guess there is a Twitter page that allows people to post anonymously about the things that women shouldn't do. I am not on Twitter, but it's an interesting topic. Supernanny said that women should stop hating on other women. My ears perked up and to B's disappointment my remote was not functioning properly to change the channel for the next few minutes. Why is it that women are so intimidated by other women? Maybe it's because we're always measuring ourselves up to those that seem like they're prettier, happier, smarter, funnier, taller, thinner, bustier, more organized, better daters, better moms, and on and on. However, it's all perception and we are our own worst critic. I mean, we don't know that the grass is greener on the other side. By hating on other women aren't we just projecting our own insecurities?

I previously worked in a place where a majority of the staff was female. I now work in an industry that is male-dominated. If given a choice I would choose a male-dominated work environment again. I wouldn't say it's because I'm (sometimes) intimidated, but rather, it's because I don't like the drama. Emotions can get the best of most women. On separate occasions, two successful (female) executives I know gave me the advice that I should never go into a meeting thinking about being the only woman in the room. The fact that they were willing to share that advice, and more, has made me a fan of theirs. I admire them for what they've done to achieve their current roles professionally and personally. That being said, what if women followed JoJo's advice and rather than hating on other women we complimented other women more often? Men do it all the time.