It seems that over the last few weeks, I've come across a few occurrences of girls/women being someone they are not. I have to say that this is something that has struck a chord with me and I have to question if I'm always who I really am or who others want me to be.

The first is that I just finished a great book that is soon coming out as a major motion picture "Gone Girl". In the book, Amy, one of the main characters says that she (and many other girls) play the "Cool Girl". The many women work at playing this part this to make sure guys will like them.

The second was a posting that a woman wrote on another community site. She was reviewing the situation of being a woman in the male dominated world of game development and how she has to pretend to be "one of the boys" and to like action games that the guys and, heaven forbid, she should tell people that she likes games dealing with things like decorating and shopping. She even commented how she had to endure things that were quite bordering on sexual harassment like guys openly telling her about sexual games seeming to want to get a reaction out of her.

I have to admit that while I like to think that I am true to myself and dance to the beat of my own drum, I definitely have, since seeing these references, heard my own subconscious second-guessing my actions just as I'm about to do them. I also hear many voices asking me "is that what a proper woman should do? Will it look good to guys (or other girls) if I do or say this?

I guess we all watch what we do; buy maybe women are more subject to living how others should see them.

Any comments?  Do you find yourself second-guessing your own actions?  What should we be doing about this? 

Sincerely, 

Me (I think...)