From ‘Good Girl’ to ‘Rebel’: The Double Standards of Female Expression

Ladies and gentlemen (but mostly ladies, because let’s be real, men don’t get unsolicited life advice as a birthright), welcome to the grand, never-ending talent show called ‘Being a Woman in Society.’ The rules? Simple.

One false step and—BOOM! Congratulations, you’ve been demoted from the ‘good girl’ pedestal straight into the chaotic ‘rebel’ category. If you’re lucky, they’ll just call you ‘too much.’ If you’re unlucky, well…get ready for some solid character assassination.

You must be polite, but not a ‘doormat.’ Smart, but not that smart—lest you outshine a man’s fragile ego. Ambitious, but only until it makes your in-laws uncomfortable.

Oh, and let’s not forget the biggest crime of all—being single past the acceptable age (an arbitrary number determined by some random uncle at a wedding you didn’t want to attend).




If you express your thoughts too boldly, congratulations! You’ve just been promoted from ‘independent thinker’ to ‘unruly feminist’—a term some people still think is an insult (spoiler: it’s not).

A man raises his voice? Passionate leader. A woman does it? Relax, yaar. Why so emotional?

The same society that screams ‘women should be confident’ is also the first to label them ‘too much’ the moment they exercise that confidence. Irony? We love it here.

Wear a short dress? ‘She’s asking for attention.’ Wear a hijab? ‘Oh no, she’s oppressed.’ Wear a saree? ‘Such a good girl!’

Basically, your outfit is a mood ring for society’s unsolicited opinions. Because why let a woman define herself when a bunch of strangers with zero qualifications can do it for her?

Meanwhile, men could walk around in pajamas all day, and the only reaction would be, ‘Bro, looks comfy.’ Must be nice.



Men with multiple partners? Just exploring their options. Women with the same? Characterless.

Ah yes, the classic ‘Men have needs, women have morals’ logic—brought to you by people who still believe in ‘log kya kahenge’ as a valid life strategy.

The funniest part? The same culture that objectifies women in ads, movies, and songs is the first to shame them for embracing their own desires. Pick a lane, society.


Forget your achievements. Forget your personality. Forget your happiness. Your real worth is determined by one thing only—how soon you manage to secure a husband.

Single and happy? ‘She’s lying. No one can be happy alone.’ Divorced? ‘She must have failed at being a good wife.’ Unhappy in marriage? ‘Compromise, beta. It’s what good women do.’

Meanwhile, men can stay bachelors forever, and the worst they’ll get is ‘Arre, abhi toh jawaan hai!’ Double standards? More like double-decker standards.

Got married? Great. Now, let’s talk about your womb.

Women are expected to be self-sacrificing saints, but god forbid they actually want to define motherhood on their terms.


Men can scream, throw tantrums, and punch walls—people call it passion. A woman raises her voice? Overreacting. Too emotional. PMSing, probably.

God forbid women call out the blatant sexism, inequality, or hypocrisy they face every day. No, no. They must remain calm and patient forever, because society is more comfortable with their silence than their rage.

But here’s the thing: women aren’t angry without reason. They’re angry because they’ve had enough. And that, dear reader, is the biggest plot twist of all.


A man can do whatever he wants in his youth—party, date, make mistakes—and at worst, people will say, ‘He was young and wild.’

A woman does the same? Lifetime judgment package unlocked! Society will dig up her past like a retired detective with nothing better to do.

And yet, men’s pasts are conveniently erased the moment they ‘settle down.’ Funny how that works.



The real reason why strong women make people uncomfortable? They don’t seek permission to exist.

They don’t tone themselves down for fragile egos. They don’t apologize for taking up space. And they certainly don’t mold themselves into what makes others comfortable.

So naturally, society calls them ‘difficult,’ ‘intimidating,’ or ‘rebellious.’ But here’s the truth: women don’t owe the world their obedience. They never did.

They will call you ‘too much’ no matter what you do. So be too opinionated, too smart, too loud, too free, too ambitious, too bold, too everything.

Because the only thing worse than being judged is being silent. And if your existence makes them uncomfortable? Well… they can always look away.