Every International Women’s Day, we hear the same poetic refrain: Women are the ultimate multipliers. They take a house and make it a home; they take a seed and make it a life. Even the periodic table gets recruited for the cause—Fe-Male, the "Iron" human.
It’s a beautiful sentiment. But as I sat with it, my curiosity began to itch. If a human—specifically a woman—is a natural expander of whatever she receives, we have to ask a terrifying question: What happens when she is given nothing? Or worse, what happens when she is given lack, silence, or suppression?
In many cultures, including here in India, the "pedestal" is often a cage. We praise the strength of women while failing to provide the support that sustains that strength. If the inherent quality of the feminine is to expand, then:
- Neglect becomes a deep, hollow void.
- Silence expands into a lifetime of suppression.
- Hardship becomes a generational weight.
Is it fair to call someone "Iron" and then leave them out in the rain to rust, simply because we assume their nature is to endure?
Logic tells me this isn't just a gendered issue; it’s a human one. We are biologically wired to seek the "feel-good" dopamine of expansion. We want to grow our wins. But when life hands us a negative, we face a psychological fork in the road. Do we:
- Expand it? (Letting bitterness or trauma grow until it defines us.)
- Absorb it? (Internalizing the pain until it affects our health.)
- Detach from it? (The spiritual "survival mode.")
We are told that detachment is the cure. But for a social animal, detachment is a double-edged sword. It is the art of surviving by yourself, within yourself. Is that a victory, or is it just a very sophisticated form of loneliness?
I don’t have the answers. I am not standing on a stage with a microphone; I am standing at the back of the line, observing. Perhaps "doing better in life" isn't about having the answers, but about having the courage to keep asking the questions.
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