Let’s (un)Gender Adjectives

Beyond biological sex, the ideas of what is considered “feminine” or “masculine” often have little grounding in logic. Gender, for the most part, is a social construct, endorsed and advocated by societal norms, expectations, and community convenience. These stereotypes have been passed down through generations, shaping our perceptions and behavior in ways that often limit our true potential.

Undoing ingrained, socially validated sexism is no small task. It takes a lot of effort and conscious unlearning. It requires a patient mindfulness to question and dismantle the biases we’ve been taught and often applauded for. It’s not just about recognizing that these stereotypes exist, but also about understanding how deeply they’ve been embedded in our minds. The majority of us weren’t given the tools or the understanding to challenge these norms during our formative years. We could – and we deserved to – have been taught better in childhood. Unfortunately, many of us were not. These stereotypes were often handed down to us by those who, themselves, were products of a society steeped in outdated beliefs.

But here’s the thing. Adulthood offers us the freedom and opportunity to reparent ourselves. It’s up to us to decide how we want to grow and who we want to become. The human you grow into is entirely your choice. You can choose to live by the standards and baseless expectations handed down to you, or you can break free and create your own path.

Yes, your adult life is entirely up to you, and how you reparent yourself is your choice. You grow into the human you choose to be, the person you want to live with.

We always have the power to choose better. We have an innate ability to be the change we demand, to become the person we needed when we were younger but perhaps never had. Every single day is a chance to challenge the status quo, to question the limited set of characteristics we are expected to play out, and to redefine what it means to be human on our terms.

Ultimately, the journey towards self-awareness and growth is deeply personal. It’s a journey of unlearning unfulfilling habits and ways of life. And, yes, we can always choose to embrace a more authentic version of ourselves. We can always opt for life decisions that aligns with our values and aspirations rather than outdated gender norms. The resistance we meet on this path to intentional living will be strong and might throw us off-track repeatedly. Yet, the freedom to choose who you are and who you will become is always within reach. Embrace that choice.

We always have a choice to be the change we demand from the world, to be who we needed but maybe never had.


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Arunima studies Criminology and Behavioural Sciences, by passion and profession. Her purpose is to connect the principles, theory and research in Behavioural Sciences to live a little more aware and a bit more intentionally, in our everyday interactions with people and the world. Presently, she is a part-time PhD Research Scholar and a part-time Content Creator.

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