Teach Girls Bravery, Not Perfection

We're raising our girls to be perfect,

and we're raising our boys to be brave.

Most girls are taught to avoid risk and failure.

Their taught to smile pretty,

play it safe,

get all A's.

Boys, on the other hand, are taught to play rough.

And by the time they're adults,

whether they're negotiating a raise or

even asking someone out on a date,

they're habituated to take risk after risk.

They're rewarded for it.

An HP report found that men will apply for a job

if they meet only 60 percent  of the qualifications,

but women,

women will apply only if they meet 100 percent.

The bravery deficit is why women are underrepresented in STEM,

in C-suites, in boardrooms, in Congress, and pretty much everywhere you look.

We have to socialize our girls to be comfortable with imperfection,

and we've got to do it now.