1. “I went to an all-girls school for seven years, and it just never crossed my mind to consider men’s opinions to be more important than my own. The environment was super competitive and I was always encouraged to voice my own thoughts –– and that just carried into every aspect of my life now. I’ve never for a second contemplated asking for a man’s opinion before making a decision. Unless, maybe the one exception would be, if my decision also directly impacted him –– but it wouldn’t have anything to do with me valuing his input more because of his gender.” — Jessie, 24

2. “No vagina? No need to hear your opinion about mine.” — Lisa, 22

3. “I find that I’m most happy when I choose to live my life in the pursuit of my own interests, and not someone else’s, especially a man. I’m not going to pretend as though I’ve never done something solely for the purpose of seeking a man’s approval, but when I have, even if I temporarily win them over and gain the approval I was seeking, I feel a deep discontent. The happiest I feel is when I do something because I want to do it. For example, I think high waisted jeans are fantastic; they suck in my stomach and they make my ass look great, so when I read in a magazine that men find high waisted jeans unattractive or weird, I’m going to wear them regardless. High waisted jeans make me happy, and that’s what matters. That’s a lame metaphor for choosing my own happiness over a man’s, but it gets the point across all the same. I’m going to do me, and if a man approves, awesome, if not, oh well.” — Megan, 23

4. “It’s tempting to care about what a man may or may not think about the way you dress, act, dance, or speak, but ultimately it’s a total waste of time. You have to focus on what you think and what you want—and the process of figuring that out shouldn’t be clouded by anyone else’s opinion, male or female. Other people’s opinions will distract you from figuring yourself out, so tune the noise out stat!” — Sara, 28

5. “I’m pretty vocal about my thoughts and opinions when it comes to equality, and I feel that even with being a Black woman, it’s super important that I validate myself before I do so to others. Especially when it comes to men. And why not? I’m smart, I’m capable. I’m pretty sure there are plenty of men that are intimidated by that – but I’d rather be respected than unanimously liked for being complacent. To be frank, the idea of men’s opinions overriding that on a whim is insulting, and seriously pisses me off.” — Cameron, 22

6. “My parents always encouraged me to learn things. They took me to every museum they could think of before I could even walk. But when I hit puberty I lost a lot of my intellectual curiosity. I remember my dad complaining that I used to have interests. He asked if I was trying to act dumb to get men. I don’t think it was that cut and dried, but I do think my interests changed a lot due to society’s tacit expectations.

I think men actually do want smart women. But we shouldn’t be smart for men. We should be smart because being outwardly focused is going to serve us so much better in the long run than reading about makeup and feelings and shit.” — Gwen, 28

7. “Honestly, I am what some would call the modern “guys girl” – I hate that term – and let me tell you, I don’t know where the stereotype of girls having more feelings and being weaker than guys came from. Men are forever in their feelings and it is the most annoying thing to deal with so I have no clue why any woman in the world would consider some dude’s opinions more important than her own.” — Meg, 26

8. “If I waited for a man’s approval before I made any decision or did anything, I would never get anywhere in life. I know a ton of men who are incredible, supportive, and of the mindset that we are totally equal. But I also know some who, although they don’t necessarily say it, act as if we’re on two separate levels. So I’m not just gonna sit around and wait for them to give me approval. Instead, I’m going to do whatever I want, and make them see that underestimating me was a. big. mistake.” — Lori, 24

9. “I don’t know why men always feel the need to offer their opinion. They literally think everything you say and do is for them, so they should tell you when they don’t like it. But no one lives for other people. Our actions are always about ourselves and what we want. It doesn’t matter if you like it or not.” — Chelsea, 30