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About this quote

What does it mean?
Genius is developed, but societal conditions often block women from reaching it.
In plain terms
You become a genius, but society stops women from doing so.
What can you take from it?
Social barriers hinder potential development.

Where it applies

  • career planning
  • social critique
  • education

Putting it to work

  • analyze barriers
  • advocate change

Questions to consider

  • What barriers hold you back?
  • How can society change?

Another view

Individual effort can sometimes overcome systemic barriers.

More from Simone De Beauvoir

  1. When an individual (or a group of individuals) is kept in a situation of inferiority, the fact is that he is inferior. But the significance of the verb to be m…

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  2. On ne nait pas femme: on le devient.

    Permalink to quote #52
  3. All agree in recognising the fact that females exist in the human species; today as always they make up about one half of humanity. And yet we are told that fe…

    Permalink to quote #49

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