Nigerian literary giant , Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, continues to spread her literary greatness while slaying at it.
At the recently held Girls Write Now Awards 2015, the award-winning author was honoured with a Groundbreaker Honoree award. She also used the platform to address young women during her speech which tackled 'likability.'
The happy feminist did not mince her words as she elaborated,
"I think it’s important to tell your story truthfully and I think that’s a difficult thing to do, to be truly truthful."
"I think that what our society teaches young girls and I think it’s also something that’s quite difficult for even older women, self-confessed feminists to shrug off is that idea that likability is an essential part of the space that you occupy in the world."
" That you’re supposed to twist yourself into shapes and make yourself likable, that you’re supposed to kind of hold back sometimes, pull back, don’t quite say, don’t be too pushy because you have to be likable. And I say that is bullsh*t."
"Forget about likability.If you start off thinking being likable, you're not going to tell your story honestly because you're going to be concerned with not offending. And that's going to ruin your story."
This speech had me scream, "Can I hear an AMEN."
I live for her honesty and sincerity. If you follow her speeches, she's very consistent and not one to beat around the bush.
Living in a society that dictates what women should be like, how they should present themselves and so forth ; her speech is spot on - she hit the nail on the head. So, sisters, FORGET ABOUT LIKABILITY!
Photo & Video Credit: Girls Write Now