Las mujeres tienen miedo a competir, ¿o no?

Women are terrified to compete with each other, according to a recent study. For real, and in an unhealthy way. When women are pitted against each other in the workplace, they freeze. They’re unsure how to respond, and experience heightened levels of stress and anxiety which leads to a sloppy, incomplete and haphazard output. The same response is not evident when women are pitted against men or when men are up against other men.

Bien, ¿a qué se debe esto? ¿Por qué las mujeres tienen miedo de competir? O, ¿es la verdadera pregunta aquí ¿cómo compiten las mujeres?

Las mujeres manejan las situaciones de forma diferente a los hombres. Pueden encontrarse con las mismas circunstancias y reaccionar de manera completamente distinta a las del sexo opuesto. A veces, sus respuestas son mucho más complicadas.

Men have no fear. They will go aggressively and territorially after each other, no-holds barred. Women who are vying for the same professional positions or social seats compete in a more underhanded way—through manipulative and passive-aggressive tactics. They want to appear friendly while knocking each other out… figuratively.

Since women are also more emotionally in-tune with themselves, it’s important to be able to trust one’s instincts. This means, if you believe that ‘friend’ of yours is out to get something you have, you’re probably right. La intuición debe triunfar sobre outward perceptions of any particular situation you’re contemplating.

Many times, we talk about ‘going with our gut’ or ‘trusting our instincts’. This is important. It’s our internal self’s way of screaming, ‘Something’s not right here!’ If someone’s body language doesn’t match what’s coming out of their mouth, fíjate más en sus movimientos que en sus labios.

Las mujeres son más propensas que los hombres a hacerse amigas de sus enemigos. Y harán todo lo posible para asegurarse de que son confidentes de confianza antes de exponer sus verdaderos motivos.

The moral of the story is this—if you have something you’re eager to keep to yourself, make sure you don’t let your guard down too easily. It’s best to wade in the waters for a bit while this alliance is still new to ensure you stay protected.

Of course, we can’t live in fear of having our deepest secrets revealed or being unable to confide in someone else. Las mujeres son criaturas sociales. It’s important to develop lasting, trusted friendships with those of the same sex, and be able to rest, knowing your secrets are safe.

It’s simply important to listen to your own inner voice first. And, realize when you may be on to something before it’s too late. Everyone gives off energy—positive or negative. Some are harder to read than others, but this just means we have to listen more closely, be more open.

Most women would prefer to work in environments with men rather than with other females. Why? Because the stress of having to compete in a complex way is eliminated. Not only that, but if a woman is surrounded by colleagues of the opposite sex, she suddenly becomes the center of attention. Everything she says or does is great, and if not, it’s okay. She’s allowed to make mistakes without permanently wearing a sign on her forehead.

The pressure is off when you’re let off the hook. But, the silent competition that exists in a room full of women is exhausting and distracting. Even in situations in which the focus needs to be entirely on the task at hand, the whole room fills with catty chit-chat and sly tactics to plow each other over on the way to the top.

The real question is—what’s the big deal, anyway? Why do women do this to each other?

Si todo el mundo fuera tan auténtico y amable como la imagen que intenta proyectar a los demás, el mundo sería un lugar mejor. Las mujeres dejarían de sentirse presionadas para competir o para ser mejores que la persona sentada a su lado.

Tómese un momento para reflexionar sobre la realidad de esto. ¿Te suena a verdad? ¿Compite silenciosamente con los demás? O, ¿tienes confianza en ti mismo para valerte por ti mismo y luchar por lo que crees sin importarte las consecuencias?

You see, the funny thing is—women do compete. We’re all trapped by our own insecurities and we’re all looking for that one person who isn’t to guide us out of this cage, so we can finally be comfortable in our own skin.

¿Por qué seguimos compitiendo y buscando esa seguridad exterior cuando deberíamos mirar hacia dentro? Llega a un punto en el que puedas confiar en tu propia intuición sobre ti mismo, los demás y las circunstancias que te rodean porque confías en ti mismo. Y, nada más importa.