Recently, redditor u/ciscotheginger asked, "Dear women of Reddit, what's a sentence or expression you hate hearing from other women?"
The wonderful women of Reddit got real and were kind enough to share some things that, at this point, they don't want to hear ever again. From the annoying to the straight-up offensive, here are 15 of the most popular answers:
1. "'If he’s mean to you, that means he likes you.' No. It means he’s mean to you."
"I had a friend in high school who had a crush on a girl in our class and told me how he tried to get her attention. He said, 'I had a big crush on her in sixth grade, so I stole her gym bag and also smashed a bunch of tomatoes on her bike seat.' Here's a shocker: He's now been divorced three times!"
2. "When thin women tell curvy women like me 'I love your confidence!' It just screams, 'I would never be that confident if I looked like you.'"
"I’ve started replying to comments like this with some variation of 'What do you mean by that?' In essence, 'Why do I need confidence to wear this crop top?' I watch them get real awkward, real fast."
3. "'Boys will be boys.' Nah. Boys and men still have to behave respectfully to other people. Their gender doesn't make them exempt from that, nor should it. This type of statement just worsens the problem by absolving them."
4. "Any comments on how unnecessary, unhealthy, and toxic it is to enjoy makeup, skincare, or any cosmetic procedures. Obviously, it isn't men's business, either, but I can't stand the holier-than-thou attitude from women who refuse to let other women enjoy things."
"The number of people, but most notably women, that comment negatively on my long acrylic nails has been astounding. They'll say things like, 'Wow, you must not do anything around the house' or 'I bet you can't go to the bathroom.' Just leave me alone! First of all, I do all of those things just fine. Second, what business is it of yours? It's just a needless aggression against someone minding their own business and loving their nails, good lord!"
5. "'Don't put on too much muscle, or you'll drive away most of the guys,' or something of the like. First, bold of you to assume I'm straight. Second, bold of you to assume I do this for men. I want to be able to baby carry every single dog I come across."
6. "'Real women have curves!' I guess my lanky ass is a hologram."
"The amount of women that tell me men don’t want my body because I 'look like a child' for being petite and thin. First of all, fuck off. Second of all, no, you don’t know what men want."
7. “Being told, 'Oh, you’re being dramatic; the same thing happened to me, and it was fine.' From medical things to life experiences, this response sucks, and I hate it."
"See also: 'You’re being too sensitive.'"
8. "Any variation of the 'I don't get along with other women' sentiment. There are 4 billion women on Earth, and you haven't gotten along with a single one? Really? And you think that's a reflection on them and not you?"
"There's always that not-so-subtle insinuation that they're not like other women, that they're cool, have interesting hobbies, value logic, whatever. It's so ignorant. Women are as varied as men. There are thousands, if not millions, of women just like you. There are women who have the same interests, the same thought processes, the same life experiences. You're not special, you've just been gulping the misogynist Kool-Aid. And the sad thing is, when these women encounter someone like them, they'll reject her either because they're so biased against women or because they're going through life competing with every other woman trying to prove that they're better."
9. "'All girls dream of their wedding day!' No, they don't, stop it."
"I never felt the pressure (lucky with my surroundings, I think), but I also never dreamed of my wedding. Actually, it was very much the opposite. As a little girl, I thought boys were gross! I'm getting married now, but I still don't dream about my wedding. I really couldn't care less!"
10. "'My husband/boyfriend doesn't allow me to wear that,' or I often hear, 'My husband/boyfriend doesn't like short hair.' Like, OK, so what? They're not the ones washing and wearing the hair; YOU are. Are they the ones detangling long hair every day or sitting in that salon chair for hours? You deserve to do what you want with your hair and clothes."
"I hate when people ask me 'What does your boyfriend/husband think?' in regards to my hair or some other unconventional choice I've made with my life. Really? That's the first thing that popped into your head?"
11. "I don't like when other women compare how much I eat to how much they eat or shame me for it. It's always something along the lines of 'Don't you think you're eating too much? Honestly, I could never eat a full meal.'"
"People have different metabolisms and appetites. I don't understand why anyone would call that out. It's literally so unnecessary!"
12. "'If you keep getting tattoos, you'll never find a husband,' or 'Better get tattoos out of your system now, because once you're married, your husband won't let you get anymore.' I heard both from older women when I was in my early 20s. I was offended by both statements. Thank goodness I don't make choices based on the preferences of some man I don't know. He sounds judgmental and mean, anyways."
13. “'I hate being told 'We should catch up some time!' when people know they have absolutely no intention of ever actually catching up."
14. "I’m not like other girls."
"Someone who un-ironically says that is kind of a red flag for me."
15. "'You'll want kids; you'll change your mind when you're older.' Or, 'You'll never know true love until you have a child!'"
"I once had a family member tell me that I’d regret not having children when it was too late, and I wanted to say, 'So, I should do something that I don’t want to do now just in case I regret not doing it when I’m 60? That’s an argument for taking out a pension, not bringing actual humans into the world.'"
16. And finally, “'If you don’t do XYZ to keep your man happy, he’ll look somewhere else.' They say this as if it’s our fault if a man cheats, like he has no control over his actions."
"Women's lives don't revolve around men, and some people just don't get that."
Now, it's your turn! Are there any things we missed that you're soooo over hearing from other women? If so, tell us about it in the comments below.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.