Academia Thrives on Women’s Good Girl Conditioning

Let’s talk about Good Girl Conditioning (GGC)—the sneaky little burden that so many of us carry. I know I’ve had my fair share of it. GGC is that quiet voice in your head that says, “Don’t be too loud. Don’t share your opinion. Don’t be too much. Keep silent. Your needs don’t matter.” All of this, drilled into us over and over so we can be liked, accepted and “good girls” who keep the peace.

And guess what? Academia is the perfect breeding ground for GGC. Academia thrives off it. It feeds on women’s feelings of inadequacy, of not being good enough and that insatiable need for approval. YOU’RE CONSTANTLY BEING JUDGED by authority figures—often men—who assess your performance with a cold, mechanical tick box. There’s a checklist of what makes you a “successful scientist” or “successful academic,” and you’d better follow it.

If you’re a woman in academia, you know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re expected to work long hours, always meet deadlines, work twice as hard as a man and make sure your answers are backed up with cold, hard facts.

What does this do to us?

It leads to constant overworking, sleepless nights and that feeling of being drained—all for the sense of achievement. But let me ask you this: ARE YOU REALLY FEELING SOUL-FULFILLED? Are you feeling that life force energy flowing through you? Or ARE YOU JUST BURNING YOURSELF OUT ON THE HAMSTER WHEEL, looking for validation that will never truly satisfy you?

We get fed a false sense of belonging when we meet their criteria, when we check the boxes, but the truth is—we’re trading our true selves for empty approval. The moment we speak out or call out the system, we’re painted as the “bad ones”—the ones no one will like, the ones who “make a scene.”

But here’s where the WILD WOLF WOMAN comes in. What would she do? SHE WOULDN’T BEG FOR APPROVAL. She wouldn’t shrink back. She’d stand tall, make herself heard, and stand firm in her power—even if it meant being uncomfortable. She wouldn’t let anyone tell her she doesn’t matter.

It’s time to wake up, ladies. It’s time to rise up against the outdated, broken system of academia and its tired, patriarchal values. It’s time to stop playing by their rules. IT’S TIME TO HOWL, TO RISE with our embodied feminine energy, and show them who we are. Show them how powerful we are.

We are not here to shrink. We are here to take up space, to shine and to own our worth!

P.S. Keep the words flowing and the coffee brewing - fuel the huntress! ☕