Why Women Aren’t Just “Overreacting”

“You are overreacting! It’s not a big deal.” This phrase, and other ones just like it that convey the same message, have been used countless times in TV shows, movies, and in real life. When you first hear it, it seems like a pretty harmless thing to say. After all, she is overreacting, right? But, the real meaning behind this phrase, especially when used against women, is a lot more derogatory and misogynistic than it seems at first glance. It involves a history of stereotypes, sexism and overall discrimination that inflences women and even growing children.

To begin, we need to go back in time. Male “domination” has been a factor in countless cultures since before the Ancient Greeks. As societies evolved, the idea that men went out to hunt and provide for their families while women stayed home and looked after their children became engraved in everyday routine. At the time, it made sense for it to be this way; with life that revolved completely around surviving, it was the easiest and most practical way of living. But, as years passed and humans became more advanced, the need for this simple system became less necessary. Yet, the “stay at home mom” idea didn’t go away. In fact, instead of fading off, it became the norm and the acceptable. By the 1900s, the concept of women having the same roles as men was unheard of. It came to a point where women stood significantly lower in the society than men.

A big aspect of these discriminatory practices was, and still is stereotypes. According to Oxford Languages, a stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. Throughout history, women have been targeted with countless stereotypes that imply the overall “weakness” that has been assigned to them. Some of these ideas claim that women aren’t as strong, smart or emotionally stable as their male counterparts. Society has also connected the idea that the hormone estrogen, which has higher quantities in women’s bodies, contributes to the idea that they are too emotional. This concept draws back to the idea of overreacting. The word is drawn from the stereotype of women being too emotional and incapable of reasonability.

Furthermore, due to these stereotypes and assumptions, younger generations of females and girls have also been negatively affected. Children start to see these types of behaviors in TV shows and movies that are thought to be “helpful” in their upbringing. Certainly, they are influential in a young girl’s life, but are they always influenced in a positive way? “Male characters are depicted as strong, emotionally restrained, risk-taking leaders (who also get to be funny), while females are agreeable, virtuous, demure, and primarily concerned with their physical appearance (and much more likely to be shown crying)...” says an article by Refinery29. Constantly seeing characteristics like these assigned to a specific gender trains a child’s mind to think that it is acceptable and even correct, and could eventually eliminate the thought that girls can also be “strong and brave” in their minds.

Not only is being told you are overreacting hurtful, it adds to society’s allowance of sexism. Luckily, we have come to a point in history where telling a woman they are less than men isn’t acceptable, but there are still forms of sexism that are more discrete but just as harmful and rude. Besides overreacting, women are still constantly being catcalled, nicknamed, and undervalued, especially in the workplace. These examples may not seem significant enough, but in reality, they are just building off to history’s stereotypes against women. When claiming someone is overreacting, it’s really just telling someone their words, opinions and voice are not valued, which erases everything feminists have worked for throughout history.

Throughout history, women’s emotions have been applied to countless negative ideas by society, and especially by men. It is important for all women to understand that your voice matters and deserves to be heard. Hearing that you’re overreacting can be extremely spiteful and degrading, but knowing that you have the right to speak up and stand tall is just another step in the right direction for gender equality.