Here's a new book I'm going to put on my "to be read" list: What Would Michelle Do?: A Modern-Day Guide to Living with Substance and Style by Allison Samuels. I caught a little bit about this book on The Daily Beast, and was particularly interested in one of the quotes by Gail Wyatt, a professor of behavioral studies at UCLA.
Wyatt says, "What young girls and all women to some extent are learning today is that another woman is not a friend, but always an enemy" and "that sets up a lifetime of distrust and mistrust of people of the same gender. It eliminates the chance for a womanly bond."
I'm not sure that all women learn this, but I agree, this is a problem with women and friendship. To be sure, there are women that don't understand the benefits of female friendship. I always like to think that people can learn and change, and I suppose that the earlier we instill the right mindset into women, the better.
It's interesting, when I look at my own friendships from when I was a girl, I did see competition and some betrayal, but overall I thought it was easier to make friends then. I'm not sure when that changed. When I got into the work world? Later, when all my friends and I were getting married and starting families?
I'm interested to read this book and look at how the first lady views friendship. She is a strong woman, and I love that she looks at females as allies and not threats. I hope to read this book soon, and of course, I'll share it with you.
Have you read What Would Michelle Do? What were your takeaways from it?