Jacqueline Snyder examines why women cling to being the strong one, even when it costs them. She distinguishes between healthy boundaries and self-abandonment, arguing that the strong role becomes a badge of honor reinforced by admiration and safety, making it hard to quit.
Who am I if I stop caring at all? Who am I if I ask for help sooner? Who am I if I say I just can't do that? Who am I if I stop being the one who everyone defaults to? My friends, this is the identity cost. Sometimes the strong one is not just a role, it's the version of you that got rewarded. It's the version of you that felt safe and the person that people admired. It's like a badge of honor. So of course it's hard to let go of that identity. I think what I'm realizing is that there is a difference between restraint and self-abandonment and the choice there. And a lot of women have confused the two.
