Women are conditioned—from birth—to care about being liked. We’re taught to be agreeable. Cooperative. Helpful. Polite. “Nice.” From elementary school to the boardroom, likability is served to women as currency. And heaven forbid we come off as “difficult,” “bossy,” or that favorite old chestnut—“too much” or “a lot”.

We’re told to, sure. But we’ve also been conditioned—subtly, sneakily, over decades—not to. We’ve been taught to compete. To compare. To feel like someone else’s success shrinks our own chances. And undoing that wiring? It’s not a one-and-done deal. It’s a practice. It’s a choice. And it’s a muscle we’ve got to keep working if we want it to stay strong.