Last night in the third presidential debate, Donald Trump called Hillary Clinton a “nasty woman.”
Since then, the phrase has taken on a social media life of its own, and for good reason: If Hillary Clinton is the definition of nasty, then other people want to be nasty too.
If Hillary Clinton is the definition of nasty, then other people want to be nasty too.
After some reflection, this comment made me realize something important: I'll take being a nasty woman over being a chauvinistic pig any day.
If being a strong, independent, badass bitch makes me "nasty," then sign me up.
With that in mind. Here are 7 things that all strong, independent, nasty women have in common.
1. Passions.
LGBT rights, humane treatment of animals, health and wellness – the specific cause matters less than the passion that goes into it.
All nasty women have some sort of passion.
Passion drives people. It drives people to go to a rally, to volunteer, to run for President of the United States, or President of your High School.
It doesn't matter how big or small it is; strong, independent, nasty women are passionate about things, and they allow these passions to steer them through life.
2. Opinions.
Nasty women don't sit back and let someone else tell them what to think. They thoughtfully analyze issues, situations and other people and then formulate their own opinions.
Hillary Clinton didn't get to where she is today by deferring to others or by following the pack. She got to where she is by formulating her own opinions and then defending why she feels the way she does.
3. Perseverance.
Life's not easy for anyone. It's full of obstacles and setbacks. If you let them, these things can hold you back.
But one thing all strong women have in common is perseverance.
Hillary Clinton didn't give up after she lost the Democratic primary to Barack Obama in 2008. She didn't sulk about it or sit around feeling sorry for herself. Instead, she served as Secretary of State, built up her resume and her connections, and ran again in 2016.
Like all strong, badass bitches, she confronts challenges head on, and perseveres in the face of adversity.
4. Goals.
Not all nasty women aspire to be POTUS.
For some of us, more reasonable goals are to make it to the gym, finish that book we were reading, or drink eight glasses of water each day.
Big, small, ambitious or achievable, all so-called nasty women have clearly defined goals that help drive them forward.
5. Haters.
Let's be honest, when you're a strong, independent woman who is passionate and outspoken about her opinions, you're bound to collect some haters. It come with the territory.
Nothing intimidates weak men more than strong women. Whether it be the Republican Nominee for President of the United States, or the awkward guy that sits in the cube next to you and is always criticizing your ideas, weak men will try to criticize and put down strong, independent women. But truly nasty, badass bitches don't let that stop them.
Nothing intimidates weak men more than strong women.
Nasty women know that not everyone is going to see things their way, but this doesn't stop them from pushing forward regardless.
6. Confidence.
Hillary Clinton has been attacked every way possible: her politics, mistakes her husband made, her outfits, even her smile (or lack thereof).
And yet, she doesn't let these critics get her down.
Hillary Clinton doesn't give up on pantsuits just because the public thinks she should. She's confident in herself, her style, and her platform and this makes her a nasty woman.
I can't imagine standing across a stage from Donald Trump while he calls me names, ridicules my personal life, and continues to spread lies about me. But a strong, confident woman doesn't let those things get to her.
Hillary manages to maintain that sassy smile through all of Donald's ridiculous outbursts because she's confident enough to know that other people's opinions of her don't change her own opinion of herself.
7. Moments of doubt.
This all sounds pretty great but the truth is, no one is constantly confident and opinionated and passionate and able to ignore the haters day in and day out.
At some point, it starts to take a toll on you. You question whether there is some legitimacy to the criticism.
We all have moments of doubt. We all have days where getting out of bed feels like a challenge. What nasty women don't do is emotionally berate themselves for a moment of weakness. They accept they are human and have good days and bad days. They might doubt themselves today, but they also recognize that the sun will rise again tomorrow, and with it will come a fresh attitude and perspective.
