“Let’s get this out of the way: I’m an author, an editor, and a person with a lot of bucket-list goals. This is allegedly attractive to the men I’ve dated — progressive, liberal guys who are proud to have been raised by badass working moms. Until it isn’t. At some point, it seems, they subconsciously…”— Hannah Orenstein, thecut.com
“A man who can authentically admire a woman’s skill set without competing with her or feeling emasculated is a huge turn on for an ambitious alpha woman.”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“Alpha women do not put up with bullshit. They simply do not have the time to analyze mixed messages or become fluent in your hot and cold behavior. They’re way too busy working on their goals and leading thriving lives to entertain partners with half-assed efforts.”— Shahida Arabi, thoughtcatalog.com
“But this conundrum remains: I want the protection and love of a man while maintaining my own alpha qualities. And I will never again hide or play down my success to appease anyone, especially not my partner.”— Shannon Lell, washingtonpost.com
“Yet men are still expected to be protectors and providers. I’ll admit that I benefit from this dynamic. I love that men want to defend the ones they love with strength and fierce determination. I go weak in the knees when a man I’m seeing comes to rescue me from a broken pipe or possessed electronic…”— Shannon Lell, washingtonpost.com
“I keep running up against this power dynamic in the dating world, and I blame our culture’s preoccupation with wealth. For many decades, men had greater access to high-paying careers. They still have more access than women do, but the gender pay gap is narrowing.”— Shannon Lell, washingtonpost.com
“Our society likes women to be smart and beautiful but also quiet and appeasing. When a woman is opinionated or more traditionally “successful,” it can be threatening to her male partner.”— Shannon Lell, washingtonpost.com
“I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.”— Madonna, people.com