Although women are often (and unfairly!) perceived as overly sensitive and maybe even weak, they can display a calm and quiet strength that would take anyone around them by surprise. The problem is that society defines strength as something noticeable, almost obnoxiously. Also, the qualities generically associated with strength are always masculine.
Strong people should always be confident and assertive, or that’s what people seem to think. And women tend not to display these qualities. It’s not that they don’t have them; they choose to keep to themselves and be more subtle. Sure, some women are traditionally strong both emotionally and physically. But just because you can’t tell that a woman is strong simply by looking at her doesn’t mean she isn’t.
Personality traits traditionally associated with softness, such as calmness, are a sign of strength more often than not. And people should learn to appreciate these qualities more. All women have value and roles in society, so you shouldn’t dismiss anyone because you don’t think they are strong enough. If you look closely, you’ll find that quiet strength can be more fierce than traditional strength.
NOTE: We address the traits of a man with calm and quiet strength in a separate article due to differing behaviors.
6 Signs of a Woman with Quiet Strength
1.     Quiet Strength is Kind
Society has become increasingly more individualistic in the last few decades. So, people are encouraged to be selfish and only do things for themselves. Even couples share less and less, especially on the financial side. And, if you walk past a homeless person on the street, chances are you’ll look down on them instead of helping them. People don’t do these things because they are inherently bad.
They do it because individualism is seen as a sign of strength, whereas kindness is associated with gullible people. This is especially true for women, who are looked down on if they display any signs of kindness. But a kind woman is someone who likely has a quiet strength. So even though society will always view them as weak, she is stronger than anyone gives her credit for.
Life is hard, and people are meaner than they should be. So, being able to help someone without expecting anything in return is remarkable. It shows that, no matter how hard the world tries to bring her down, she still sees the beauty in everything and wants to make others’ lives easier.
2.     She is Calm
Calmness is a quality that is often associated with non-confrontational people, and for obvious reasons. But being calm doesn’t mean you aren’t ready to stand your ground. It means you don’t see the point in adding fuel to the fire. But another issue is associated with this quality: women are always expected to be calm. And that’s because society expects them to let things go without ever being affected.
When women aren’t calm, they are criticized and labeled as hysterical. When women are too calm, they are labeled as weak. So, there’s no way to win. With all these misconceptions, it can be hard to understand whether calmness indicates maturity and strength or shows weakness.
The truth is that calmness is a sign of quiet strength. Sure, you can be calm without actually being strong. But, for most women, staying calm is a monumental task. Women have to deal with misogyny and misunderstandings all day long. Whether they are at work or walking down the street, there’s a possibility someone will judge them or pick a fight.
But strong women stay calm through all these issues, even when they are more than entitled to get mad. This is because they know that blowing up the fight will help no one, especially themselves. So, they would much rather find a solution than enter a screaming match with someone.
3.     Quiet Strength is Graceful
Being graceful is something that has historically been considered a strictly feminine attribute. Or in other words, it’s something that society expects only weak people to do. So in the past, members of the so-called weaker sex (the women) were always supposed to carry themselves with dignity and grace. And members of the stronger sex (the men) were always supposed to be brash and courageous.
They were never supposed to act with grace, which was considered unbecoming. Sure, that’s not the case in modern society. But that doesn’t mean that some misconceptions haven’t passed through time. For example, the idea that being grace is a sign of weakness is something people still believe.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Society has evolved into something that can be evil and vile sometimes. That doesn’t mean all people are bad because that’s not the case. It just means that the world is harsh and easier to get by if you are brash and straightforward.
But choosing to be graceful even though the world is harsh is a sign of quiet strength. Especially when it’s a woman doing that. A graceful woman chooses to stay true to her values even though that might make life a little more complicated. She chooses the help others and be elegant even though she might be the only one doing that.
4.     She is Sharp
Being strong isn’t just about your physical attributes, as we’ve established thus far. That being said, mental strength can be defined by many things, and they are all usually related to strength somehow. But mental sharpness is a quality that’s often overlooked or that people refuse to acknowledge it’s a sign of strength. Moreover, mental acuity isn’t exactly synonymous with being smart.
You can be sharp without being academically smart, for example. In this context, being sharp relates more to how well you can get by. Men are usually taught the importance of being sharp. But no one takes the time to teach this to women. Instead, they are constantly pushed to be traditionally smart. Society believes that women should be well-read and they should have a degree. But women are rarely supported if they are resourceful and clever.
It’s often considered unbecoming of a woman to choose an unorthodox way to solve an issue. But being sharp is a sign of silent strength. It should be that a woman is ready to do what it takes to care for herself, even when others would give up. It also shows that she can get by alone without needing anyone’s help. A woman who can get by in life completely on her own merits is a woman who’s stronger than many other people.
5.     Quiet Strength is Ambitious
Historically, women have not been allowed to have big dreams and pursue their ambitions. They were supposed to take care of the household, and women only got the right to work about a hundred years ago. Sure, women can now theoretically become anything they want. But societal dynamics are set up to discourage women from pursuing certain goals.
For example, women aren’t raised with the idea that they can become CEOs. When boys are little, they are encouraged to play and pretend they are managing a company. But girls aren’t encouraged to do that. Instead, they are told they should play with dolls, walk around with a pink stroller, and pretend to take care of a baby.
This is relevant because all these factors make it so that women aren’t inclined to be ambitious. Instead, they are raised to be lenient. So, when a woman does have the courage to be ambitious, that’s a sign of quiet strength. It’s important to remember that society will not be quick to accept an ambitious woman. So, this only makes it much more impressive when a woman shoves all those opinions to the side and decides to look out for herself.
6.     She is a Great Friend
Nowadays, it’s easy to meet a lot of people and have a lot of acquaintances. But it has become increasingly more difficult to create true, meaningful connections with people. And it can be hard to be someone’s friend in this environment. Life is hard, and people often need to be individualistic to succeed. Not to mention that emotional intelligence is something that no one wants to touch on.
For example, parents will focus on their kids’ academic pursuits and completely overlook their emotional growth. And many people grow up with a minimal understanding of how emotions work. With that being the case, it can be hard to find true friends and even be someone’s friend.
But women are special in this regard because they are naturally much more empathetic. That’s not the case for all women, but it seems to be the case for most of them. But that doesn’t automatically mean they’ll be good friends. And it’s hard to be there for someone all the time.
So, a woman is always there for you signifies quiet strength. It shows that she can be there for you no matter what. Even if she has her stuff to deal with, she is strong enough to help her friends.
Final Thoughts on Some Signs of a Woman with Quiet Strength
Traditional feminine qualities, like grace and poise, have always been associated with weakness. But that’s mainly because people seem to think that strength is only physical and overlook the importance of quiet strength. That is why you’d be surprised to hear that many women are stronger than they seem.
Contrary to popular belief, being kind, calm, and graceful are some of the strongest qualities someone can have. It shows that they can be focused on helping others even if no one would help them if they needed a hand. But quiet strength is not defined only by these stereotypically feminine qualities. Being ambitious and sharp indicates how strong a woman can be.
Those qualities show that she can care for herself without needing anyone else. But, above all, a strong woman can be there for the people she loves. A strong woman is one of the greatest friends you could have.
