For millennia, we could ensure our survival by complying with what was approved of or desired by those with greater power. Being likable, or at least acceptable, to stronger, more powerful people was a survival strategy. This is part of why disapproval feels so unsafe to many women: For millennia, it was life threatening. And it is still life threatening to women who live under oppressive regimes or in violent homes. Knowing that impacts our psyches, consciously and unconsciously.
