They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies That Raised Us

by Prachi Gupta

The myth forces our minds to forget that which our bodies cannot: that belonging is always conditional.

We must become stronger, taller, richer, thinner, smarter, prettier—and perhaps then, we think, we may be worthy of love.

“But don’t devalue it just because it is less conventional. It also is one of your greatest assets.”

“Prachi, don’t be too strong, or you won’t find a husband.”

I did not say that a man who forces you to prove your worth is a man incapable of seeing it.