This may be controversial because we often hear that good friendships can withstand political differences and ideological divergence. However, people want to be around those they can trust. Part of trusting someone is knowing where they stand on important issues and understanding those stances. If two people have significantly different…

One of the key signs of a codependent person is that their behavior is largely organized around another person. A codependent person is not at the center of their world. Another person is. When you bring unaddressed codependency into your relationship, be it a friendship or a romantic connection, you…

During my upbringing, my sensibilities were doused with the importance of politeness. This partly helped me. Learning manners and being taught to think of others, to put myself in others’ shoes, kept me from becoming an inconsiderate jerk. But lessons in female politeness were a tremendous setback. The problem was that the pressure to exhibit extreme politeness cost me…

The start of a relationship is a telling predictor of how the rest of the relationship will go. A lot of behavior patterns tend to get cemented early on. If you allow a person to get more out of you than you get out of them, this will likely continue…

I nervously sat across from the interviewer, trying to maintain a professional demeanor. I had prepared for this moment for weeks, perfecting my resume and rehearsing my answers to common interview questions. But when the interviewer asked about my experience with challenging situations, my mind flashed to a memory that…

Millions of Pakistani women fear losing their rights and means of subsistence due to a gender-based violence crisis. Pakistan places 167th out of 170 nations in the Women, Peace, and Security Index for the health and well-being of women. Women in Pakistan have been protesting in recent years to call…

A story caught my eye one day while scrolling through my social media feed. It was about a young girl who stood up against sexism in Pakistan. It was a powerful and inspiring tale that I had to share with my followers. I quickly typed out a caption for the…

When I first faced the discriminatory behaviors of others, I was 19 years old. Innocent and shy, I did not know the world’s harsh realities. My family, especially my father, was very protective of me. My brothers, however, were not. I was hindered from interacting with anyone outside of our…

I grew up in Pakistan, in a conservative society where discussions of sexism and misogyny were often restricted. Because these topics were seldom discussed openly, most people decided to turn a blind eye to mistreatment they witnessed. As a result of little to no conversation about discrimination against women, I…