Monday, August 20, 2012

Ambitious vs. sharp elbows

In my home state of Massachusetts, we have a hard-fought race for US Senate between incumbent Scott Brown and challenger Elizabeth Warren. I have great respect for Warren's laser-like focus on the middle class, an issue with often gets lost in the noise of political campaigning. This past Sunday's (19 Aug 2012) Boston Globe had an interesting piece on her personal history. According to the article, Warren was well-respected by colleagues and "was a student favorite."

One jarring line in the article stood out for me. Her colleagues are described as "...viewing her as smart and capable but also as a climber with sharp elbows." This is a great example of the double-edged sword that women face. As a man, having sharp elbows or more likely, "being ambitious," holds a positive connotation. It's a dog-eat-dog world, and you want someone (i.e., a guy) who is a fighter. For a women, however, being perceived as ambitious or assertive has negative connotations. With a change in gender, the same attributes evoke a different set of adjectives: sharp elbowed, pushy, aggressive.

I don't know Elizabeth Warren personally, so I have no choice but to rely on second-hand accounts of her accomplishments, personality, temperament, and the like. But for the record, I would like my representatives, be they women or men, to be assertive. Generally collegial, yes; informed, certainly. Willing to throw an occasional elbow, absolutely.