‘I had to pretend to be dumb’: Janhvi Kapoor speaks about navigating male egos in her career despite being privileged; how self-censoring impacts women’s confidence | Workplace News

Twinkle Khanna rapidly associated to Janhvi’s expertise, admitting that she confronted related challenges as a younger actor within the Nineties. “I had the identical downside once I was younger, and I by no means understood the should be diplomatic,” Twinkle mentioned.

Whereas the dialog targeted on the movie business, many ladies throughout totally different fields would possibly discover this sentiment acquainted, selecting silence or self-effacement over confrontation, not out of weak point however as a type of strategic survival. 

However what does consistently having to downplay oneself do to an individual’s confidence, id, and sense of price?

Psychologist Rasshi Gurnani tells indianexpress.com, “When girls repeatedly downplay their intelligence or ‘faux to be dumb,’ it will probably create a deep psychological battle generally known as cognitive dissonance, the place their true talents and exterior behaviour don’t align. Over time, this may result in imposter syndrome, lowered shallowness, and continual nervousness about being ‘came upon.’ 

Suppressing one’s competence to guard others’ egos can even end in emotional exhaustion and discovered helplessness, Gurnani notes, the place girls start to internalise the idea that being genuine or bold will invite rejection. This fixed self-censorship chips away at one’s sense of self-worth and may distort id, resulting in long-term stress and resentment towards the skilled system they’re a part of.

Energy dynamics in workplaces 

These energy dynamics persist as a result of many workplaces nonetheless function underneath patriarchal conditioning, the place management traits are unconsciously coded as masculine. Gurnani mentions that when girls show these traits, they typically face backlash bias, being labelled as “aggressive” or “tough.” 

There’s additionally a robust factor of social conditioning at play; girls are sometimes taught to prioritise concord over confrontation. In male-dominated environments, this may create an unstated rule that girls should self-edit to keep away from threatening the established order. 

The answer

Ladies can start by practising assertive communication, Gurnani states, a steadiness between passivity and aggression that permits expression of concepts with readability and respect. Constructing emotional intelligence helps handle tone and timing, whereas self-validation ensures they don’t rely solely on exterior approval. Mentorship and allyship from each women and men can even assist normalise sturdy feminine voices. 

“On a systemic degree, workplaces must foster psychological security, the place workers can converse with out concern of social punishment. Common gender-sensitivity coaching, inclusive management, and clear accountability insurance policies can dismantle these outdated hierarchies,” suggests Gurnani.