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15 Things Independent Women Are Just Done With

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Independent women have reached a point where they simply don’t have any time or energy for things that drain them completely. They are over it now, whether it’s toxic relationships, double standards, or apologizing for their success. They know what they want, and they’re not afraid to live life on their own terms. Here’s everything they’re just done with.

Waiting for Permission

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Gone are the days when they would sit around and wait for someone else to give them the go-ahead to chase their dreams. Strong women no longer seek approval before making big moves, and they trust their own instincts and know that if they keep waiting for validation, they’ll never move forward. Life is too short for hesitation.

Explaining Their Life Choices

Cheerful woman sitting indoors, smiling brightly with hands behind head, wearing a yellow shirt.
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They’re exhausted from continually justifying their decisions to people who don’t understand them (and never would), whether choosing not to have kids, focusing on their career, or traveling the world instead of settling down. They’ve realized that most people ask these questions not out of genuine curiosity but because they expect them to fit into a certain mold, and now women refuse to play along.

Outdated Gender Roles

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They have absolutely no patience for being told what a woman “should” do. They know they can be just as strong, capable, and ambitious as anyone else, and they refuse to be boxed into traditional roles that don’t fit them. If they love to cook, they do it because they enjoy it—not because society expects them to. If they don’t want kids or marriage, they won’t apologize for it.

People-Pleasing

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They used to stretch themselves thin trying to make everyone happy, but they’ve realized that no matter what they do, someone will always have an opinion, so they put their own needs first without feeling guilty about it. If saying “no” means protecting their peace, they won’t hesitate. They know that the right people will respect their boundaries, and anyone who doesn’t isn’t worth their energy.

Being Talked Over

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Why do men always interrupt women? Nothing frustrates independent women more than speaking up in a conversation only to have someone interrupt or dismiss the point, whether it’s in an office meeting, a discussion with best friends, or with family. If someone ignores them again and again or accepts credit for their ideas, they call it out and make sure they take back their space in the conversation.

Playing Small

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They used to hesitate before speaking up and were afraid of coming off as arrogant or even intimidating. Now, these independent women take up space and refuse to shrink themselves to make other people comfortable. If they have big dreams, they go after them without worrying about whether it makes people uneasy, as they’ve learned that the world benefits when women step into their power, not when they stay quiet.

Settling for Less

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They refuse to stay in jobs that don’t appreciate them, relationships that don’t fulfill them, or friendships that feel one-sided. If something in their life doesn’t bring them joy, challenge them, or help them grow, they’re not afraid to walk away, and they would rather wait for the right opportunity, the right person, or the right moment than waste their time on something that only gives them half of what they deserve.

Fake Friendships

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They used to hold onto friendships out of obligation, but now they prefer quality over quantity. If someone is only around when it’s convenient for them, constantly competes with them, or secretly hopes they fail, independent women simply let them go. They’d rather have a small circle of real, supportive friends than a long list of acquaintances who don’t actually care about their well-being.

Dressing to Please Others

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Photo by Pablo Merchán Montes on Unsplash

They’re done stressing over what other people think about their outfits. If they feel like wearing a blazer one day and dress the next, that’s exactly what they’ll do. Whether it’s bold colors, no makeup, or something totally out of the box, they dress for themselves—not to impress strangers. If they love it, they wear it—end of story.

Fear of Being Alone

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Once upon a time, they might have feared being single or spending time alone, but now they fully enjoy it because they understand that being alone doesn’t mean being lonely—it means having time to focus on themselves and their personal growth. They don’t stay in bad relationships to have company and don’t need a partner to feel complete.

Drama and Gossip

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If a conversation is centered around tearing someone down, they’d rather walk away because they want deep and meaningful discussions over shallow talk. They know that truly confident people don’t need to put others down to feel better about themselves, and they refuse to engage in toxic negativity that adds nothing to their lives. They are whole all on their own.

Financial Dependence

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They’ve seen too many women stay in bad situations simply because they didn’t have the financial means to leave, and they refuse to be in that position. They make sure they can pay their own bills, afford the life they want, and never have to rely on anyone else for security. Having control over their money gives them the freedom to make decisions based on what’s best for them, not what’s convenient for someone else.

Toxic Relationships

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Whether it’s a friend who drains their energy, that ‘close’ family member who never has anything nice to say, or a partner who doesn’t respect or love them, they have no problem cutting ties because they have learned that love, friendship, and loyalty should never come at the cost of their happiness or mental health. They’d rather be alone than stuck in relationships that make them feel small or unworthy.

Double Standards

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Society loves to play by a different set of rules for men and women, and independent women are completely over it. A guy with big dreams is called a leader, but a woman with the same ambition is described as “too bossy.” A single man in his 30s is just “enjoying life,” but a woman? Cue the endless “When are you settling down?” questions.

Apologizing for Success

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They’ve worked incredibly hard to get where they are today and refuse to downplay their success just to make others feel comfortable. Suppose they land a promotion or buy something nice for themselves. In that case, they celebrate it proudly because they’re done making themselves seem less capable or pretending that their achievements are just “luck.” 

Written by Lisa O

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