A Return To Modesty

"A Return to Modesty" by Wendy Shalit

If you are a girl, have a girl or know a girl read this book and make every girl you know read it. It was such an interesting book that had so much truth to it. I had a pencil and couldn't stop underlining all the fascinatingly true things the author said. I could fill this blog with quotes, and I will give you some, but I will let you read it and find the good ones for yourself. The book describes how we as a culture have lost our modesty and how due to that we have lost so much more. It talks about how the feminist movement actually hurt woman and how we need to return to what once was. "It is no accident that harassment, stalking, and rape all increased when we decided to let everything hang out." She states how girls now are not embarrassed to show what they have and how then boys are not ashamed to take what they want. How we as women have the power to shape how men behave. "Failure to sleep with someone is now an act of hostility, whereas it was once understood to be part of the natural process of searching for one's mate." Why is it so wrong in society today to wait for marriage? "Modesty is a reflex, arising naturally to help a woman protect her hopes and guide their fulfillment-specifically, this hope for one man." Modesty was given to us to protect us. This might be my favorite, "How can we expect men to be honorable when a large number of women consistently send them the message that they do not have to be?" She poses the question that if all women said they were going to wait for marriage then what would the men have to do? Wait for marriage! "Sexual modesty says to the world, 'I think I'm worth waiting for, and worth concealing.'" I know that I hope my girls believe this. "Modesty is usually a reflection of self-worth, of having such a high opinion of yourself that you don't need to boast or put your body on display for all to see." So what does that say of those that do put their bodies on display? I was astounded by the truth in this book and think it was very well written with lots of questions to think about. And the author didn't just write what she thought but had many sources to back up her statements. I think this is a must read and one I will read again and will pass on to my girls when they are old enough.