I was driving to work last week behind one of those pretentious individuals that drive an expensive car and then put a mindless bumper sticker on the back of their car with their deep shallow philosophy of life. This particular individual had the oh so pithy phrase Women who behave rarely make history. As if that’s some sort of truism when it so obviously is not. But if it makes them feel better about the bad decisions and attitude they push on the people in their lives then it must be a positive thing. Riiiiight.
I started trying to think of all the women in history I could think of and whether or not they were women who misbehave. Granted there’s a whole lot of bad behavior that could be included in that term and I suppose it will all end up being a bit subjective. Nonetheless, here’s a list (partial as it would have to be) of women off the top of my head.
Mary mother of God. Well that’s an easy one. Even if you aren’t Catholic, you aren’t going to be thinking she’s a misbehaving woman. Level of misbehavior, none.
Catherine the Great comes to mind. Well, she was a woman with a lot of power and a whole slew of lovers. What would one expect? There wasn’t a man in the world that could have been alpha enough for her. Level of misbehavior, mixed. Yes she had lovers, but by most accounts she was a fantastic leader for Russia.
Cleopatra VII Philopater. Last to rule Egypt as a pharaoh, descended from one of Alexander the Great’s generals who seized the throne after Alexander’s death. Ruled with her father and then with her two brothers, who by custom she married. She took Julius Caesar as a lover in order to solidify her hold on the Egyptian throne. Bore him a son, and then sided with Marc Antony against one of Julius’ other sons Octavian. Level of misbehavior, mixed. She did what she had to maintain power.
Queen Elizabeth I. What’s to say. She sat on the throne when England began to rise to world power, defeating the Spanish empire. The virgin queen as she is known. Level of misbehavior, slight.
Others of varying fame.
Betsy Ross, creator of the U.S. flag, level of misbehavior, mixed. She did elope after all and marry a man against her family’s wishes.
Marie Curie, first person honored with two nobel prizes, in Chemistry and Physics. By all accounts, level of misbehavior, slim to none.
Josephine de Beauharnais. First wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. Numerous lovers. Was known to toy with Napoleon’s affections and torment him mercilessly. Level of misbehavior, above average.
Jiang Qing, or Lady Mao. She was a power in her own right and not a woman to be crossed. Level of misbehavior, extreme by all accounts.
Honestly you can agree of disagree with my descriptions and we can debate misbehavior until the cows come home. The point is that whether or not a woman misbehaves has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not history will remember them. It’s not their behavior that counts it’s what they accomplish (or destroy) that matters. The reality is that most people, good or bad are forgotten by history. It is those few men and women who actually accomplish something that will be remembered long after all of us are dust.
