Quotes from Margaret Mead

The institution of marriage in all societies is a pattern within which the strains put by civilization on males and females alike must be resolved, a pattern within which men must learn, in return for a variety of elaborate rewards, new forms in which sexual spontaneity is still possible, and women must learn to discipline their receptivity to a thousand other considerations.

Much of the ill-tempered railing against women that has characterized the popular writing of the last two years is a half-hearted attempt to find a way back to a more balanced relationship between our biological selves and the world we have built. So women are scolded both for being mothers and for not being mothers, for wanting to eat their cake and have it too, and for not wanting to eat their cake and have it too.

Because of their age long training in human relations for that is what feminine intuition really is women have a special contribution to make any group enterprise.

Many societies have educated their male children on the simple device of teaching them not to be women.

I do not believe in using women in combat, because females are too fierce.

Women want mediocre men, and men are working hard to be as mediocre as possible.