Approaching 30, Emma Watson continues to shake up popular perception with her new favourite term ‘self-partnered’.
It’s true. Emma Watson is a maverick. Not only is she our beloved Hermione Granger (my favourite boss line in Harry Potter is “It’s leviOsa, not levioSA”), but a feminist, style icon, actress and activist. This woman innately knows how to be a badass, just ask 11-year-old Hermione Granger.
In her latest interview with British Vogue, Emma Watson discusses the stigma surrounding women turning 30 and how she prefers the term ‘self-partnered’, as opposed to being ‘single.’
Ladies, now might be the opportune time to re-think Beyoncé’s “All the Single Ladies” with “All the Self-Partners” (not quite the same sexy musical ring, but the intention is right).
Let’s face it, society tells us that when we approach a milestone birthday such as 30, we’re forced to evaluate our successes and failures. Quickly, women are speaking up about traditional societal expectations and the status quo is changing. As Emma Watson said in her latest British Vogue Interview:
“If you have not built a home, if you do not have a husband, if you do not have a baby, and you are turning 30, and you’re not in some incredibly secure, stable place in your career, or you’re still figuring things out – there’s just this incredible amount of anxiety.”
Reassuring and relatable words coming from a very successful actress and activist. So, what does it exactly mean to be self-partnered? These days, words are invented left, right and centre (thanks to the incredibly informative Urban Dictionary), so words can be easily misconstrued and misinterpreted. According to clinical psychologist Carla Marie Manly:
“Self-partnering focuses on the ideal of being happy and complete as a solo individual. A self-partnered person would feel whole and fulfilled within the self and does not feel compelled to seek fulfilment through having another person as a partner.”
Words have the progressive power to shape thoughts, meaning and action. This is proof in the fact that less than 24 hours later following Watson’s British Vogue interview, #selfpartnered is now virally trending on Twitter. Even Russell Brand has joined in the talk about rebelling against assumptions.
Here’s what the Twitter sphere is saying:
Call it being a stan, but Emma Watson is a true trailblazer. Not only has she cemented our childhood wizardry fantasies with Hermione Granger in Harry Potter, but managed to remain level-headed throughout the ongoing fame epidemic and come out the other end an activist, Brown educated, feminist leader and UN goodwill ambassador.
I mean, what an accomplished feat for someone so young. Despite these achievements, society and the media STILL call into question her relationship status. This hypocrisy is an understatement. As Watson’s character Sam famously said in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (author Stephen Chbosky) “We accept the love we think we deserve.”
This fresh single positivity movement is exactly what the world needs. It’s time to change attitudes. A world inflamed with disenfranchised individuals and archaic moral standards, “self-partnered” could be just the unapologetic phrase to ignite a whole new conversation about society’s perceptions of the single individual.
Just like Disney is re-thinking its traditional fairy-tale narratives, society should emulate by reconsidering its own grand narrative and rhetoric. Time to kiss a new frog – yourself! Becoming hyperaware is the first step. The next step is empowerment. You see, reframing ‘spinster’ to ‘self-believer’ automatically shifts negative perceptions to positive affirmations!
So, I say it’s time that society focuses on the glass half full mentality. Sure, being partnered is great, but no one should be made to feel guilty about their relationship ‘status.’ It seems that Emma Watson’s latest interview has sparked an enlightening global conversation.
So, when will Facebook cue the new 2020 “Self-partnered” status, or is it just merely another label that society has to grapple with?
What do you think about the term ‘self-partnered’? Let us know in the comments down below!
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