Ever notice how so many fairy tales are about women being rescued by men and they live happily ever after? Life gets better after she meets the prince. It’s a plot which works well. Or is it more than just a great storyline? Is there something in the collective female psyche which drives us to wish upon a star for a knight in shining armor? And why do we wish for that?
It wasn’t but a couple generations ago that the main goal in most women’s lives was to get married and have kids. But times have changed. Women have more opportunities to support themselves, hence they don’t need to rely on a man to support them.
The term “Cinderella Complex,” describes the fear many women have of being independent and wanting to be rescued from their circumstances. Despite feminist strides towards equality, we are still inundated with that fairy tale wish. It is this complex which traps so many women in dysfunctional and abusive relationships. Yet it is a trap of their own making. But springing the trap means freedom and with freedom comes responsibility—a responsibility many women are afraid of assuming.
Once you learn to be a princess without needing to be rescued, you can finally live happily ever after. Because the only person who can rescue you is yourself.