Boys Should Be Raised To Believe That Girls Are Their Equals, And, Sometimes Superior

Oprah is an emotion. She is one of those rare single-moniker icons who is synonymous with strength, passion, optimism, and above all, kindness. She radiates an intelligence that is intuitive, and an unstoppable hope. In a candid conversation with Supriya Dravid, she talks about the power of detachment, staying true to your core, and how self-actualisation can be empowering.

- Supriya Dravid

ELLE: How can we teach young men to be better feminists?

Oprah Winfrey: You can only teach what you truly believe. So, when you believe your daughters are equal to your sons, then you raise them in a way that there is equal respect for all genders, and they come to know it. But if you, as a man, are raised in a household where all the women are considered inferior, and that they are there to serve you, it is kind of hard to then grow up and be told something completely different, because your brain has been wired to believe something else. So, I think it starts at home, with a new generation of boys being raised to believe that girls are their equals, and sometimes, their superiors.

ELLE: How do you get along with people whose political beliefs are different from your own?

OW: Oh my gosh! Listen, I live in a neighbourhood where lots of people believe different things than I do. But I think the most important thing is to understand that although we can all have different political or religious beliefs, we can still have the same core values. Do we respect the right of others to believe what they want to believe, first and foremost? Do we accept that every human being has certain inalienable rights? Do we hold the opinion that everyone has the right to pursue what they feel is their own path to success? I don’t have a lot of friends who feel as I do, particularly when it comes to politics. But we have the same fundamental core beliefs about what really matters in the world.

ELLE: How does one stay positive when it feels like the world is in turmoil?