likability is a very elaborate lie, a performance, a code of conduct dictating the proper way to be.
In "Bad Feminist," Roxane Gay explores the concept of likability as a complex facade that people often feel pressured to maintain. She argues that likability is not a genuine trait but rather an act, shaped by societal expectations. This performance suggests a specific code of conduct that dictates how one should behave to be considered acceptable or appealing to others.
Gay's examination reveals the burdens women, in particular, face in conforming...