15 empowering signs of a strong woman who knows her worth

We live in a world that tries to convince us that we’re worth less than we actually are.

And yet there are women who, despite all that, simply never settle for less.

If you want to know what makes them stand out, here are 15 empowering signs of a strong woman who knows her worth.

1) She knows she deserves happiness

Sometimes when things are going exceptionally well we might doubt whether we truly deserve happiness.

Many of us get struck by impostor syndrome—thinking that we simply haven’t earned the right to be happy.

But a woman who knows her worth doesn’t think like this. She knows she deserves happiness and all the good things life has to offer.

If she’s in a great relationship, she wouldn’t wonder how long it takes before their partner would ditch her. She’d think “finally, I found a good match!”

She’s not delusional for thinking this way, of course. If anything, aren’t we all worthy? Don’t we all deserve happiness? 

2) She knows she deserves respect

A woman who knows her worth knows better than to settle for less. She respects herself more than that.

She might not ask to be treated like a VIP, but she knows she deserves to be respected, same as everyone else.

So when someone violates her boundaries or even outright insults her, she won’t just stay quiet. She’ll happily stand up for herself.

3) She prioritizes herself (and she isn’t guilty about it)

There’s no doubt that she loves her friend and family to bits. But if she must make a choice, she would choose her own interests above theirs.

If her family asks her for money for the umpteenth time, but she’s saving up for a trip to Peru, she’d say no as politely as she can.

She’ll likewise decline her friends’ invitations to hang out if she’s simply too tired and would rather rest and recover.

She understands that she has only so much time, energy, and resources to spare, after all, and there’s no shame in putting herself first.

4) She’s not a people-pleaser

A strong woman doesn’t live or die by the opinions of others.

She doesn’t dress up simply so that people will think she’s classy, either. She does it because it makes her feel good.

She doesn’t act nice simply so that people will like her. She acts nice because she believes that people deserve to be treated kindly.

And when she posts her selfies online, she doesn’t care whether they’ll get likes or positive comments. In fact, she isn’t afraid to show herself in a less flattering light!

5) She knows how to assert herself

A woman who knows her worth isn’t afraid to put her foot down and make herself heard.

If she thinks she deserves a raise, she’ll face her superiors and say so.

If her friends and family are crossing her boundaries or are treating her badly, she’ll let them know and tell them to treat her better.

And if there are ideas or opinions that she wants to bring up, oh she will bring it up.

She doesn’t need anyone to speak for her. She’s more than capable of being her own spokesperson and guardian. 

6) She walks away from toxic friendships

All relationships require a bit of sacrifice and understanding here and there, some more than others.

Some people are so desperate to hold on to their friendships that they’re more than willing to let their friends walk all over them.

The strong woman, however, knows that there’s a limit to how much she’s supposed to bear.

She would fight for her friendships, sure, but when it’s clear that associating with someone does nothing but destroy her, she’ll leave. 

7) She walks away from undeserving men

Men would grumble about her, saying that she thinks too highly of herself or that she has impossible standards, but truth be told that’s far from the case.

It’s simply that she knows what she deserves. 

She wants a man who knows how to respect her and love her… and unfortunately, those men simply failed to make the cut.

She doesn’t want to waste her time and energy on relationships that she knows will never lead anywhere—or worse, only leave her hurt and broken.

So she pays close attention to her red flags and non-negotiables. When it’s clear that a man simply won’t make the cut, she lets them go.

8) She doesn’t engage in drama

Strong women aren’t necessarily those who keep finding themselves in the middle of drama.

Sure, it takes strength to stay sane after getting hit by drama back to back. But it takes even more strength to stay out of it in the first place.

A strong woman is fully in touch with her emotions. She knows what gives her joy, what pisses her off, and how much stress she can handle.

She’s more than willing to discuss her frustrations and vent her anger with others as well.

But she also knows when engaging in a conversation or topic will do nothing but ruin her day for no real benefit. That is to say, when it would cause nothing but drama.

9) She treats herself like a queen

I’m not saying that she splurges her savings on luxury bags and goes around town wearing fancy clothes—though if she could afford them, that’s fine too!

What I mean is that she takes naps, long baths, and eats healthy food. She gets herself a big, comfortable bed and takes the time to enjoy her hobbies.

She knows her worth, and she knows she deserves to be pampered…and if no one else will do it, she’d gladly do it to herself.

10) She embraces her flaws

Every person has flaws, some good and others bad. So why should she be ashamed over her imperfection?

That’s why she doesn’t deny her flaws and her weaknesses—she acknowledges them, and accepts that they’re part of her.  And sometimes, she’s even proud of them.

She does her best to do something about those flaws that are harmful towards others, but she embraces those that are harmless.

So if she has stretch marks, she’ll proudly show them off in her selfies. And if she has a sharp temper, she’ll just shrug when people try to insult her over it.

People might like to say she’s blind to her flaws, but that’s not the case here. She’s perfectly aware of them but has learned to love them.

11) She doesn’t hide her strengths

Just as she accepts her flaws, she also embraces her strengths and isn’t afraid to show it to the world.

If she’s good at singing, then she’ll sing to her heart’s content—and maybe even join competitions!

If she’s good at cooking, then she’ll be more than happy to show off her cooking to friends and family.

She doesn’t let herself be bogged down by insecurities, of thoughts like “oh, what if I’m not good enough?”

After all, just because she’s good at something doesn’t mean she isn’t allowed to fail at it. So she accepts that possibility—besides, failure is only a step up to success.

12) She doesn’t stay in a bad job

It doesn’t matter whether she’s an intern or if she’s a 6-figure earner. A strong woman won’t stick around if she could see that she’s not being treated well by her employer.

If she’s not being paid properly, given the benefits she’s entitled to, or respected as an employee, she’ll quit.

She knows she deserves much better and she’d rather start over elsewhere rather than keep toiling for a company that clearly does not deserve her or her skills.

13) She doesn’t need validation

While compliments are always nice, a woman who knows her worth does not depend on them to feel good about herself.

Sure, she might appreciate being told that she’s pretty, cool, or skilled, but she doesn’t need it and neither will she chase compliments such as these.

She won’t flirt with a guy just to hear him say that she’s cute and sexy. When she does flirt, she’ll do so because she finds it fun.

She won’t wait for someone to tell her she’s good at what she does—she’ll just take a look at her works and be content.

14) She doesn’t get easily offended

Even innocent words can sting when someone is not sure of themselves. On the other hand, even the worst insults won’t affect those who truly know who they are.

After all, there’s nothing that others can say to them that they don’t already know about themselves.

A strong woman doesn’t get offended when she receives criticism, or when someone “insults” her as a joke. 

She already knows her shortcomings after all, and she’s sure enough of herself that she’ll just shrug off obvious personal attacks.

15) She’s  totally fine being alone

Nobody wants to be alone, but when push comes to shove a strong woman is more than capable of standing all by herself.

If she has to cut off her toxic parents, abusive lovers, or manipulative friends, she would do so in a heartbeat.

She’d rather be alone (and single) than deal with relationships that are clearly doing nothing but harm her. 

Besides, it’s not like she can’t just go out and make new friends or find new partners—ones that treat her for what she’s worth.

Last words

As a rule of thumb, people don’t like it when women know their worth. 

Oftentimes they get called all sorts of things by people who seek to drag them down, like “uppity” or “princess” or “difficult.” 

That’s why women who proudly stand for themselves and refuse to settle for less than what they’re worth are strong and should be admired for it.

If you find that you’re one of them, then be proud of yourself. 

If you’re not, don’t worry—build your own sense of self-worth, try to understand yourself, and you’ll be standing tall and proud as a strong woman yourself.