There is a running joke in my friend group about how I am the dominant person in relationships, and that I intimidate guys who are interested in me. If I am being completely honest, it is true.

I have a very strong and independent personality. I'm not a fan of people doing things for me that I feel I can do myself, like put together furniture or check the oil in my car. I ask my father to teach me how to do these things all the time, not because I plan to be single for the rest of my life, but because I don't like to depend on anyone to do things for me.

So why is it that this type of independence gets interpreted as "too manly" or unattractive? I completely understand that men are supposed to provide for and protect their families. In fact, I encourage all men to make that their goal when it comes to taking care of their family. What I don't understand is why that means women should dumb down their abilities to make the man feel superior.

Now don't get me wrong. When it comes to things like taking out the trash or changing a tire, yes, of course I would want my man to do it. All I'm saying is that it is okay for women to know how or want to do things on their own.

Another thing I notice is that women are expected to be emotional and wear our hearts on our sleeves.

That's not fair.

Anyone who knows me knows I am far from emotional. I am not a crier. I will not be in my feelings if we don't talk for a day. I don't like to talk about my personal life. I am just a very private person in general. Therefore, it is easy for me to keep my emotions out of things and not get attached to people.

These traits are too often considered "male traits." But there are plenty of women in the world who share these traits as well. It just means we need to be loved and cared for in a different way. This also means we need significant others who know how to respect, talk to, and deal with strong-minded individuals such as ourselves.

At the end of the day, everyone is different and has their own preferences and ideas. I just think strong independent women should not be stripped of their femininity because they can do a "man's job" better than a man can. Independent women need love too!