Weakness: real or imaginary?

Yesterday, my friend talked about weakness.

We had never discussed this topic before, nor was there any reason to, but suddenly yesterday she called and opened up.

She had joined a new office, and her work was going well. However, in the course of conversation, her boss told her, "You look weak." She didn’t quite understand the intent behind this remark. She said that many people indirectly or directly made similar comments or hints to her.

This reference had both physical and psychological aspects.

We discussed the topic of weakness for quite a while. Is this weakness really within me, or am I feeling this way because of what others are saying? Why do people subconsciously try to dominate others, and what is their intent?

After much discussion, we came to some conclusions:

1. Weakness is a general and vague term. Its evaluation depends on the context in which it is used.

2. Every person can be weak in some aspects, such as physical strength, mental strength, courage, endurance, leadership skills, etc. Similarly, every person can be strong in other areas.

3. A person who is physically weak might be extraordinarily strong in other qualities, such as mental strength or courage, like Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela.

4. We need to identify in which areas we are weak. If it doesn’t hinder our life, work, or earning potential, we should accept it; otherwise, we should try to change it with effort.

5. Weakness is just one part of your entire personality, and there's no point in worrying about it excessively.

6. Since weakness is a subjective trait that cannot be measured scientifically, its assessment can vary.

7. If someone tries to dominate you based on your weakness, you need to be aware of it and make others aware too, because fundamentally, this is wrong.

8. Being strong is not always a good thing if it means taking advantage of weaker individuals. In such cases, strength becomes a flaw.

9. If someone's intention is to bully you by psychologically playing games to make you feel inferior, report and ignore the comments.

10. Beyond the binary of weak and strong, we should think about how to become healthy overall.

11. Most traits are not inherent from birth. There is a lot of potential for change, and with effort, one can improve.

12. How much you take someone's comments to assess your personality is in your hands. People have many motives to assess or judge you.

Through this kind of discussion, we tried to gain clarity on how to understand, approach, and deal with this topic.
This made her feel a bit better, realising that there's no need to take it so personally.
With proper consideration, we can act confidently, sensibly, and rationally.

Now she felt somehow relived & at some peace.