That even in the face of the most shocking tragedy of my life, I could exert some control over its impact. - Sheryl Sandberg

Success and likeability are positively correlated for men and negatively for women. When a man is successful, he is liked by both men and women. When a woman is successful, people of both genders like her less.

As Gloria Steinem observed, “Whoever has power takes over the noun — and the norm — while the less powerful get an adjective.”1 Since no one wants to be perceived as less powerful, a lot of women reject the gender identification and insist, “I don’t see myself as a woman; I see myself as a novelist/​athlete/​professional/​fill-in-the-blank.” They are right to do so. No one wants her achievements modified. We all just want to be the noun.

​When it’s safe to talk about mistakes, people are more likely to report errors and less likely to make them.