This Week in Motto: What We’re Getting Wrong

I always hated math. I was not good at it (I have the grades to prove it), and it never electrified my mind the way reading, history or art do. But reading Stanford professor Jo Baeler’s piece this week, I reconsidered more than just QRMS and Trig 101. She made me rethink how we learn to think.

The bottom line from Jo: female students like to engage deeply with material, but we tend to blame ourselves when we don’t understand something. Math, meanwhile, is often taught in a quick, rote style. So, my hatred of math may not have been a self-fulfilling prophecy but a teaching style-fulfilled one. What else do we blame ourselves for that may in fact be the effect of much greater cultural forces?

In other news, where do you stand on Leggingsgate?

Happy Friday,

Claire

Claire.Howorth@time.com

1) Too Many Responsibilities? Just Drop Them. Seriously.

When executive Tiffany Dufu got rid of the impossible standards she set for herself, she found even more success

2) I’m the Woman Who Called Out United and I’m Sick of Sexism

After witnessing “Leggingsgate” firsthand, Shannon Watts explains why she decided to take a stand against women being policed for their clothing

3) Sarah Dunn on the Open Marriage Plot Twist in Her New Novel

The author spoke to Motto about how her relationship inspired her work — and how her success has impacted her family

4) Drybar Founder Alli Webb Offers Advice to Female Entrepreneurs

The woman responsible for the successful salon chain shares how she overcame naysayers who thought blowouts were “frivolous”

5) What Hollywood Gets Wrong About Female Astronauts and the Reality of Space

A retired astronaut says a new film about women in space is doing a major disservice to the field

6) Women Hold Hands on Westminster Bridge in Tribute to Terror Subjects

Around 100 women, many of whom were Muslim, formed a human chain to honor the victims killed in the London attack

7) Sheryl Sandberg Says Women Aren’t Better Off 4 Years After Lean In

The Facebook COO also reflected on the criticism that she focused too heavily on corporate women

8) Italian Lawmakers Want to Implement Paid Menstrual Leave

Four female politicians introduced legislation, but some say the policy could actually end up hurting women