Daily Inspiration Quote by Gloria Steinem

Steinem’s line is a tactical memo disguised as a proverb: stop waiting for permission. “Power can be taken, but not given” refuses the comforting fantasy that institutions will someday hand over justice like a certificate. In the feminist movements Steinem helped shape, “being granted” rights was always contingent, always revocable, always framed as benevolence from the people already in charge. She strips that story down to its power dynamic: gifts create debt; taking creates leverage.

The sharper move is the second sentence. “The process of the taking is empowerment in itself” shifts the focus from outcomes to method. Organizing, striking, running for office, speaking up in a meeting, filing a lawsuit, walking out, unionizing - these acts don’t just pursue power; they train it. They build networks, competence, and a sense of entitlement to public space. Even partial wins matter because the act of contesting authority changes the contestants. It makes fear negotiable.

There’s also a warning embedded here, and it’s why the quote still lands. If power isn’t “given,” then polite inclusion can be a trap: representation without control, visibility without safety, applause without redistribution. Steinem’s phrasing doesn’t romanticize conflict, but it normalizes it. The point isn’t that power must be seized violently; it’s that it must be claimed actively, collectively, and with the expectation of pushback. Empowerment isn’t a mood. It’s a practice.