Women have another choice. They may aspire to be wise, not merely pleasant; to be capable, not merely helpful; to be strong, not merely graceful; to be ambitious for themselves, not only for themselves in relation to men and children. They can let themselves age naturally and shamelessly, actively protesting and disobeying the conventions that arise from this aging society’s double standard. Instead of being girls, girls as long as possible, who then become middle-aged women in a humiliating way, can become women much sooner and continue to be active adults, enjoying the long and erotic career that women are capable of, much longer. Women should allow their faces to show the life they have lived. Women should tell the truth.
— Susan Sontag | Against Interpretation