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  • CLOTHING
  • ACCESSORIES
  • PRINTS & MORE
  • ALL
  • COLLECTIONS
    • Maybe I'm Not Too Sensitive, Maybe You're Just A Dickhead?
    • Maybe She's Not Crazy Maybe You're Gaslighting Her
    • Stop Teaching Girls That Boys Are Mean To Them Because They Like Them
    • You're Not A Bad Boy, You're Just A Bad Person
    • You Inspire Me To Be Nothing Like You

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How the concept of forgiveness is used to gaslight women - sophie king

How the concept of forgiveness is used to gaslight women - sophie king

September 02, 2019

Originally published on Medium, here.


I’m not against the concept of forgiveness, I’ve chosen to forgive people countless times. However, what I’m definitely against, is pressuring people to forgive and shaming them if they don’t. I’ve found there’s a lot of stigma attached to those who choose not to forgive, especially if you’re a woman.

Women that don’t forgive, are assumed to be “scorned”, “bitter and twisted”. The stereotypes that surround “unforgiving” women, are used to gaslight them.

When women express that they’re upset or angry (and justifiably so), as a result of being hurt, people dismiss them as “bitter” and the validity of their feelings and experiences are questioned.

 

She isn’t psychologically traumatised because she’s been wronged, she’s just a “scorned woman”, “got an axe to grind”, “holding a grudge” and “unable to move on”. The fault lies with her, not the perpetrator because she won’t “let it go” and “get over it”. She’s not the victim, she’s bringing it on herself by not forgiving. The blame is shifted from the wrongdoer to the victim.

People assert she isn’t understandably angry and hurt, she’s “overreacting”, “irrational”, “crazy”, “psycho”, “too sensitive”. She’s “making something out of nothing”, she’s being “petty”, “creating drama”. She doesn’t want justice, she’s “out for revenge”.


Labelling a woman “bitter”, is like calling them “crazy”, it’s just another way to dismiss their feelings and whatever has happened to them as “all in her head”. Her feelings and experiences are just irrational and paranoid delusions of a “bitter” and “crazy” woman, not the reality of how women are mistreated every day all over the world.

Men often use the status of an unforgiving woman, to avoid accountability for their actions by disregarding whatever women accuse them of, by saying they’re “just bitter”. What he did was wrong but she’s worse for not being the better person and forgiving him.

No one wants the reputation of being a “bitter” woman, so this manipulates women into keeping silent and the perpetrator remains protected and their behaviour remains unchallenged.


In the past, when I’ve chosen to forgive and I’ve chosen not to, in both instances it was for my own benefit, on my own terms and my personal choice. Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t end up a bitter and twisted woman for the times I didn’t forgive. In fact, I found it empowered me to draw the line, my line of what I deem forgivable, to protect myself. I don’t owe anyone forgiveness and I won’t be shamed if I don’t forgive. Instead of telling someone they should forgive, tell the perpetrator not to do unforgivable things. Instead of assuming women that don’t forgive are scorned, listen to them.

women are punished more for not forgiving than men are for doing wrong in the first place sophie king embroidery art textiles quotes
"Women are punished more for not forgiving, than men are for doing wrong in the first place" embroidered writing, Sophie King, 2019.

 

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Embroidery In-Store Pop Up Event For Eileen Fisher

Embroidery In-Store Pop Up Event For Eileen Fisher

July 20, 2017

Recently I was asked to embroider in-store at a pop up event for Eileen Fisher.
Below is an example of the kind of designs I made, they're quite different from my usual style but part of the fun of custom work is I get to embroider things I usually wouldn't make myself. 
I loved seeing customers reactions to their personalised clothes.
If you would like to hire me as an embroiderer for your pop up event you can email me via kingsophiesworld@gmail.com 
embroidery in-store pop up event
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Tomorrow I will be at Eileen Fisher in Wimbledon embroidering these little designs onto customers white shirts! From 1-4pm 🍃🍍🌈🐝🐾🍋

A post shared by KING SOPHIE'S WORLD (@kingsophiesworld) on Jul 7, 2017 at 7:27am PDT

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You're not a bad boy you're just a bad person

You're not a bad boy you're just a bad person

July 17, 2017

"You're not a bad boy, you're just a bad person" available here.
Hand embroidered 1950s vintage top.
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Stop romanticizing the "bad boy"

"Bad boys" are often portrayed as troubled but with a hidden sensitive side, that's supposed to redeem them. This misleads women to deny, minimize and justify the terrible actions of men because they're still a "good person deep down", that they "don't really mean it" and they're "not all bad".

The myth of the bad boy encourages women to overlook the bad in boys, despite how they mistreat them and give them the benefit of the doubt. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence they don't have their best interests at heart.

Women believe that if they could just make them see the pain they're inflicting, they'd change. Nope. They're never sorry, you can't appeal to someone's conscience when they don't have one. The reality is, "bad boys" are just bad people.

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You're not a bad boy, you're just a bad person ⚔️❤ one of a kind hand embroidered 50s vintage top.

A post shared by KING SOPHIE'S WORLD (@kingsophiesworld) on Jul 16, 2017 at 12:18pm PDT

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Hand embroidery on real roses

Hand embroidery on real roses

July 13, 2017

Hand embroidery on real roses. Didn't actually take that long but it was fiddly as fuck. 


🌊👁🌊

A post shared by KING SOPHIE'S WORLD (@kingsophiesworld) on Jul 13, 2017 at 12:17pm PDT

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LOVE CLOTHING LABEL

LOVE CLOTHING LABEL

June 29, 2017

LOVE CLOTHING LABEL
"LOVE" CLOTHING LABEL
New hand embroidery! Love is for everyone.

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RIP All The Famous Boys I Used To Fancy Until I Found Out They Treat Women Like Crap

RIP All The Famous Boys I Used To Fancy Until I Found Out They Treat Women Like Crap

June 25, 2017

Hand embroidery, available here.
When a famous man is found to mistreat women, society and the media tends to deny, minimise and justify their terrible actions. Or straight up victim blame.  
Every time a fan says they still like a famous man or his work, in spite of the way he mistreats women, they are sending the message that his behaviour is permissible.
This attitude is part of a whole culture that romanticises and normalises abusive people, relationships and behaviours.

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You're not a bad boy, You're just a bad person

You're not a bad boy, You're just a bad person

June 22, 2017

Click here for embroidery.

Stop romanticizing the "bad boy". 

"Bad boys" are often portrayed as troubled but with a hidden sensitive side, that's supposed to redeem them. This misleads women to deny, minimize and justify the terrible actions of men because they're still a "good person deep down", that they "don't really mean it" and they're "not all bad".

The myth of the bad boy encourages women to overlook the bad in boys and how they mistreat them, to give them the benefit of the doubt. Even in the fact of overwhelming evidence they don't have their best interests at heart.

Women believe that if they could just make them see the pain they're inflicting, they'd change. Nope. They're never sorry, you can't appeal to someone's conscience when they don't have one. The reality is, "bad boys" are just bad people.

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Iron On Patches

Iron On Patches

May 31, 2017

I finally did it and got some machine embroidered iron on patches made!
I wanted to retain the handmade touch of my embroidered patches so designs are entirely drawn by hand, including the "font".
Here they are:

 
"Stop teaching girls that boys are mean to them because they like them" iron on patch, available here.

your first love should be yourself iron on patch
"Your first love should be yourself" iron on patch, available here.

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New Embroidery

New Embroidery

May 26, 2017

"My aesthetic: girls who have been treated badly finally in caring and respectful relationships."
Free hand embroidery! Completed 26th of May, 2017.

my aesthetic girls who have been treated badly finally in caring and respectful relationships

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Sophie King (also known as King Sophie's World) is a British contemporary embroidery artist.

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