Summary of Wendy Shalit's A Return to Modesty

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 Modesty is not just about saying no to vulgarity; it’s about tapping into a reality that is richer and deeper, and building a world that is more beautiful. It is about choosing more empowering choices.

#2 Modesty is a choice, and to live a life of modesty is to live a powerful life. It is not something that is given to you when you take off your clothes, but rather when you humbly identify with others and extend yourself to become a more giving person.

#3 I grew up with the belief that being a woman was not all fun and games, but instead was filled with oppression. When I went to college, I found out that the feminists were not exaggerating, and that women were being raped.

#4 A modestynik is a modern single woman who was raised in a secular home, but suddenly starts wearing long skirts and announcing that she is now shomer negiah, which means she isn’t going to have physical contact with men before marriage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: May 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822518681

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Wendy Shalit's A Return to Modesty

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Modesty is not just about saying no to vulgarity; it’s about tapping into a reality that is richer and deeper, and building a world that is more beautiful. It is about choosing more empowering choices.

#2

Modesty is a choice, and to live a life of modesty is to live a powerful life. It is not something that is given to you when you take off your clothes, but rather when you humbly identify with others and extend yourself to become a more giving person.

#3

I grew up with the belief that being a woman was not all fun and games, but instead was filled with oppression. When I went to college, I found out that the feminists were not exaggerating, and that women were being raped.

#4

A modestynik is a modern single woman who was raised in a secular home, but suddenly starts wearing long skirts and announcing that she is now shomer negiah, which means she isn’t going to have physical contact with men before marriage.

#5

I learned that there are different stages in the life of a modestynik. No Touching, Touching, then Hat. I began to see them all over the place, and heard about young women who were observing Jewish modesty law not touching their boyfriends and suddenly sporting hats.

#6

I began to notice a direct relationship between how much one was struggling with their sex life and how irritated they were by the modestyniks. Many women grew up in secular homes and found modesty a compelling female ideal, but they were still happy.

#7

The idea that girls shouldn’t be too attached to their fathers because that’s the source of all evil is ironically similar to Freud’s view that girls don’t develop an advanced superego because they remain too long in the Oedipus situation.

#8

The only clients who have escaped the standard litany of self-mutilation and eating disorders are the girls who are not sexually active. Paternalistic families often restrict their daughters’ dating habits, but this seems to make their patients happiest.

#9

I thought about the modestyniks, and why so many young women were adopting modesty as a new sexual