Women must tell men always that they are the strong ones. They

In the words of Coco Chanel, the woman who broke chains of fashion and spirit alike, we hear a paradox clothed in grace: “Women must tell men always that they are the strong ones. They are the big, the strong, the wonderful. In truth, women are the strong ones. It is just my opinion, I am not a professor.” This declaration, offered with the casualness of conversation, is in fact a jewel of ancient wisdom. For within it lies the secret balance of power and gentleness, of appearance and reality, of the visible and the hidden strength of women.

The surface of her words acknowledges what men have long believed—that they are the strong, the big, the wonderful. Yet Chanel, with a knowing smile, unveils the deeper truth: the foundation of life, the unseen endurance, the silent courage, belongs to women. For centuries, men marched with banners, wielded swords, and built empires, while women bore the burdens, carried the griefs, and kept the flame of life burning. Outwardly, men seemed mighty; inwardly, women held the world together with invisible threads.

Consider the lives of women in times of war. When men went to battle, declaring themselves heroes, who tilled the soil, who fed the children, who bore the weight of waiting? It was the women. In the darkest days of the Second World War, when bombs fell over Europe, men fought in trenches while women stood in factories, in homes, in hospitals. They stitched uniforms, tended wounds, and raised children in cities reduced to rubble. Strength was not in the clash of arms alone, but in the silent perseverance of mothers and daughters. And when the war ended, it was women who had kept civilization alive.

Chanel herself embodied this paradox. Outwardly she moved in the world of beauty, elegance, and design. Yet beneath the silk and perfume was a will forged like iron. Orphaned young, forced to survive by her own wit, she rose not by inheritance nor favor, but by sheer determination. She understood that women’s strength does not always shout—it often whispers, endures, and creates. Her words are no professor’s lecture, but the testimony of a life lived in defiance of weakness.

This quote also reveals a deep wisdom about human nature: men often need to believe in their strength to stand tall. Women, wise in their insight, grant them this belief—not from deceit, but from compassion. For true strength does not need to boast; it simply is. Thus, women tell men they are strong, allowing them to feel secure, while knowing within themselves where the real power lies. It is a dance as old as time, where truth and illusion weave together for the harmony of life.

The lesson for future generations is this: do not mistake silence for weakness, nor gentleness for fragility. The strength of women is not always on display, but it is the bedrock of society. Acknowledge it, honor it, and live with the awareness that true strength is measured not by noise or force, but by endurance, resilience, and the quiet courage to bear what others cannot.

Practical wisdom must follow. Women: know your strength, even if the world asks you to hide it beneath smiles. Do not doubt the power within you, even as you grant reassurance to others. Men: respect the quiet endurance of the women around you, and see beyond appearances. All: let your words uplift, but let your actions reveal the deeper truth of who you are.

Thus, remember Chanel’s teaching: to appear strong is easy, but to be strong in silence is divine. Women carry this divinity within them, and in recognizing it, all humanity becomes greater. Let future generations never forget: the world rests not on the shoulders of one sex alone, but on the unseen strength of those who carry life itself forward—women, the true strong ones.