Why Playing Small is Deadly: Stop Shrinking, Start Owning It Let’s Get Real: Playing Small is as serious Rat Trap From the time we’re little girls, we’re told to: • Sit down. • Stay quiet. • Don’t take up too much space. • Act like a lady, and be nice. That conditioning doesn’t just disappear when we grow up—it shows up in the way we apologize too much, doubt our worth, and settle for less than we deserve. Playing small isn’t harmless. It’s deadly. As deadly as a rat trap, splattered guts oozing out and all the other insides. It kills opportunities.