The Right to Self-Definition

Throughout her life, Sor Juana asserted the right to define herself—as a scholar, a writer, a defender of women's education—against the definitions imposed by church authorities and patriarchal structures. This concept recognizes that privilege includes the freedom to control one's own narrative. Those with social power are granted the luxury of self-definition; marginalized people constantly have their identities defined for them. Acknowledging this privilege means recognizing when we claim the authority to name others' experiences or identities without their consent. It means creating space for people to define themselves and honoring those definitions as valid. This practice transforms how we listen, how we speak about others, and how we respect the sovereignty of each person's self-knowledge.