This may be particularly true of midlife women, who were not socialized to be outspoken or to take significant risks. They're not used to experiencing temporary setbacks. Partially, this results from not participating in competitive sports, in which loss isn't perceived as catastrophic. Without this experience, women feel like failures when they make a simple mistake. The consequences of mistakes are perceived as graver than for those their male counterparts commit.
Many women feel open to harsh criticism, public humiliation, or even job loss.
Women in professional and upper level management positions often feel conspicuous. The number of women CEOs is woefully small. Feeling as if their behavior is under constant scrutiny, women may be particularly concerned about being caught off guard. To reduce their anxiety, they try to know everything before speaking up. The rapid development of knowledge and technology has left many midlife women concerned about gaps in their training.