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Hell hath no fury like a sister scorned.
By Laura Lifshitz — Written on Jun 08, 2015
Growing up with three sisters, I can guarantee there is no fight worse than one with a sister — not with your husband, wife, ex-wife, ex-husband, mother, child, father, neighbor, co-worker, boss, or friend.
Sure, a fight with your child might hurt, but he or she will come around. You're one of their parents for god sakes. A fight with your boss? Ouch. Risky, but it's business, not personal.
The fact is, there is no fight more emotional than one with your sister, and here's 9 reasons why.
1. Just like an elephant, she never forgets.
Right off the bat, women fight a bit dirtier. Yes, men can be harsh, mean, and downright cruel, but a woman? Well, we'll stab you right in the jugular and smile.
Plus, research suggests that women remember more than men. If that's indeed true, your sister will remember every single thing about you, especially the things you wish someone would forget. Then she'll mention each and every mistake you've made while you're fighting.
Your husband will start to argue with you, and then subsequently forget what he was saying. But not your sister. No way, no how.
2. She's been storing all your dirt away for years.
Your sister knows everything about you because she's lived with you. She was there during your emo stage, your vegan stage, and your loser boyfriend stage that lasted, oh, about forever?
She's privy to every detail, like what foods make you constipated and what your body looks like naked (most likely). She knows you hate your butt and all the little tricks you do with your wardrobe to mask your insecurities.
All these horrific details about you will, indeed, end up being brought up somehow in your next big argument, so be prepared to hear all about every failure you've had since your mom pushed you out.
3. You can never truly escape from her — you're family.
You can fight with a friend and never see them again, but with a sibling it's not that easy. Even if you live states away, that family reunion or holiday will come up and then, bam! You'll be stuck in the same room with her.
You can almost compare this to an ex-husband that you co-parent with: you will always see him, which makes it hard. Of course, your ex won't remember every little detail like your sister will.
4. Your fights can sometimes get physical, but she's not afraid to go there.
It's rare that two sisters will knock each other out, and sometimes it's easier to just give someone a good smack to let out your aggression. I'm not advocating for violence, but if you have a brother, you could probably give him a good smack.
Sisters won't fight that way. They'll pull your hair, make fun of your weight, and trash your soul.
5. Forgiveness is expected.
The good thing about sister fights are that they usually end and with total forgiveness. That's the nice thing about family. When this doesn't happen though, it can be heart wrenching.
6. One fight gone wrong and she could easily be out of your life.
Being estranged from a sibling is the saddest story. If you break up with a partner, it's sad, but heartbreak happens. Not everyone was meant to be married or coupled together.
If you end things with a friend, it's not the end of the world, although it stinks really badly. Being alienated from a sibling, though, is a tragedy.
You were set up to be with each other for life, so when one or both of you decides it's time to cut the cord for good, it doesn't seem quite natural. Your other siblings may still speak to each other, and family events will come and go, but the two of you? No longer.
All you share is blood, genes, and history (yeah that's all!), yet you have a big, old empty future of nothingness once a fight has severed the bond for good.
7. Estrangement seems impossible to your whole family.
When you leave a partner or break up with a friend, you tell people. When it's your sibling, it's difficult to talk about publicly or even amongst family. It's like the family secret no one talks about, not even with each other.
People find it bizarre when sisters don't get along. How is that possible? Sisters are supposed to be BFFs for forever. It seems unfathomable, so it can be a huge burden people keep to themselves.
And then if you do reveal it, people will be flabbergasted, yet feel the need to comment and speculate (or possibly get involved in the matter), which makes it a messier fight than most.
8. Your fights hurt everyone else around you.
A sister fight that goes on is one that wounds not only you and your sibling, but the whole family. Everyone from your parents down to your very own children can be affected by such drama.
And sure, sometimes cutting off a sibling or family member is good for you because the person is toxic, but still ... there's a lot of sadness in that departure. Worse still is when you're estranged from a sister by her choice, not your own.
Talk about the cruelest rejection — getting stung by the person who fought off bullies with you, put your hair in pigtails, introduced you to Black Flag, and taught you how to apply eyeliner.
9. In the end, she's your sister ... no matter what!
No matter how a fight with your sister ends — whether in hugs or in door slams — a sister fight is guaranteed to mentally drain you like no other. So, the next time you want to give your sister the finger or a snarky look, think twice. Do you really want to piss her off?