Brat has nuanced meaning depending on the context and the given situation. There is the typical Brat who is rude and mean, perhaps a bit spoiled and selfish.
She’s not to be reduced as just selfish though; There’s a profound reason as to why she is determined to prioritize her own autonomy and her own being. It is extremely likely that the archetype of this Brat is a result of a series of experiences that have pushed her to self sacrifice, that have left her unable to recognize her needs, that have led her down a path where her vulnerability is a weapon, perhaps a knife, that has left her wounded. Her Brat arch story usually stems from a misunderstanding of her strong attitude, she’s a mean girl, she might walk like a bitch, she does not care about anything (it seems like).

A Brat who is nonchalant and a bit distant with others she’s either never met or knows- is doing this as a filtering or gatekeeping of her own vulnerability and who gets access to that side of her. For this, she has learned to keep others at arms length, or to be skeptical of the intentions of those who try to get close to her. It is possible that this Brat has encountered betrayal and her trust has been abused, thus Brat behavior serves her as a response to previous outpouring of her energy. When she has given much of herself, it is likely she did not get the same treatment back.

Being a Brat is also about status; In the sense that, everything we do is connected to how we ought to interact with our outside world. The way Brat is perceived is the key to why she utilized Brat behavior to transform herself, or at the very least to set new boundaries and push other boundaries in her self expression. There must be a defying characteristic to this, she’s choosing Brat and it works because Brat brings a daring and vulturistic attitude to how she comes across. 

A Brat has either conditioned herself to certain behaviors, or they have been socially taught. Just like for any creature, there’s a mirroring of inner and outer worlds. Thus, Brat is the consciousness of this dynamic, in order to fully mirror herself she must break the illusion that she’s subject to someone else’s policed perceptions of who she ought to be. This is the internalized shame and guilt. Either way, whether this is a reformed behavior or an adaptive behavioral response, Brat must be a continuous choice to react or instigate her fullness onto life. Choosing to show up as a multifaceted being. Being performative in a raw and clear way, there’s almost an irony to how she’s portraying her self. She understands that there’s a dynamic play between who she projects herself to be and who others view her to be. 

Brat is not necessarily a person who is cynical in her acting, but rather she has been subjected to others’ cynical behavior, thus it is now her mechanical defense to be difficult in her interactions. She’s not giving in or trading her independence for outside  Brat is negotiation, it is conflict, it is the back and forth arguing, the bargaining power to achieve some sort of agreement. Brat is war and peace, because the Brat archetype is born from a sense of hurt and suffering, she has discovered that her lesson is to prevent abuse from taking her while she’s unaware. Hyper vigilance is constantly alarming, Brat is rather a disregard for making others feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. She’s not jeopardizing her own being or her commodity to be a pleaser, she’s not concerned with how she’s perceived either, to an extent. She’s boldly choosing to be deemed as crazy or slutty or fierce, any connotation where woman is not in her best behavior. She’s wild and has let go of the outsiders conditioning that controls her rather than frees her. To be messy and confident and perhaps bitchy, is a political stance. A way of responding to a society that has pushed a narrative onto your youthfulness and your identity. 

Brat is revolutionary, it is a response to conditioning and social acceptance. It is the meaning of not conforming, it is not the typical groomed being. It is rather the shadow of being. By uncovering the darkest part of our psyche, we protect light and vitality more fully.

Brat means eyeliner and partying on weekends, as much as it means acting out on your pain when it seems that no one understands. Brat means trashy behavior against a culture that has attempted to train you on what is acceptable and what isn’t. But we must also ask, why is Brat hedonistic? Why is Brat glamour? How is vanity hedonism, and how is substance abuse enhancement compulsion ? 

While the Brat is taking back a piece of her autonomy, we must question what the choice is. It is not merely enough to have a choice to make or to make the choice, but what are we choosing? If our choices are restricted, we are already choosing enslavement. Not because we are incompetent or at fault, but possibly because we lack the awareness necessary to question our choices. To question our decisions and our ability to access liberation tools. 

Brat is a reclaiming of power, but more importantly a granted sense of forgiveness. To allow oneself to be a Brat means that, one is allowing oneself to make mistakes and be radically authentic; Following desire and animalistic behaviors that make us feel connected with our most innate sense of being. A Brat who is confident in taking full ownership to what she’s done, who she’s been, and how she gets what she wants.