I’ve always considered myself a feminist, but it wasn’t until my women’s history class at Chico State that I really understood what that meant.

Feminism taught me to think critically and scrutinize everything around me. It’s empowering and eye-opening, but it also ruins everything.

I started watching movies through a different lens. I would watch some of my favorites like “Lord of the Rings” and wonder why there weren’t any black hobbits or why Black Widow only fights with her thighs in “Iron Man 2.”

It’s not just movies that get ruined. Video games, television shows and even real life start to anger me as a feminist. Think about all the late night shows during the week — not one of them is hosted by a woman.

No woman has had her own show on the late night circuit, and “Minority Report” on Comedy Central will be the first time a non-white man has had his own late night show.

Phrases started irking me as well. “That’s how it has always been,” people say when I point out inequity. This one angers me because, for one, it usually isn’t true, and people and things evolve. Using the past’s problems to justify the present doesn’t make much sense.

Although so much of what I see jumps out as wrong and unjust, I cannot boycott and get mad at every little thing. I boycotted “Blurred Lines” and Robin Thicke in general because he condones rape in his song, but I still watch television shows like “Supernatural,” even though it doesn’t seem to like its female characters.

While I notice all the sexism and micro-aggressions on race, I’ve learned to look for balance and decide what I want to take a stance on.

I’ve learned to choose my battles.

Alyssa Dunning can be reached at [email protected] or @alyssadunning3 on Twitter.