Socialized for Support

It feels as if many folks, certainly many females, seem socialized to provide support and/or to fall into supportive roles rather than (and/or perhaps as the primary mode to) take charge of our own lives. (Yeah, yeah - grammar issues abound. This is, however, a blast outta the brain-writing time, where flow matters more than prettiness.)

Some search for a focus, a pole, a place/person to put at their center and revolve around, providing support as needed. What's up w/this? Is there a need to be needed? Or is it more that it's considered selfish to put oneself in the middle of one's own focus/life? What about when support's no longer needed?