“Every woman knows what I’m talking about,” wrote the author Rebecca Solnit in her hugely influential portion of the essay “Men Explain Things To Me” which first appeared in the 2008 Los Angeles Times. It’s when the concept of ‘mansplaining’ was born, and it refers to men explaining something to a woman in a condescending, overconfident, and often inaccurate manner without being asked to do so.
According to Solnit, men explaining things to women is not an innocent act, but rather it trains them into self-limitation and self-doubt, and further fuels men’s unsupported confidence.
Fast forward to today, and women around the world still find themselves being mansplained to like it was no big deal. So when Twitter user Priscilla tweeted a question “What’s the dumbest thing that’s ever been mansplained to you?” it immediately went viral with 340.2K likes.
It turned out she was far from the only one whose “husband let her know their home was 'up ahead on the left'” when she was driving. Many more women joined the thread to share their experiences of men lecturing them, and if it’s not illuminating, I don’t know what is.
Image credits: itsPKav
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I think I would have had a conversation with the manager at that point.
Bored Panda reached out to the writer, designer, and content creator Priscilla Kavanaugh, who’s the person behind this viral Twitter thread. Priscilla, who runs the blog “Bonjouritchesblog.com,” believes that the reasons for mansplaining have to do with “boys and young men who are empowered in different ways than girls and young women.”
For example, “Girls are taught to 'be nice,' while boys are taught to be fearless.” “Of course,” she added, “it's not as black and white as that, but I think that's a big chunk. We have a lot of work to do!”
When asked what she thinks is the best reaction you can give if you're mansplained to, Priscilla said that her go-to in a sticky situation is “to make a joke, which surely isn't always the best route.” She also stressed that it’s really difficult to be prepared simply because “you never know when you'll find yourself being mansplained to.”
My bf once tried to explain to my DENTIST brother the difference between black and white fillings. He insisted that black ones are better because he "read an article online 10 years ago"
An older male gynecologist tried to explain to me, that all my pains are imaginary (it was a 2 week follow-up appointment after I was delivered to the same hospital unconscious from my period pain with my pants all soaked in blood and pain medication not working) and that I should see I psychiatrist instead or try other methods to seek attention from people, so I would not disturb doctors. "Periods are not that bad" - he said, "Look at men, we don't have to imagine sickness to get attention" - he said. Took some time to get the right diagnosis. It was not in my head.
That doesn’t change the fact that mansplaining is indeed an inherently wrong practice. “Mansplaining is extremely demeaning. Being mansplained to makes one feel 'less than,' and as if one's knowledge isn't worth respecting. Over time, it creates patterns of silence—women simply stop advocating for themselves or sharing ideas because it's exhausting.”
And when it comes to her Twitter thread, Priscilla said that she truly realized that mansplainers “know no boundaries.” On the other hand, “I also learned that there are men out there that are open to learning and trying to put a stop to their own mansplaining; that was very encouraging.”
Thanks to her thread going viral, Priscilla has also interacted with a lot of women who had tons of interesting perspectives. “I asked many of them if I could share their stories in a book, and the response I got was overwhelmingly positive. I really hope I can get it published someday. I think it could be a fun, useful tool for shifting this behavior.”
American writer Rebecca Solnit, whose 2008 essay “Men Explain Things to Me” helped to give birth to the term “mansplaining,” helped to define the phenomenon with which too many women could relate. Translated into multiple languages, the text inspired many memes, parodies, and ongoing discussions on whether the term has actually done more harm than good.
When asked about what Solnit thinks of the term today, the writer told The Washington Post recently that “I used to focus on its negatives: It does get used too broadly at times, and it can imply that anything men hold forth on is mansplaining.”
Act completely dumb. Let him tune it. Play something horrible. Retune it correctly. Then play something nice and see his face change!
I recommend to use the heaviest frying pan but she most likely would do this anyway.
Having said that, the author added that women have been pointing out the incredible value in the term, which helped to describe “an experience most women have but didn’t have terminology for, beyond generics like patronizing, presumptuous, and so forth.”
“I often talk about the importance of calling things by their true name, of the value of precise description, so I’m pleased to have inspired a word that is now in many languages, including, recently, Icelandic,” Solnit commented.
In 2018, another author and design executive Kim Goodwin went viral with a chart she created to help to show men if they were mansplaining or not. Her “Am I Mansplaining?” chart has amassed 124.5k likes and 58.9k retweets on Twitter.
While drawing the chart, Kim realized “the '-splaining' part comes down to three factors.” First, it’s all about whether “they want the explanation?” She proceeds to explain further: “If someone asks you a question, explain away! Unsolicited explanations may be fine (within reason) if you’re someone’s teacher or manager. Explaining after they’ve declined your help is almost always disrespectful.”
Secondly, you should ask yourself if you “Are you making bad assumptions about competence?” According to Kim, “explaining things to knowledgeable people isn’t just wasting everyone’s time, and you may, regardless of your intent, undermine them by implying you don’t trust their competence or intelligence.” Moreover, “You also run the risk of undermining yourself by looking like you have an inflated opinion of your own knowledge.”
And thirdly, Kim asks “How does bias affect your interpretation of the above?” since “both questions are complicated by sexism and other kinds of bias.” According to her, we’re all taught gender bias from an early age, “with boys and girls being criticized and praised for different behaviors in school.”
Even though we like to think that we treat people in a fair manner, it’s not often the case. “Men often assume women are less competent, and white people are likely to assume darker skin equals lower intelligence,” Kim concluded.
ah, I see. tell me more about the things I've lived with for my whole life.
They could start the conversation by asking a question about why she's wearing bees? Maybe asking if she really likes bees or asking why she likes bees? There are lots of ways to start a conversation that dont assume the person you are speaking to is completely ignorant of [insert any] topic.
Don't get me started on the Brexiteer crowd who insist that Britain isn't geographically part of Europe. Not politically - that point has already been addressed. These morons insist that the physical island itself (including NI, which I just overlook because my brain hurts at this point) is not part of the collection of countries, including those outside the EU, known as Europe. So... which of the seven continents does it belong in then?
yeah the wetness of the grass has nothing to do with it. Though if you fixed the lawnmower like my dad used to ( with much swearing and occassional flying objects) Mr. mansplain will stay away
Wanna bet the mansplainer was white too, just for another extra layer of irony?
You wonder sometimes if they Mansplain because they are verbally reminding THEMSELVES on how to do something, but don't want to seem like idiots for talking to no one.
because they know SOOOOO much more about it. (that was sarcasm by the way.)
Worse than mansplaining as there was no explanation. This is high level patronisation.
This is not mansplaining or toxic masculinity, this is just a husband trying to help when his wife is struggling.
Oh damn I hate it when people explain the obvious, and also when people assume that a woman did it lol
Of course he does, why are you even questioning that? He doesnt need medical education.. The future is now.
When Subaru Outback's first came out, I had a salesman try to convince me it was a good car because it was a box engine with a low center of gravity so it would do wonderful on turns. I said "Yep..and the only other car that has a box engine is a Porche..which means if anything happens to said box engine, it's going to be expensive as heck to fix." He got quiet after that.
Of course, he couldn't beat you at your game, you should get down to his level
He was probably scared and stressed out and trying to find a way to distract himself. Personally I crack jokes when I get stressed, worried, upset, angry, scared, depressed... I pretty much crack jokes all the time
I've washed my clothes since I was a child as well, and even worked at a laundry for years, being responsible for the washing machines. I took several courses on different machines, but I would not claim to know everything about washing clothes. This needs context.
Reminds me of a salesman telling me joist hangers (holding 32 in my hand) are so helpful, better than toenailing. Since they've been code longer than he's been alive I'm wondering where he ever encountered toenailed joists?
Are they talking about the movie from the late 50's, the algae bloom or the pacific blob?
Oh look, we discovered that Marcellus the Third is 10.
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Wikipedia isn't helpful about this one. It's either the movie, or a massive database (which isn't listed as The_Blob_(whatever)
Edward, stop commenting. Everything you post makes you look like a fool.
Just so you know, you can also spell it "spell check" or "spell-check." You can check that by using your operating systems spell check function. It's an icon that has "ABC" at the top and a check mark directly below it. When you press it, it will automatically scan all of the words in the document and highlight the ones that could be misspelled.
Considering that many "basic" names now have odd spellings, I can see why someone would spell theirs out.
Is 30+ hours a lot? I'm not familiar with the field, but it doesn't seem like enough to be an expert.
I've been a Scottish Highland Dancer for 30+ years. The number of guys (always guys) who come up to me to explain that I've got my kilt on the wrong way round is quite astonishing. Dude, it's a kilt, not a schoolgirl outfit. I know my stuff. And no, you cannot touch my sword. :P PS: FYI, it's pleats in the back.
That sounds super cool! I really hate mansplaining, its so humiliating to be treated as if you are stupid just for having boobs. I am a biologist and the person who does the gardening at home. My partner knows nothing about plants to the point that some years ago I needed to explain him that its not a coincidence that our tomatoes are always in the same branch as the flowers were. He didnt know that fertilized flowers turn into fruit. But he keeps mansplaining me how to do the gardening. Sometimes I want to strangle him.
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Ultimate mansplain: A male telling me what my monthly cramps feel like, after I described them. I used words like "agony, nausea" and was told "pain and discomfort" was what I felt. And that was an OB/GYN. No. Pain and discomfort is "i twisted my ankle". My cramps are *I throw up can't eat nausea-inducing doubled-over agony*. (FYI: No, I can't get a hysterectomy. First, the HMO won't cover, and then I was too closet o menopause age. So i suffer for... years. Yay.)
I was lucky to have physicians’ notes/ hospital documents and male health care providers who did not dismiss my pain. The people who accused me of faking it...let’s just say I vomit right near them while shaking in pain and feverish.
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Ug... as female epidemiologist in the middle of a pandemic every day is a mansplaining day.
Though I would not call it mansplaining, I hate it when I´m talking about video games I enjoy playing and someone decides to explain them to me. Happened with Final Fantasy, Dishonored, Skyrim, and of course, Bioshock. When I asked about the connection to Ayn Rand they had no idea what I meant. Never mind being told by men (and yes, only men), that tattoos hurt and women can´t handle the pain. So women only get small and cute stuff. Just... no.
I know some women who have huge badass tattoos. Dude be wrong
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Sometimes I have to explain something over email, and it would be a shorter explanation if the reader knew some piece of background information, but I don't know if they know that tidbit. To avoid an email back and forth, I want to explain that tidbit just in case they don't know it. So, I'll say something like, "I don't know if you know xyz. If you do, I'm sorry. Xyz is...." Or maybe I'll say, "You probably know this, and if you do, I'm sorry for writing this out. Xyz is...." In person, I just ask, "Do you know about xyz?" or "You know about xyz, right?" I'm not sure if that counts as mansplaning if the person I'm addressing is a woman.
No it doesn't count. You're establishing baseline knowledge, which is a respectful thing to do - especially acknowledging that they may already know it, but clarifying in case they don't. It's not automatically mansplaining just because you are a man addressing a woman. ...And I feel like I've just womansplained mansplaining! Can't we make just a little progress in inherent sexism, please?
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I once had a slightly different experience in my previous job. But it fits here. We had a large project involving me as an end user, our IT department, IT department on client's side, and their production team. One guy from IT treated me as silly little woman who doesn't need to know how anything works. Once at a meeting I asked a question, to which he replied, in a mocking tone: "Why would you even need to know that?" to which I replied: "Dunno, maybe to take your position?". He got all red and didn't say a word. And never disrespected me again.
Sometimes, I just want to let drool trickle down my chin!
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Yep, these are, many of them, the worst examples. But lesser examples happen on a daily basis - if not moreso. Women are raised in a society that wants women to be quiet, not to confront and not to appear 'too smart' The only qualities women are rewarded for are caring skills and looking good. Set that against how men are raised ie stand up for yourself, learn new things, be confident (even when you have nothing to be confident about and are, frankly, scared) society has a lot to answer for and we are society, it's our job to make sure the next generation learns to do better. Of course there's STILL no excuse for being an asshole and the above examples are all assholes. Many mansplainers genuinely think they're being helpful and aren't deliberately being assholes - I can deal with that, just not the toxic type as shown above..
What's the word for woman's mansplaning? Because a woman explained to me (also a woman) how to use lipstics and mascara. Because me not wanted to wear some is obviously because I don't know how to 🙄
There's no such gender fight when we talk about the know-it-all... Fortunately, I can chat about this for long.
Load More Replies... Im a lawyer and was consultanting for a small start up who engaged me to help draft some contracts for him. At one point client tells me is planning on doing this elaborate 'strawman' scheme to avoid debts and liabilities. I tell him its fraud. He spends the next hour telling me I dont understand the concept of a legal entity.
We had a chemical disaster in my town and i was attending a conference about it the day after. I saw that in the news pictures the firefighters doesn't had the proper device on to deal with one chemical. I ask the prefect (governor) if the firefighters were wearing the proper device (i knew that the answer was" no"). His answer was: "Yes, of course, you are a firefighter wife?", "No sir, just a scientist..." . Not really mansplaining but assuming i was a "WIFE" and not a qualified person on the subject.
See the "proper device" for an Hexane fire... NOPE! Self-contained breathing apparatus? NO. Hermetics suits? NO. And it's the prefect that validate the protocol in case of accident, GREAT! incendie-S...539240.jpg 
By calling misogynic behaviour "mansplaining", and by also calling some occurences where people simply were jerks (likely gender notwithstanding), you marginalize real misogynic behaviour. Additionally, you legitimate sexism, as the term mansplaining suggests that all men commonly "teach" women unjustifiedly, which is a sexistic stereotype.
What would you call this phenomenon then? Misogynicsplaining is a bit of a mouthful. (Thank you brukernavn340, corrected it)
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This has never happened to me before...But I hate it when I have an idea, and someone repeats it to everyone else...And say it in a way like they're the one that thought of it....
Why downvoting? I was telling an advice, needed. I'm french so "grown up" is not a thing to say? I have no cue, sorry if i made a mistake.
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Having had capable men and women bring me up, I cannot imagine saying or hearing these things. It's another world to me, I didn't realise just how stupid some people can be.
Just about everyone of those men sounded like the guys on proud boy chat sites.
Proud boys with mamas issues? "i'm so great! If a girl don't want me she will! Because i'm awesome as mummy told me! " LOL, and i didn't had intercourse since years, not braging about it, but i'm single and i don't want to date married people or dumb people. As a 33 yo that's all i get! And the married ones are the most dumb, like their spouses didn't had a choice. Poor wives. I don't make nothing. "you were showing me your butt"? OK, do you mean when i work and bend over to clear the washing machine?" "YES! It was on purpose!" i can't even tell how i felt. Working with homeless people and nobody told me that, disrespected me. "I wanted to kill this person" is not enough.
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This isn't an entirely man-to-woman type of thing. But I think it's always a man doing the explanation. I worked a second job part-time at an auto parts store for many years. I would often get men interjecting themselves into conversations that they were not originally a part of to offer their expert advice. Almost always, this advice was just plain wrong. I had one customer giving such bad advice that I had to stop him and tell him that he was wrong. He proceeded to say that he had been working on cars for 40 years. He asked me what made me such an expert. I had to show him my ASE wallet card. I am an ASE certified master technician with over 20 years of experience (at that time)
Some PEOPLE over-explain, period. I've encounteted many woman who verge into obnoxiousness with a know-it-all bent. Why must we stereotype and demonize a gender to have a collective scream about people that we just don't want to hear from?
For most of these I'd just not let them finish and tell them they are over explaining it.
Apparently some of these ladies don't know the difference between mansplaining and misogyny. Here, allow me to explain...
some of this, are not even mansplaining...sexist, yes....in some is just people being either ignorant och stupid...we know is a problem! but not everything is mansplaining. some things are just human, like making people do things your way, is as common in men as in women. example, taking care of your child. many times had woman explaining how to change a diaper. I speak with a accent in a different country, and people love to explain stuff, you obviously already know...I have mansplain many times, and I cringe to remember it, but also, that at the moment I though I was being considerate. not because they where dum, just to show some care...sexism i a social disease...some of this really show mansplaining as its purest.
This thread is a toxic place. Probably get downvoted for it. But, I leave my opinion on the door step, and gonna back away.
I once dated a guy who would tell me how to drive all the time. Including where to put my hands on the steering wheel. At that point in time I had had my drivers licence for a few years (and owned, and was driving, my own car). He had just gotten his learners licence. To be fair, he really was just a garden-variety asshole.
When i was younger (25yo) i was the chief of staff of the mayor. He asked me to handle something with an old "worthy" man. This man was infuriated because a young 1,50m woman would not be able to follow his case. He told the mayor and his reply was epic. "if you are not OK with my chief of staff don't waste her time then because she is a very busy woman, i need her a lot". I met the CEO of a worldknown dentalproducts brand instead of the mayor and he was fine with it, thanking me deeply for my time after the meeting. So fun that it's always the less important people who are self entitled. Even with a fine mayor it was an awful job because you have to deal with a lot of crap. That's basically your job to deal with crap. "What do you do for a living?" - "i'm a bullshit umbrella".
"talk to my chief of staff". Is a key word: i don't care and she will manage for me! I welcomed the CEO in the mayor office, without the mayor. Because we don't care at all that your wife want to be published over a book on our town, your french wife think that it's good to send teenagers abroad in Canada to marry old males. We don't. My chief of staff will handle it! Cuddos!
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Recently had an electrician tell me and proceed to show me that the circuit breaker popped when we had a house fire after I had told him it needed to be checked because it hadn't (it was an electrical fire caused by illegal wiring installed by someone previous). I had been the one to shut off the breakers after my boyfriend tried to put out the fire, only to have it spark right back up because there was still electricity going through the wires. He was condescending to me overall but that just took the cake. Like there hadn't been 15 people who had looked and fiddled with the breakers after the fire...no, I just didn't know the difference between an active and tripped breaker in my own house. I got him fired from both working on my house and the renovation company. Not just for his rude ass attitude towards me but because he and his crew were smoking in my house and threw the butts on the exposed wood underlayment upstairs. Jerks.
wow i mansplained like 2 times maybe but i never really knew how they felt
I don't understand why people can't see past the differences in genders. Men and women are different so as to compliment each other, not fight each other. This article and others only serves to divide. Come on people. We can do so much better than this if we all work together.
But then where would they get attention and upvotes?
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Sometimes these are just creeps trying to start a conversation with a strange woman and making a real hash of it.
I have lost count of the number of times I have been womansplained...
A random guy sitting next to me on a plane during t/o, leaned over to me and said, 'it's okay, don't be scared, the wings create lift, the engines the power, don't worry, we'll be okay.' I turned my head and said, ' I know, I traIned both our CA and FO for the company. We'll be fine.' Me: Blonde, blue eyes, company badge labeled crew on. 'Been doing it for 24 years.'
Working as an immigrant female in IT field in Germany has been not just mansplaining me my own work, but also giving me constantly a feeling as if I'm talking to a wall - as soon as the same idea is told by a male German colleague everyone jumps to do it, when I say something I get the red tape (oh we don't have the budget, put it on a backlog and maybe = never we get to it later) and maybe a mhmh and nothing happens.
I'm from a country that is a digital pioneer, have 20+ years of hands on experience, education, used to work with cutting edge technologies and seem to have landed in digital Ice Age
Load More Replies... I don't know if it's mansplaining but ages ago I was in the computer room of the IT department working on an assignment and was thinking for a moment (after just having typed in Word a long document with äöü-s not available and continuously having to type the alt codes) what should I use as html code for a symbol that I used seldom (zcaron) and a guy sitting on a computer next to me saw me hesitating (maybe 20sek after continuously typing away), without asking grabbed my keyboard from me and typed in that code for me (the word was quite obvious), sighing at the same time heavily...
I had a British guy on an online forum mansplain Canadian English and it's differences in spelling - colour etc. I am Canadian Icelandic and bilingual
This whole post actually annoys me. If a woman (which I am) has something unnecessarily explained to her by another woman, what is it called? No name for it? Yet it's just as bad. People create whole social media posts attacking men for it. Why attack the men for it and not just have a post about PEOPLE who explained things unnecessarily?
Be fair, women do it too; When my husband menttioned Cabrillo Beach (Spanish work, pronounced 'Ka Bree O') A young woman 'corrected' him; "It's 'Ku brillo". Another time a white woman from the mid-west US tried to tell my young Mexican friend how you make Mexican food. The ww was sitting at a table that my friend was waiting on in her uncle s Mexican restaurant.
IT Sys admin for 20 years - the second half as Tier III, the person other IT personnel call for assistance. I literally cannot recall the number of times someone not in IT has tried to mansplain something to me. Not more than once, however as I would turn the conversation into the technicalities of network trafficking or computer algorithms or types of data chip and logic functions.
Old dude at car rental place explained to me how the car key fob worked... "hit this button with the lock and it locks the car..." ya think?
I have a strong stomach. One day, my younger brother was complaining about having heartburn. I said I'd never had it. His reply? "Oh, you've had it, you just didn't know what it was."
I'm guessing some guys who mansplain are just trying to make conversation and don't have a clue what to say. At least that would make it somewhat more forgivable. (I can't recall any mansplaining but I did have a fellow student at Uni who refused to believe I knew what I was talking about because I was a woman and I had to show him a textbook with the same info before he accepted it as fact...)
I used to work as a housekeeper in a hospital. One day I was vacuuming in the hallway. A co-worker walked by and said something but I couldn’t hear him because of the vacuum noise. I turned it off and asked him to repeat. He wanted to show me where the power button was because it’s not easy to find. He leaned over the vacuum cleaner and couldn’t find the button he wanted to show me. The one I just pressed to turn it off so I could hear him. Not to mention that I also had to press it to turn it on in the first place. Also when english-speaking people correct me on how to pronounce french words. French is my native language.
I don't have enough fingers to count the number of time a man tried to tell me how to fish, what lure I should use and why I won't get any bites the way I am fishing.... while I was the only one there actually catching fish. I've been fishing since I'm old enough to hold a fishing rod....I know what I'm doing. Also, no need to comment on the fact that I'm not disgusted by touching a earthworm or a fish.
none of these men drank their respect women juice smh
In the same way Disney+ is blocking DUMBO, PETER PAN or THE ARISTOCATS, BORED PANDA should block any post which would trigger gender, racial, religious and other clashes. ;) NWO for all!!!!!!!!!
Not really mansplaining but i hate it if i ask a question so i can do something...play a video game or do my job and instead of answering SOME men try to take controll... take the controller, write the code or work in in the software we use.
We were doing a reaserch report about a group of Native Americans. We got to a part where we were writing about there diet and how they got food. This led one of my classmates to believe I didn't know what hunting was, so he proceeded to explain HUNTING to me. I am certified to hunt with fire arm, I already have a hunting bow, and I fish. PLEASE DONT ASSUME THAT BECAUSE IM A GIRL I DONT HUNT, also im a human being and have knowledge of basic things
I couldn't even read the whole page I was so pissed. I think I read to the 25th one but I couldn't go any further.
I never got that. Is this really a thing, or did I just evade it because I'm a loner among loners? ... there also is the other way. Men cannot be qualified to cook or to take care of children, and if they chose to do the latter, they're dangerous perverts anyway, and, in any case, need to receive a bit of chicksplaining ... which is the same thing with tabled turns ... let me expl (female voice from background, something heavy falls on the floor - silence).
Came back to my Parts Counter/Manager job after almost 10yr burn out break. A Customer that became a supposed Regular came in looking for the kid who was let go. Wouldn't let me look Part up. Came back with a Ford Part Number he "Correctly" managed to get and asked me to get it. Simply said gladly but I need the last 8 of the VIN to order it, my policy. Gets it and I asked what the part was. Guys tells me and it's right just order it. Me being a wise ass with these kind I run the VIN and part number he gave. Wrong part completely and part number he gave wasn't for his truck but for a Focus Sedan. Best part of story still to come so hopefully you can piece it together.
My Service writer/manager is witnessing this entire situation and knows what I am up to and she is giggling. I tell him the part number is not correct and he says and I Quote: I looked it up myself, I am a Man and Men know how to look up parts for their cars so just skip into your room and get my part Sweetheart and make sure it's the number I gave you!!" I side grin and tell him that it needs to be prepaid. New policy I implemented when I came back. Are you sure you want this part you looked up. You buy it and you own it. No returns. Was told to order it and grumbled but prepaid it. Let my Manager and Owner know what happened and they agreed parts the guys no matter what he says.
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To any men reading this: let this be a lesson to you. We ladies are f*****g TIGERS. Don't try to explain everything to us. If we don't understand something, we'll tell you. You aren't smarter just because of your gender. When we do something, we know what we're doing. Don't try to step in. If we want you to, we'll ask.
Actually:no. Everyone does things he/she has no ideal about once in a while. Ideally it would be while learning something. Having ovaries does not make you smarter.It just means you have ovaries.
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I know someone that works for a cable company and I would like to share 2 things. Firstly, they are required to go through the steps with you to cover their asses. Secondly, some people legitimately don't understand thing like the batteries in the remote being dead and when they walk up to the tv and hit the power button they think it was magically fixed. So it's them trying to be certain you have done all the steps in the right order, no matter how simple.
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Mansplaining is due to the expectations some men feel they have placed upon them, it’s different than simply being condescending.
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I've been a Scottish Highland Dancer for 30+ years. The number of guys (always guys) who come up to me to explain that I've got my kilt on the wrong way round is quite astonishing. Dude, it's a kilt, not a schoolgirl outfit. I know my stuff. And no, you cannot touch my sword. :P PS: FYI, it's pleats in the back.
That sounds super cool! I really hate mansplaining, its so humiliating to be treated as if you are stupid just for having boobs. I am a biologist and the person who does the gardening at home. My partner knows nothing about plants to the point that some years ago I needed to explain him that its not a coincidence that our tomatoes are always in the same branch as the flowers were. He didnt know that fertilized flowers turn into fruit. But he keeps mansplaining me how to do the gardening. Sometimes I want to strangle him.
Load More Replies... Ultimate mansplain: A male telling me what my monthly cramps feel like, after I described them. I used words like "agony, nausea" and was told "pain and discomfort" was what I felt. And that was an OB/GYN. No. Pain and discomfort is "i twisted my ankle". My cramps are *I throw up can't eat nausea-inducing doubled-over agony*. (FYI: No, I can't get a hysterectomy. First, the HMO won't cover, and then I was too closet o menopause age. So i suffer for... years. Yay.)
I was lucky to have physicians’ notes/ hospital documents and male health care providers who did not dismiss my pain. The people who accused me of faking it...let’s just say I vomit right near them while shaking in pain and feverish.
Load More Replies... Ug... as female epidemiologist in the middle of a pandemic every day is a mansplaining day.
Though I would not call it mansplaining, I hate it when I´m talking about video games I enjoy playing and someone decides to explain them to me. Happened with Final Fantasy, Dishonored, Skyrim, and of course, Bioshock. When I asked about the connection to Ayn Rand they had no idea what I meant. Never mind being told by men (and yes, only men), that tattoos hurt and women can´t handle the pain. So women only get small and cute stuff. Just... no.
I know some women who have huge badass tattoos. Dude be wrong
Load More Replies... Sometimes I have to explain something over email, and it would be a shorter explanation if the reader knew some piece of background information, but I don't know if they know that tidbit. To avoid an email back and forth, I want to explain that tidbit just in case they don't know it. So, I'll say something like, "I don't know if you know xyz. If you do, I'm sorry. Xyz is...." Or maybe I'll say, "You probably know this, and if you do, I'm sorry for writing this out. Xyz is...." In person, I just ask, "Do you know about xyz?" or "You know about xyz, right?" I'm not sure if that counts as mansplaning if the person I'm addressing is a woman.
No it doesn't count. You're establishing baseline knowledge, which is a respectful thing to do - especially acknowledging that they may already know it, but clarifying in case they don't. It's not automatically mansplaining just because you are a man addressing a woman. ...And I feel like I've just womansplained mansplaining! Can't we make just a little progress in inherent sexism, please?
Load More Replies... I once had a slightly different experience in my previous job. But it fits here. We had a large project involving me as an end user, our IT department, IT department on client's side, and their production team. One guy from IT treated me as silly little woman who doesn't need to know how anything works. Once at a meeting I asked a question, to which he replied, in a mocking tone: "Why would you even need to know that?" to which I replied: "Dunno, maybe to take your position?". He got all red and didn't say a word. And never disrespected me again.
Sometimes, I just want to let drool trickle down my chin!
Load More Replies... Yep, these are, many of them, the worst examples. But lesser examples happen on a daily basis - if not moreso. Women are raised in a society that wants women to be quiet, not to confront and not to appear 'too smart' The only qualities women are rewarded for are caring skills and looking good. Set that against how men are raised ie stand up for yourself, learn new things, be confident (even when you have nothing to be confident about and are, frankly, scared) society has a lot to answer for and we are society, it's our job to make sure the next generation learns to do better. Of course there's STILL no excuse for being an asshole and the above examples are all assholes. Many mansplainers genuinely think they're being helpful and aren't deliberately being assholes - I can deal with that, just not the toxic type as shown above..
What's the word for woman's mansplaning? Because a woman explained to me (also a woman) how to use lipstics and mascara. Because me not wanted to wear some is obviously because I don't know how to 🙄
There's no such gender fight when we talk about the know-it-all... Fortunately, I can chat about this for long.
Load More Replies... Im a lawyer and was consultanting for a small start up who engaged me to help draft some contracts for him. At one point client tells me is planning on doing this elaborate 'strawman' scheme to avoid debts and liabilities. I tell him its fraud. He spends the next hour telling me I dont understand the concept of a legal entity.
We had a chemical disaster in my town and i was attending a conference about it the day after. I saw that in the news pictures the firefighters doesn't had the proper device on to deal with one chemical. I ask the prefect (governor) if the firefighters were wearing the proper device (i knew that the answer was" no"). His answer was: "Yes, of course, you are a firefighter wife?", "No sir, just a scientist..." . Not really mansplaining but assuming i was a "WIFE" and not a qualified person on the subject.
See the "proper device" for an Hexane fire... NOPE! Self-contained breathing apparatus? NO. Hermetics suits? NO. And it's the prefect that validate the protocol in case of accident, GREAT! incendie-S...539240.jpg
By calling misogynic behaviour "mansplaining", and by also calling some occurences where people simply were jerks (likely gender notwithstanding), you marginalize real misogynic behaviour. Additionally, you legitimate sexism, as the term mansplaining suggests that all men commonly "teach" women unjustifiedly, which is a sexistic stereotype.
What would you call this phenomenon then? Misogynicsplaining is a bit of a mouthful. (Thank you brukernavn340, corrected it)
Load More Replies... This has never happened to me before...But I hate it when I have an idea, and someone repeats it to everyone else...And say it in a way like they're the one that thought of it....
Why downvoting? I was telling an advice, needed. I'm french so "grown up" is not a thing to say? I have no cue, sorry if i made a mistake.
Load More Replies... Having had capable men and women bring me up, I cannot imagine saying or hearing these things. It's another world to me, I didn't realise just how stupid some people can be.
Just about everyone of those men sounded like the guys on proud boy chat sites.
Proud boys with mamas issues? "i'm so great! If a girl don't want me she will! Because i'm awesome as mummy told me! " LOL, and i didn't had intercourse since years, not braging about it, but i'm single and i don't want to date married people or dumb people. As a 33 yo that's all i get! And the married ones are the most dumb, like their spouses didn't had a choice. Poor wives. I don't make nothing. "you were showing me your butt"? OK, do you mean when i work and bend over to clear the washing machine?" "YES! It was on purpose!" i can't even tell how i felt. Working with homeless people and nobody told me that, disrespected me. "I wanted to kill this person" is not enough.
Load More Replies... This isn't an entirely man-to-woman type of thing. But I think it's always a man doing the explanation. I worked a second job part-time at an auto parts store for many years. I would often get men interjecting themselves into conversations that they were not originally a part of to offer their expert advice. Almost always, this advice was just plain wrong. I had one customer giving such bad advice that I had to stop him and tell him that he was wrong. He proceeded to say that he had been working on cars for 40 years. He asked me what made me such an expert. I had to show him my ASE wallet card. I am an ASE certified master technician with over 20 years of experience (at that time)
Some PEOPLE over-explain, period. I've encounteted many woman who verge into obnoxiousness with a know-it-all bent. Why must we stereotype and demonize a gender to have a collective scream about people that we just don't want to hear from?
For most of these I'd just not let them finish and tell them they are over explaining it.
Apparently some of these ladies don't know the difference between mansplaining and misogyny. Here, allow me to explain...
some of this, are not even mansplaining...sexist, yes....in some is just people being either ignorant och stupid...we know is a problem! but not everything is mansplaining. some things are just human, like making people do things your way, is as common in men as in women. example, taking care of your child. many times had woman explaining how to change a diaper. I speak with a accent in a different country, and people love to explain stuff, you obviously already know...I have mansplain many times, and I cringe to remember it, but also, that at the moment I though I was being considerate. not because they where dum, just to show some care...sexism i a social disease...some of this really show mansplaining as its purest.
This thread is a toxic place. Probably get downvoted for it. But, I leave my opinion on the door step, and gonna back away.
I once dated a guy who would tell me how to drive all the time. Including where to put my hands on the steering wheel. At that point in time I had had my drivers licence for a few years (and owned, and was driving, my own car). He had just gotten his learners licence. To be fair, he really was just a garden-variety asshole.
When i was younger (25yo) i was the chief of staff of the mayor. He asked me to handle something with an old "worthy" man. This man was infuriated because a young 1,50m woman would not be able to follow his case. He told the mayor and his reply was epic. "if you are not OK with my chief of staff don't waste her time then because she is a very busy woman, i need her a lot". I met the CEO of a worldknown dentalproducts brand instead of the mayor and he was fine with it, thanking me deeply for my time after the meeting. So fun that it's always the less important people who are self entitled. Even with a fine mayor it was an awful job because you have to deal with a lot of crap. That's basically your job to deal with crap. "What do you do for a living?" - "i'm a bullshit umbrella".
"talk to my chief of staff". Is a key word: i don't care and she will manage for me! I welcomed the CEO in the mayor office, without the mayor. Because we don't care at all that your wife want to be published over a book on our town, your french wife think that it's good to send teenagers abroad in Canada to marry old males. We don't. My chief of staff will handle it! Cuddos!
Load More Replies... Recently had an electrician tell me and proceed to show me that the circuit breaker popped when we had a house fire after I had told him it needed to be checked because it hadn't (it was an electrical fire caused by illegal wiring installed by someone previous). I had been the one to shut off the breakers after my boyfriend tried to put out the fire, only to have it spark right back up because there was still electricity going through the wires. He was condescending to me overall but that just took the cake. Like there hadn't been 15 people who had looked and fiddled with the breakers after the fire...no, I just didn't know the difference between an active and tripped breaker in my own house. I got him fired from both working on my house and the renovation company. Not just for his rude ass attitude towards me but because he and his crew were smoking in my house and threw the butts on the exposed wood underlayment upstairs. Jerks.
wow i mansplained like 2 times maybe but i never really knew how they felt
I don't understand why people can't see past the differences in genders. Men and women are different so as to compliment each other, not fight each other. This article and others only serves to divide. Come on people. We can do so much better than this if we all work together.
But then where would they get attention and upvotes?
Load More Replies... Sometimes these are just creeps trying to start a conversation with a strange woman and making a real hash of it.
I have lost count of the number of times I have been womansplained...
A random guy sitting next to me on a plane during t/o, leaned over to me and said, 'it's okay, don't be scared, the wings create lift, the engines the power, don't worry, we'll be okay.' I turned my head and said, ' I know, I traIned both our CA and FO for the company. We'll be fine.' Me: Blonde, blue eyes, company badge labeled crew on. 'Been doing it for 24 years.'
Working as an immigrant female in IT field in Germany has been not just mansplaining me my own work, but also giving me constantly a feeling as if I'm talking to a wall - as soon as the same idea is told by a male German colleague everyone jumps to do it, when I say something I get the red tape (oh we don't have the budget, put it on a backlog and maybe = never we get to it later) and maybe a mhmh and nothing happens.
I'm from a country that is a digital pioneer, have 20+ years of hands on experience, education, used to work with cutting edge technologies and seem to have landed in digital Ice Age
Load More Replies... I don't know if it's mansplaining but ages ago I was in the computer room of the IT department working on an assignment and was thinking for a moment (after just having typed in Word a long document with äöü-s not available and continuously having to type the alt codes) what should I use as html code for a symbol that I used seldom (zcaron) and a guy sitting on a computer next to me saw me hesitating (maybe 20sek after continuously typing away), without asking grabbed my keyboard from me and typed in that code for me (the word was quite obvious), sighing at the same time heavily...
I had a British guy on an online forum mansplain Canadian English and it's differences in spelling - colour etc. I am Canadian Icelandic and bilingual
This whole post actually annoys me. If a woman (which I am) has something unnecessarily explained to her by another woman, what is it called? No name for it? Yet it's just as bad. People create whole social media posts attacking men for it. Why attack the men for it and not just have a post about PEOPLE who explained things unnecessarily?
Be fair, women do it too; When my husband menttioned Cabrillo Beach (Spanish work, pronounced 'Ka Bree O') A young woman 'corrected' him; "It's 'Ku brillo". Another time a white woman from the mid-west US tried to tell my young Mexican friend how you make Mexican food. The ww was sitting at a table that my friend was waiting on in her uncle s Mexican restaurant.
IT Sys admin for 20 years - the second half as Tier III, the person other IT personnel call for assistance. I literally cannot recall the number of times someone not in IT has tried to mansplain something to me. Not more than once, however as I would turn the conversation into the technicalities of network trafficking or computer algorithms or types of data chip and logic functions.
Old dude at car rental place explained to me how the car key fob worked... "hit this button with the lock and it locks the car..." ya think?
I have a strong stomach. One day, my younger brother was complaining about having heartburn. I said I'd never had it. His reply? "Oh, you've had it, you just didn't know what it was."
I'm guessing some guys who mansplain are just trying to make conversation and don't have a clue what to say. At least that would make it somewhat more forgivable. (I can't recall any mansplaining but I did have a fellow student at Uni who refused to believe I knew what I was talking about because I was a woman and I had to show him a textbook with the same info before he accepted it as fact...)
I used to work as a housekeeper in a hospital. One day I was vacuuming in the hallway. A co-worker walked by and said something but I couldn’t hear him because of the vacuum noise. I turned it off and asked him to repeat. He wanted to show me where the power button was because it’s not easy to find. He leaned over the vacuum cleaner and couldn’t find the button he wanted to show me. The one I just pressed to turn it off so I could hear him. Not to mention that I also had to press it to turn it on in the first place. Also when english-speaking people correct me on how to pronounce french words. French is my native language.
I don't have enough fingers to count the number of time a man tried to tell me how to fish, what lure I should use and why I won't get any bites the way I am fishing.... while I was the only one there actually catching fish. I've been fishing since I'm old enough to hold a fishing rod....I know what I'm doing. Also, no need to comment on the fact that I'm not disgusted by touching a earthworm or a fish.
none of these men drank their respect women juice smh
In the same way Disney+ is blocking DUMBO, PETER PAN or THE ARISTOCATS, BORED PANDA should block any post which would trigger gender, racial, religious and other clashes. ;) NWO for all!!!!!!!!!
Not really mansplaining but i hate it if i ask a question so i can do something...play a video game or do my job and instead of answering SOME men try to take controll... take the controller, write the code or work in in the software we use.
We were doing a reaserch report about a group of Native Americans. We got to a part where we were writing about there diet and how they got food. This led one of my classmates to believe I didn't know what hunting was, so he proceeded to explain HUNTING to me. I am certified to hunt with fire arm, I already have a hunting bow, and I fish. PLEASE DONT ASSUME THAT BECAUSE IM A GIRL I DONT HUNT, also im a human being and have knowledge of basic things
I couldn't even read the whole page I was so pissed. I think I read to the 25th one but I couldn't go any further.
I never got that. Is this really a thing, or did I just evade it because I'm a loner among loners? ... there also is the other way. Men cannot be qualified to cook or to take care of children, and if they chose to do the latter, they're dangerous perverts anyway, and, in any case, need to receive a bit of chicksplaining ... which is the same thing with tabled turns ... let me expl (female voice from background, something heavy falls on the floor - silence).
Came back to my Parts Counter/Manager job after almost 10yr burn out break. A Customer that became a supposed Regular came in looking for the kid who was let go. Wouldn't let me look Part up. Came back with a Ford Part Number he "Correctly" managed to get and asked me to get it. Simply said gladly but I need the last 8 of the VIN to order it, my policy. Gets it and I asked what the part was. Guys tells me and it's right just order it. Me being a wise ass with these kind I run the VIN and part number he gave. Wrong part completely and part number he gave wasn't for his truck but for a Focus Sedan. Best part of story still to come so hopefully you can piece it together.
My Service writer/manager is witnessing this entire situation and knows what I am up to and she is giggling. I tell him the part number is not correct and he says and I Quote: I looked it up myself, I am a Man and Men know how to look up parts for their cars so just skip into your room and get my part Sweetheart and make sure it's the number I gave you!!" I side grin and tell him that it needs to be prepaid. New policy I implemented when I came back. Are you sure you want this part you looked up. You buy it and you own it. No returns. Was told to order it and grumbled but prepaid it. Let my Manager and Owner know what happened and they agreed parts the guys no matter what he says.
Load More Replies... To any men reading this: let this be a lesson to you. We ladies are f*****g TIGERS. Don't try to explain everything to us. If we don't understand something, we'll tell you. You aren't smarter just because of your gender. When we do something, we know what we're doing. Don't try to step in. If we want you to, we'll ask.
Actually:no. Everyone does things he/she has no ideal about once in a while. Ideally it would be while learning something. Having ovaries does not make you smarter.It just means you have ovaries.
Load More Replies... I know someone that works for a cable company and I would like to share 2 things. Firstly, they are required to go through the steps with you to cover their asses. Secondly, some people legitimately don't understand thing like the batteries in the remote being dead and when they walk up to the tv and hit the power button they think it was magically fixed. So it's them trying to be certain you have done all the steps in the right order, no matter how simple.
Load More Replies... Mansplaining is due to the expectations some men feel they have placed upon them, it’s different than simply being condescending.
Load More Replies... 