Male Coworkers Were Asking This Woman Whether They Were ‘Mansplaining’, So She Created A Chart
Mansplaining is defined as when a man tries to explain something to a woman in an oversimplified manner, often in a patronizing tone. The problem arises from a noxious mixture of overinflated ego, based on the flawed assumption of the male chauvinist that men simply know better, and clueless ignorance of the knowledge and capabilities that modern women wield with a tinge of sexism on top of it all.
It needn’t necessarily be a gendered issue, some people are simply arrogant and get a smug sense of satisfaction from talking down to people, regardless of their sex. But it is pervasive enough to have been identified as a problem that we must tackle. So guys, how do you know when you’re mansplaining? It really shouldn’t be too difficult, just don’t assume that you are more knowledgeable about something, simply because you own a penis. Still not clear with this passive sexism example? Twitter user Kim Goodwin decided that she would lay it out in terms that even an idiot could understand, using a simple, classic flow chart.
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Her post quickly went viral, with people applauding her creative and accurate way of getting her point across. And while there were some (mostly male) detractors, the thread was enlightening as people took to the topic, and shared their own experiences of mansplaining and sexism in the workplace. Scroll down below to check it out for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments!
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Here’s what people had to say about the amusing and informative chart
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Mansplaining often happens by a man explaining back to a woman something she litterally just explained to him one minute before. So not only is it condescending, but it makes him look stupid.
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Or, you know, he could just be repeating it to make sure he got it right.
I'm sure you can tell the difference between someone explaining something to you (although you already know this) and someone asking if they have got it right by hearing some kind of "If I'm getting this right, what you're saying is..." instead of some variation of "Did you know that (insert what I just said) ?" Can you ? Well, every woman can, too, so you can stop spreading this nonsense...
Why not just condemn condescending and baseless explanations? Why gender it for no reason? We could have agreed! I've experienced this from both men and women, its not sexism, its just regular asshole-ness.
Because our behavior is largely gendered. Men are 'typically' more assertive, more likely to interrupt, more likely to speak, more likely to ask questions, more likely to feel qualified, more likely to feel assured in their opinions, etc. Women are 'typically' more reserved, they are less likely to speak up, less likely to interrupt, less likely to ask questions, less confident in their abilities and qualifications, etc. Furthermore, men are far less likely to be corrected for interrupting while women who interrupt are more likely to be reprimanded. They do studies on this all the time. The reason why she focuses on gender is because gender matters a lot. Statistics tell us just how much gender matters. It isn't for no reason, the reason is because we know from study after study that women disproportionately suffer from this behavior.
you know the people who are saying you are wrong are mostly men right?And you know what they are doing?Explaining, way too much.I totally agree that it is gendered based
Indeed, one hallmark seems to include the typical blindness of the 'mansplainer' to what he is doing. The pseudo-objection that he would be explaining things the same way to another man, as opposed to a woman (and that it's therefore really just about being an a$$hole to EVERYBODY instead of engaging in unconscious gender bias), is not borne out by the formal studies. It's an excuse that doesn't match reality, in the vast majority of cases. It is quite a different thing than the give-and-take of a conversation those perceived as equals.
No, our behavior is best explained by the dunning Krueger effect. Both female and male scientists would agree. This is something that effects both genders.
How unfortunate that those replying to your very pointed answer are basing their responses on "personal experiences," versus well-studied and documented cases of inequalities of socioeconomic position, gender, and race.
@Ivana - I think your reasoning is sound, and mansplaining is definately a more common male trait. I also think the term has been somewhat weaponised to either shutdown unwanted debate or for certain feminists to smack all males over the head with, but that another story. What I want to know is how the 'mansplaining is a male thing because males are different' reasoning is able to coexist with with the '50/50 gender diversity in certain high-paying employment fields because women and men are fundamentally the same' reasoning. Both ideas are thrown around by progressive types all the time, but in my view they seem to have a very central conflict.
Uhmm It's gendered in that it may usually be that the source is a man, yes... but here it ALSO say that the target has to be a woman... That is not really that real... Usually if one is used to be that way, he is not going to make discrimination... He will be overbearing with everyone ^^;;
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"They do studies on this all the time." maybe they should get proper jobs and stop waiting so much time on things which do not really matter a jot. My partner, is a technophobe, and I get crap if I try to help, so do I just give up on her and let her continually make mistakes, I have observed all my life that if you do try to help or explain anything to a woman, no good deed goes unpunished as they mostly cannot abide not knowing everything, and assume you think they are stupid, which just is not true, women on the whole are mega intelligent, just mostly indifferent fields, I ask my partner for help on loads of occasions, and also have it offered unasked, should I feel offended, NO, don't be so ridiculous.
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Though I understand this anecdotal: my experiences are different. They just do it in different ways: men doing this tend to be more arrogant and assertive, whilst women tend to be smug and haughty. Studies don't account for the different ways in which the different genders explain things in a condescending way. Irregardless of this, even if men were responsible for 99.9% of this behaviour, calling it 'mansplaining' means ignoring the ('few') women who do it. If they left gender out of it, they could target a larger group of offenders, leave innocent men out of it and avoid causing a divide. Calling out anyone who does this behaviour - even while acknowledging it to be predominately men - would be far more beneficial to everyone.
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Question - do not women wish to be treated equally as men? That's what I've always heard about the equal rights and feminist movement. Reason I ask is from what I've seen of supposed examples of "mansplaining" it is nothing more than a man discussing something with a woman in the same way as he would with a man. Granted, there are some assholes out there, but that is life. But by n large it seems to be a man talking with a woman in the same way as he would with a man. Is that not what you want?
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And the token feminist rears her ugly head.
As a man and a scientific researcher in a multidisciplinary lab, it is absolutely gendered. I see men do it to women all the time, in all kinds of situations, and almost never see women doing it, even those who are at the top of their fields. Do you think denying the validity of women's experiences is a good way to start off a rant about the absence of sexism? When people accuse women of "making it about gender" they're basically accusing them of making shit up to further an agenda. Hell, if asking for a bit of respect is an agenda, I'm all for it.
Yes, like the time a male colleague explained feminism to me--oh, and we're philosophers, and I teach feminism.
Thank you, Moose Face. And indeed, one hallmark seems to include the typical blindness of the 'mansplainer' to what he is doing. The pseudo-objection that he would explain things the same way to another man, as opposed to a woman (and that it's really just about being an a$$hole to EVERYBODY instead of engaging in unconscious gender bias), is not borne out by those studies. It's an excuse that doesn't match reality, in the vast majority of cases.
A woman has never explained to me menstruation, a man has, men have explained to me my name, like I just said hi my name is damaris, and they went into did you know your na... boy no.
i once had a boss who refused to believe i was capable of doing the job i applied for and was experienced in but instead made me start at a lower paying "girls job". Luckily I was hired by another company, provided i could prove i could do it, with in two months. but the real kicker was when told me my name, Maryjo was actually my first and middle name. Guess my mom got it wrong on my birth cert and added the third name by accident. silly woman./
Because gender is a variable.
Because it seems that men do it more to women than women do it to men.
The article explains why it is not a matter of simple condescension and is, in fact, a gendered issue.
I feel like her saying "man" could be interpreted two ways. The first way, which is how many people interpret it, as a male. Another is a more general one, as in referring to "mankind." Though I agree, it's not just females that are the targets. No hate, just a thought that I had.
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It is science dear.
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regular asshole-ness!!! love it, and yeah, it's what it is. Arrogant know-it-all's come in both sexes.
寒山, Indeed, one hallmark seems to include the typical blindness of the 'mansplainer' to what he is doing. The pseudo-objection that he would be explaining things the same way to another man, as opposed to a woman (and that it's therefore really just about being an a$$hole to EVERYBODY instead of engaging in unconscious gender bias), is not borne out by the formal studies.
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I agree... aaaaand she lost me at "men are by definition not targets of sexism"...
Really? When was the last time you got fired because you refused to fuck your boss? When was the last time an undergrad decided to explain the textbook YOU WROTE to you as if you didn't understand it? When was the last time someone came into your kitchen and explained how to make the cake you've been making (perfectly) since you were seven?
That is because most dictionaries say that the definition of sexism is discrimination against women based of sex. Most definitions say "typically" or "especially" against women. This is because discrimination implies a structural societal oppression of the dominate against the subservient and in pretty much every culture known to man, man is the dominate sex. The dominate group does not experience structural or societal discrimination because it is based on the power structure. Men may experience personal attacks based off of someone's personal bias, but that is different than being oppressed by a structure of society and/or government built on false norms, such as the norm that men know more than women. When a woman mansplains to a man, it is an individual acting against an individual. When men mansplain to women, it is because it is based off of socially accepted norm of male superiority.
Yep most me too. Many women consider all men to be childish and arrogant. Actually all types of generalization based on gender, nationality, religion, race, etc. is stupid. Get to really know who you're talking to and you'll know how to behave, don't categorize.
Never heard the term before but I'm probably guilty of womansplaining some obvious things to guys, too... Seems that all of us can be equally annoying :D
I think you didn't get it, let me explain it in easy terms... Sorry, couldn't resist.
Depends, do you explain things that are known to you in a condescending way, or do you explain things that are known to them in a condescending way? Do you go so far as to imply they're ignorant on the matter when in fact they're more knowledgeable than you?
Mansplaining often happens by a man explaining back to a woman something she litterally just explained to him one minute before. So not only is it condescending, but it makes him look stupid.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Or, you know, he could just be repeating it to make sure he got it right.
I'm sure you can tell the difference between someone explaining something to you (although you already know this) and someone asking if they have got it right by hearing some kind of "If I'm getting this right, what you're saying is..." instead of some variation of "Did you know that (insert what I just said) ?" Can you ? Well, every woman can, too, so you can stop spreading this nonsense...
Why not just condemn condescending and baseless explanations? Why gender it for no reason? We could have agreed! I've experienced this from both men and women, its not sexism, its just regular asshole-ness.
Because our behavior is largely gendered. Men are 'typically' more assertive, more likely to interrupt, more likely to speak, more likely to ask questions, more likely to feel qualified, more likely to feel assured in their opinions, etc. Women are 'typically' more reserved, they are less likely to speak up, less likely to interrupt, less likely to ask questions, less confident in their abilities and qualifications, etc. Furthermore, men are far less likely to be corrected for interrupting while women who interrupt are more likely to be reprimanded. They do studies on this all the time. The reason why she focuses on gender is because gender matters a lot. Statistics tell us just how much gender matters. It isn't for no reason, the reason is because we know from study after study that women disproportionately suffer from this behavior.
you know the people who are saying you are wrong are mostly men right?And you know what they are doing?Explaining, way too much.I totally agree that it is gendered based
Indeed, one hallmark seems to include the typical blindness of the 'mansplainer' to what he is doing. The pseudo-objection that he would be explaining things the same way to another man, as opposed to a woman (and that it's therefore really just about being an a$$hole to EVERYBODY instead of engaging in unconscious gender bias), is not borne out by the formal studies. It's an excuse that doesn't match reality, in the vast majority of cases. It is quite a different thing than the give-and-take of a conversation those perceived as equals.
No, our behavior is best explained by the dunning Krueger effect. Both female and male scientists would agree. This is something that effects both genders.
How unfortunate that those replying to your very pointed answer are basing their responses on "personal experiences," versus well-studied and documented cases of inequalities of socioeconomic position, gender, and race.
@Ivana - I think your reasoning is sound, and mansplaining is definately a more common male trait. I also think the term has been somewhat weaponised to either shutdown unwanted debate or for certain feminists to smack all males over the head with, but that another story. What I want to know is how the 'mansplaining is a male thing because males are different' reasoning is able to coexist with with the '50/50 gender diversity in certain high-paying employment fields because women and men are fundamentally the same' reasoning. Both ideas are thrown around by progressive types all the time, but in my view they seem to have a very central conflict.
Uhmm It's gendered in that it may usually be that the source is a man, yes... but here it ALSO say that the target has to be a woman... That is not really that real... Usually if one is used to be that way, he is not going to make discrimination... He will be overbearing with everyone ^^;;
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
"They do studies on this all the time." maybe they should get proper jobs and stop waiting so much time on things which do not really matter a jot. My partner, is a technophobe, and I get crap if I try to help, so do I just give up on her and let her continually make mistakes, I have observed all my life that if you do try to help or explain anything to a woman, no good deed goes unpunished as they mostly cannot abide not knowing everything, and assume you think they are stupid, which just is not true, women on the whole are mega intelligent, just mostly indifferent fields, I ask my partner for help on loads of occasions, and also have it offered unasked, should I feel offended, NO, don't be so ridiculous.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Though I understand this anecdotal: my experiences are different. They just do it in different ways: men doing this tend to be more arrogant and assertive, whilst women tend to be smug and haughty. Studies don't account for the different ways in which the different genders explain things in a condescending way. Irregardless of this, even if men were responsible for 99.9% of this behaviour, calling it 'mansplaining' means ignoring the ('few') women who do it. If they left gender out of it, they could target a larger group of offenders, leave innocent men out of it and avoid causing a divide. Calling out anyone who does this behaviour - even while acknowledging it to be predominately men - would be far more beneficial to everyone.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Question - do not women wish to be treated equally as men? That's what I've always heard about the equal rights and feminist movement. Reason I ask is from what I've seen of supposed examples of "mansplaining" it is nothing more than a man discussing something with a woman in the same way as he would with a man. Granted, there are some assholes out there, but that is life. But by n large it seems to be a man talking with a woman in the same way as he would with a man. Is that not what you want?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
And the token feminist rears her ugly head.
As a man and a scientific researcher in a multidisciplinary lab, it is absolutely gendered. I see men do it to women all the time, in all kinds of situations, and almost never see women doing it, even those who are at the top of their fields. Do you think denying the validity of women's experiences is a good way to start off a rant about the absence of sexism? When people accuse women of "making it about gender" they're basically accusing them of making shit up to further an agenda. Hell, if asking for a bit of respect is an agenda, I'm all for it.
Yes, like the time a male colleague explained feminism to me--oh, and we're philosophers, and I teach feminism.
Thank you, Moose Face. And indeed, one hallmark seems to include the typical blindness of the 'mansplainer' to what he is doing. The pseudo-objection that he would explain things the same way to another man, as opposed to a woman (and that it's really just about being an a$$hole to EVERYBODY instead of engaging in unconscious gender bias), is not borne out by those studies. It's an excuse that doesn't match reality, in the vast majority of cases.
A woman has never explained to me menstruation, a man has, men have explained to me my name, like I just said hi my name is damaris, and they went into did you know your na... boy no.
i once had a boss who refused to believe i was capable of doing the job i applied for and was experienced in but instead made me start at a lower paying "girls job". Luckily I was hired by another company, provided i could prove i could do it, with in two months. but the real kicker was when told me my name, Maryjo was actually my first and middle name. Guess my mom got it wrong on my birth cert and added the third name by accident. silly woman./
Because gender is a variable.
Because it seems that men do it more to women than women do it to men.
The article explains why it is not a matter of simple condescension and is, in fact, a gendered issue.
I feel like her saying "man" could be interpreted two ways. The first way, which is how many people interpret it, as a male. Another is a more general one, as in referring to "mankind." Though I agree, it's not just females that are the targets. No hate, just a thought that I had.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
It is science dear.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
regular asshole-ness!!! love it, and yeah, it's what it is. Arrogant know-it-all's come in both sexes.
寒山, Indeed, one hallmark seems to include the typical blindness of the 'mansplainer' to what he is doing. The pseudo-objection that he would be explaining things the same way to another man, as opposed to a woman (and that it's therefore really just about being an a$$hole to EVERYBODY instead of engaging in unconscious gender bias), is not borne out by the formal studies.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I agree... aaaaand she lost me at "men are by definition not targets of sexism"...
Really? When was the last time you got fired because you refused to fuck your boss? When was the last time an undergrad decided to explain the textbook YOU WROTE to you as if you didn't understand it? When was the last time someone came into your kitchen and explained how to make the cake you've been making (perfectly) since you were seven?
That is because most dictionaries say that the definition of sexism is discrimination against women based of sex. Most definitions say "typically" or "especially" against women. This is because discrimination implies a structural societal oppression of the dominate against the subservient and in pretty much every culture known to man, man is the dominate sex. The dominate group does not experience structural or societal discrimination because it is based on the power structure. Men may experience personal attacks based off of someone's personal bias, but that is different than being oppressed by a structure of society and/or government built on false norms, such as the norm that men know more than women. When a woman mansplains to a man, it is an individual acting against an individual. When men mansplain to women, it is because it is based off of socially accepted norm of male superiority.
Yep most me too. Many women consider all men to be childish and arrogant. Actually all types of generalization based on gender, nationality, religion, race, etc. is stupid. Get to really know who you're talking to and you'll know how to behave, don't categorize.
Never heard the term before but I'm probably guilty of womansplaining some obvious things to guys, too... Seems that all of us can be equally annoying :D
I think you didn't get it, let me explain it in easy terms... Sorry, couldn't resist.
Depends, do you explain things that are known to you in a condescending way, or do you explain things that are known to them in a condescending way? Do you go so far as to imply they're ignorant on the matter when in fact they're more knowledgeable than you?