What do you think of the term "mansplaining"?

Question

Personally, I use it. Not in a dismissive way, rather for when a man tries to explain to a woman something about themselves. For example, a man the other week tried to explain to me how my uterus works. That's what I would call mansplaining.

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

Mansplaining is when a man dismisses my intelligence, experience and knowledge, disrespects what I have to say, and tries to tell me how to feel about things. If you demonstrate a basic level of respect for me, I don't usually feel like I am being mansplained to. If you have way more experience and knowledge about a topic, I don't feel like I'm being mansplained to. Constantly I am being told what feminists are by men who don't know a thing about feminism - guess what, your opinions don't equal my facts. Those guys are mansplaining. Constantly I am being told how my body and orgasms are supposed to work by men who have never studied anatomy, physiology, or any recent findings on female sexual response in studies, and are sometimes even virgins, but they are just so damn sure their myths and old wives tales equal my formal education. Those guys are mansplaining.

Sometimes men just do not get that their opinion is irrelevant in a given situation - they have no dog in the fight, they have no expertise, they have no actual knowledge base, but still they feel like they need to shout me down with all the angry, childish, completely false things they believe. That's mansplaining.

Talk to me like an equal, engage in an exchange of ideas with me like what I say matters, stop discounting me just because I am a woman. Then you'll stop being accused of mansplaining.

Sora18 · Accepted Answer

As a woman, I hate the term and will never use it. It's so incredibly ignorant and obnoxious.

When a man tries to explain something to me about myself, I think two things. Is he a professional doctor/expert in this field that I may never have noticed before? If the answer is no, then why do I bother entertaining him with a conversation? Literally, why are you there trying to argue back? There will always be someone that knows more than you, man or woman. But if they don't actually have the expertise or knowledge, then I conclude them as idiots. And who cares what an idiot rambles on about?

Just don't degrade their entire gender because of momentary irritation. That's just your own childishness and immaturity coming out. Because you should be smart enough to know by now that everyone is different.

KDria · Accepted Answer

I think the word is stupid used in all settings. There are plenty of women who act like they know everything just like there are men who do that. There's already a phrase for it.. it's called a know it all. The fact that some women are trying to make it a gender thing is so stupid, it's ridiculous. Plus, how your uterus works is just biology so a man can know more about it than you do.. it's called a male gynecologist. And if he didn't know what he was talking about then he's just ignorant. No need to make it a male problem.

freakyzeaky · Accepted Answer

I think it is a stupid term. People discuss things all the time, explain their points of view, opinions, share facts, explain the processes of life.

I see women explaining themselves to men all the time, about their preferences, about how women are, or how men should be, etc. Why isn't that "womansplaining"?

To me it is more like, everyone has a perspective, and just because a person is elaborating on that perspective, doesn't mean they saying their perspective supersedes yours, even if they think they are correct.

I suppose some men live by the idea, especially in dating, that what women say or think is different than what they actually feel and do, which leads them to come up with all kinds of crazy theories backed by armchair biology and anecdotal evidence. That isn't a mansplanation, that is a friggin' interpretation from ONE man's point of view.

Investigator · Accepted Answer

The word "manspreading" is what I'd like to put in a category of word usage call "diffusion speak": it's only purpose is to "diffuse" serious debate into contrivance and meaningless argumentation about the nature of speech and who gets to use it, i. e. the only reason you use words like mansplain and manspread is if you can't bring anything of substance to the table and you're only contribution is to simply shut down the dialogue completely.

Better to stop people from voicing their opinions and possibly causing hurt feelings than to actually get anything done.

Cccgala · Answer

In a debate setting, the person who is first to accuse an opponent of "mansplaining" is the one who has already lost.

The word "mansplaining" seems simplistic as a term that suggests that men have a uniform style of explaining when in actuality, every man is different.

ADFSDF1996 · Answer

It’s a made up word used to silence men who speak out against misandry.

joshuafreeman707 · Answer

It's interesting because the meaning of the word ultimately already exists, but without gender. You could just as easily say that the guy patronized you or condescended to you. Both of those get the same exact meaning across, without gender-specificity.

I think the disappointing thing is that that kind of condescension from men to women happens frequently enough for a word like mansplaining to exist. Rather than guys bemoaning the sheer existence of the word, there should be a concerted effort to remove the behaviors that sparked the coining of the term in the first place.

Are you a guy that hates the word mansplaining? If so, then when you see men condescending to women, disregarding their knowledge and experience on a topic, speak up.

NineBreaker · Answer

FYI, sometimes some men will tell you something and explain it to you not because they think that you need to be educated about it. They might already know or expect that you're already knowledgeable. They may just be trying to impress you, or demonstrate that they actually understand a concept you wouldn't expect them to. The fact is, most men have no idea how a uterus works, unless a guy is a healthcare provider or a scientist for example.

However, there are too many men who are arrogant and condescending, not only towards women, but equally (and sometimes even more so) towards other men.

Then there are the men who are definitely misogynists, and unsympathetically so.

Phoenix98 · Answer

It's just a dumb and ridiculous word feminists made up as a another excuse to attack men. The word itself is ignorant and ridiculous

I could just as easily say a woman is womansplaining when she explains to me how it's sexist to spread my legs when I'm sitting down. Despite the fact that I know that I'm not being sexist adn that I'm sitting the way I am because I have balls, balls that are highly sensitive and hurt and cause discomfort when they're crushed in between my legs.

But in reality she's just a ignorant bitch.

Just like any man who acts in an idiotic and rude way is a dick, douche or schmuck.

All you do when you add a gender before a word is cause pointless aggression and set yourself up to be one of those women the kind that everyone dislikes.

Kmaniac · Answer

Mansplaining a ridiculous made up term used to dismiss a mans point of view. Your example, for example, is ludicrous, men also take health and biology in school. Just because someone is a man you think they don't know how a uterus works? Unless you were talking to an idiot that had no idea what he was talking about, which there are idiots of both genders, there's a good chance he probably knows how a uterus works. Would you like it if men used a ludicrous term like womansplaining any time a women spoke on a subject to dismiss whatever it is they said? The term is idiotic. People are people, regardless of gender. You shouldn't use a term that dismisses over half the population. I won't make it about feminism, although feminists are the ones that coined the phrase. I'll stick to making it about humanitarianism.

meowcow · Answer

Just because you are a woman, and you have a uterus, does not mean you know how it works.

The notion that you have it... therefore, you are an expert at the subject is a logical fallacy made by idiots. Whether it is having a uterus, being gay, lesbian, trans... etc, unless you actually have a good understanding of the subject, merely possessing something or being something does not make you knowledgeable.

Here's a more obvious example...
Do you think schizophrenics are knowledgeable experts about their own condition? Are people with Down's syndrome experts with regards to their genetic syndrome? Are all women more qualified to make medical diagnosis about their uterus than a male doctor with a true understanding of how your body works?

If a woman who is explaining how the prostate works to a man, is she "womansplaining".

I wonder if you even notice how using made up terms by feminists and SJWs makes one sounds stupid.

Wolframium · Answer

I think, that it’s product of SJW, it’s beyond stupid and nobody should use it. And it is also sexist. Where is womansplaining? Oh, that’s right, nowhere.
OK. You have uterus, sure, but that doesn’t make you expert on that. Shocking, right? Now, I guess I mansplain, right? :-D Do you see, how stupid it is? Let me say this. I have…red blood cells. Like…a lot of them. But that doesn’t make me expert on them. Something what is exclusive to one sex only, I hear you saying? OK. I have penis. And…I don’t know that much about it. Now, imagine, that some (female) doctor would explain me, how it all works. For some reason. OK. I’m fine with that. I would never call it womansplaining. It simply wouldn’t even cross my mind.
I don’t know, who that man was, what was that context of that conversation, because you haven’t provided these information (convenient?), so I cannot judge.

spuitkaas · Answer

I don't like the term
Yes I've come across men who have too much ego and think they know everything and need to explain that all to me.
However, I've seen women do this too.
Men more often, but to make a whole word only adressing men is stupid.
Especially because the only effect it gives is that men who do care about feminism etc are being shut down, because they're afraid of mansplaining.
If you have an annoying conversation partner who only screams over you, find a new one or express your thoughts.
Don't make a whole word for it and blame every man that they do things wrong.

lumos · Answer

I think it's a funny word, but people seem to be throwing it around willy nilly without thinking too hard about the actual meaning. You hit the nail on the head in terms of its meaning, though. Mansplaining isn't just about a man explaining something. Mansplaining is specifically when a guy *thinks* he knows more than a woman (without actually knowing that for a fact), usually on a topic that concerns women more than men, and he explains it in a way that's kinda antagonistic and all holier-than-thou. People don't seem to get that that's the definition and either a) use it to attack men just because they're trying to explain something or b) feel offended by the term because they (men) think it means they're not allowed to express their thoughts anymore. Both of which are incredibly wrong.

Annie_Mosity · Answer

I think the term needs to be changed to include anyone who patronisingly explains something to someone who obviously knows the in's and out's of the process being explained. My female friend "mansplains" to people all the time. She will hear someone explaining something and feel the need to explain it back to them in more confusing and less clear terms. She thinks being as technical and confusing as possible is better than bringing things down to a level everyone can understand. It's embarrassing a lot of the time.

Working in a slightly engineering field I have been "mansplained" to countless times. Anyone who thinks society see women and men as equals in the workplace obviously hasn't been a woman in a male dominated sector. I get mansplained to by people who know a lot less than me about things. It's very hard trying to talk to men like these without damaging their fragile egos. I think the term is sexist though, needs to be unisex because women can be just as bad for it.

D_Bone_Steak · Answer

Was he wrong about how your uterus works? lol

I think it's used to be dismissive the majority of the time. Basically man + explanation/theory/thought = something a lowly male shouldn't be allowed to do.

It's the equivalent of a woman trying to explain anything or some other concept she is privy to or has any thoughts on, and I just dismiss anything she has to say because she is a woman... and that just simply equals womansplaning... so meh and and look down my nose at her instead of having any consideration for another point of view.

Dismissive snobbery with a (feminist) chauvinistic edge.

Mexicoman101 · Answer

Its a word annoying women employ when they don't want men to explain things to them. I see it very liberally used to dismiss people. I understand its origins came from a woman having a book explained by a douchebag to her at a party which she wrote herself in a shitty way that underestimated her own intelligence with sexist undertones, but I don't really feel like the internet-or feminists especially-view words as saceed in their meaning. Just look at the word cuck, its used to decribe people you have political disagreements with or to describe someone you find to be overly submissive when really it came from a specific (weird) sexual fetish, cuckolding. Or words like literally, uber, etc. I generally see the word 'mansplaining' and get the same urge to throw up in my mouth a little that seeing 'manspreading' gives me. If its used in the right context, I can forgive it, but 87% of the time its purile bullshit. I hate it.

Bananaman177 · Answer

I've got a really high I. Q. and I have to mansplain everything to everybody all the time and my absolute level best efforts have only ever yielded the most marginal results in terms of edification.

But I'll keep trying to make dumb motherfuckers turn their fucking brains on for the rest of my life, and like Batman, you never need to thank me, because I may be a martyr for the stupidity of Man, but I am doing it purely for my own selfish reasons of trying to understand my own deep-seated psychological trauma.

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curioustiger · Answer

It's rude, childish and makes people look stuck up.

If you don't want to talk to someone or listen to them. Just don't talk to them. Don't need to be rude about it. Just don't interact with them. Just remember that if you can act like that, we can too. I get some men are dicks. But sometimes we are trying to have an intellectual conversation to show we have some understanding of things or to connect on a higher level than just a physical one. But if he is just being rude and acting like you stupid because you are a woman. This is when they speak down to you and very much treat you to the equivalent of a child. Then just cut contact all to get him. You deserve a man that will be kind to you. But be careful he may be trying to show you he cares, by trying to explain that he understands what might be going on and is willing to connect with you. It is ok to ask him why he wanted to explain that to you.

dragonfly6516 · Answer

Men think is straight logical lines; women get lost, finding every single connection on the way.

Our brains literally work differently, so we are going to comprehend on slightly different levels, and conceptualize in different ways.

He can see that a room needs painting, and she can see that the room needs the walls tinted with Robin's Egg Blue.

thatgirlwithbluehair · Answer

I think the fact many women have found themselves being talked down to and having things explained to them like they're a children, when they have full knowledge of the situation, is the reason why there's now a word for the action. Actions speakouder than words and those actions have earned themselves a name now

MsLoli · Answer

If we have "mansplaining", we should also have "womansplaining". Equality, bitches. It works both ways. XD

Anonymous · Answer

“Mansplaining” actually is when a man tries to explain something to a women because he thinks she’s too dumb to know. There’s no use of logic on the mans part, he’s dismissing the fact that women are smart and know more than men give women credit for.

Walrus_au · Answer

well, in your example - if the guy knows a lot about the biology of it and you don't, I don't think that would fit with the usual connotations or expectation of 'mansplaning'. But if there is no reason for the guy to know more, then yes, it fits.
usually it suggests a level of condescending.

DonkeyRick69 · Answer

I think "mansplaining" is a sexist term usually used by feminists who cannot debate a subject or matter properly. Invoking gender to shut down a person's right to speak is a classic radical feminist tactic and is completely hypocritical.

https://youtu.be/TJyQpRfaGnw

I love when this Australian politician shuts down a feminist politician using the sexist term mansplaining

PotatoGab · Answer

In all honesty it's a word that describes how people chose to interrupt someone and ignore their knowledge only to talk about what they supposedly know.

The only thing wrong with this term is that it is used towards men, even though all genders have the ability to be an ass

HungLikeAHorsefly · Answer

I don't know why - I have been on GAG a while - but I'm a little surprised by the hyper negative responses from men. I've personally seen this happen like a zillion times, so I'm not really sure what folks are upset about. I mean, it's a word that describes something that happens often.

MayBlythe · Answer

If you think the word mansplaining is a real thing then you have to accept that womansplaining is a real thing as well

DeeperMeaning · Answer

Mansplaining is not a thing. It's just a term used by irrational women whenever a man uses logic against them.

englisc · Answer

I just think it's a little hypocritical since it's a word invented and used by feminists who are supposedly all about equality and constantly complain that they're viewed as anti-male, to say that this is a gender specific issue as if women don't do the same to men, which they do all the time.

Anonymous · Answer

I use it too. Men don't like it because they think it's sexist. Well we don't like being talked down to like a child! Mansplaining is sexist. Don't get mad because we call you out on it.

In all seriousness, we can't really expect them to understand something that they don't experience.

IdkSomethingRandom · Answer

Either they're explaining or they're being condescending. Trying to make up a word for it specifically because it's a man being condescending is just asinine. Women can be condescending too, but if we said femsplaining, or got aggressive and made bitchsplaining popular, there'd be riots.

goddess87 · Answer

The definition of mansplaining is that it is in a condescending and patronizing way. But it isn't even a real word. It's a slang term that never caught on. I don't think anyone would be taken seriously if they said that during a serious conversation

peugetopian · Answer

Ahaha... Some people get bad attitudes. Personally, I try to say that I am checking my understanding.. but sharing information can be a loving act.. (regardless of the sex of the person) but I think it was a thing that the guy appreciated... Being told how things work... So he is trying to share that... Maybe nievly...

truthbeknown · Answer

It's suppose to be when a man is explaining something to a woman that women generally don't know much about like cars, or electronics or something, but do so in a condescending manner that is borderline insulting to the woman's level of intelligents.
Unfortunately, modern extremist feminism has warped this into anything and anyway a man explains anything to a woman becomes automatically "mansplaining" and therefore also automatically derogatory, insulting and sexist which is complete nonsense.

Anonymous · Answer

Since I met my girlfriend 10 years ago, I have this running joke with her that she was born under a rock until she met me. Certain things that are pretty common things to know she has no clue about. For example, the term "you need this done yesterday" completely flew over her head. She sworn she never heard it before. She had no clue what the guy meant. Or certain cultural references like "it doesn't matter if you win by inch or a mile, winning is winning (places arms up in the air)" . So many times that this happens I have to explain what these references mean.

She stumbled into a mansplaining video in Facebook and said "hey, you do this!" Then I replied "fine, look like a clueless moron meanwhile everyone around you is laughing because they get the joke/reference. "

Bell44444 · Answer

Are you womansplaining mansplaining? Cuz I'm sensing some real irony here.

Partywithtom · Answer

A man can't know how a uterus works? I have and still teach women more about their sexuality than they knew prior. You're not going to believe me and that's fine but I've had more than one woman say it to me.

If a female doctor of prostate health hits me up should I just be like HA! Femsplaining!! You're a woman and can't possibly know anything about my prostate.

BruceWang · Answer

So if a male gynecologist were to explain something to you if you had an inflamed uterus, you'd cover your ears and yell mansplaining because he's a man talking about the female body? It's funny how people think they know more than someone because it affects them than someone who studied it in college and got a degree from it lol.

ATuairiscean · Answer

I suppose I have filed it in its jokey sense where certain stereotypical attributes of a group are parodied. My feelings on this once you are laughing "With" someone rather than "At" someone, its okay - Beyond that you move onto "Patronising" or "Offensive" behaviour which probably should be addressed seriously.

Bandit74 · Answer

I think its a sexist term designed to dismiss a man's opinion and stop him from expressing himself.

And why do we need a gender specific term to accuse someone of being condescending. In my experience, women, especially feminists are just as likely, if not, more likely to be condescending when expressing their viewpoints.

TacosRAwesome · Answer

I use bitchsplaining... When a bitchy person tries to explain stuff to me and bores me to tears.

akentak · Answer

A 24 yo woman, licenced psychologist, did not know she had a urethra. She thought she was peing from her vagina and that peing help her clean her vagina from period blood. Was I 'mansplaining' to her, or just explaining? She also did not know that the sun was a star.

jcmok · Answer

I think it's idiotically sexist. Woman inturupt me way more than any other sex with me. Inturupting is basically ones etiquette with speaking. It goes for both sexes, and shouldn't be categorized farther than being a rude little shit. But, that's just me.

Jager66 · Answer

At best,
It's tool used by Feminists to silence the truth that contradicts their near religious ideological beliefs.

At worst,
A tool of hate and bigotry used to attack and demean 50% of the population, not better than any other form of racism, sexism etc..

demonics · Answer

We do that because women are usually fed a line of BS that they never challenge or understand or encounter themselves. I. e. explaining anything at all to a feminist... while smearing period blood on themselves.

"Why do hunters kill the poor animals? Why don't they just go to the store and get the meat there?"

raspberry0416 · Answer

It's when a man doesn't listen to a woman's perspective on something and insists that he knows better. This happens commonly with men who feel like they need to dominate the conversation.

PrincessBunBuns · Answer

It's true sometimes. Haven't had it happen to me since I hardly talk to guys or I tell them to STFU if they're being stupid (but in all due respect, I do that to girls too).

snekbrek23 · Answer

I think you're a sheep for using a buzzword you heard in order to further perpetuate your own ignorance. You can't just throw this sexist term out and act. like women don't do the same exact thing. Stop being a sheep and get over yourself

ClassyMoose · Answer

Was that man a doctor? Also, the term "manslaining" is inherently sexist. Woman do it too, so let's not assign gender to it.

MisterSage · Answer

Women can do the same thing about/to men. Same with the whole ‘manspreading’ thing, but replace legs with bags or purses. At least we have a reason to ‘manspread’: It hurts when you try to keep your legs shut cause your balls get squished.

Lelianax2 · Answer

Eh.  I don't like the term.  I'm sure there's womansplaining as well, but altogether it just sounds so dismissive and rude.

Anonymous · Answer

Why would you automatically assume that you know how your uterus works? Why would you assume that just because he's a man, he couldn't possibly know?

I mean, really. How many women out there think their clit is just a little button? How many men understand how their testicles produce testosterone? Just being a particular gender doesn't impart you with magical knowledge that three other can't comprehend.

Don1892 · Answer

I think its a term that bitchy women have corrupted. I've seen a few odd guys here and there that talk as if women dont understand simple things but as sexist as that is, the term itself is sexist. There are women that talk that way too and the majority of men dont do that.

For example feminism is now a horrible curse word in society because its now like a crusade for superiority. I wouldn't say im a feminist, id say im for equal rights, as do most women i know.

JohnBelluci · Answer

This is what you get in the real world for using such ridiculous term:

sujinko · Answer

I think it's offensive and sexist to use a word to single out a man for sharing his opinion if a woman we're to sit here and tell me how my male parts work I wouldn't say she's womansplaining because that's offensive have respect and be the bigger person

disgustingweebtrash · Answer

It's bullshit term used against guys because when a guy tries explaining something to a woman and her dumb ass still doesn't understand him so she says that he is mansplaining, smart women would never use this term

thelastcyborgcorn · Answer

In my opinion (with the example):
Male who is not a medical professional or gynecologist- Shut up about my uterus...
Male who is a medical professional or gynecologist (like mine)- I'll listen to the opinions and facts and acknowledge them..

Like-Me · Answer

So if a male doctor tells you something about your body, he is mansplaining?
What about when a woman tries to tell a man something about his dick? Is she womansplaining?
You sexist, retarded, stupid fucking lesbian shit.

memyselfandiamhere · Answer

It's stupid.
If I add the gender before it it's a stupid agression.
Like.. why would it be impossible that he know is better then you do?
When someone uses this term I have to assume that this person is frustrated and stupid

Anonymous · Answer

So if a male gynecologist tells a woman how her uterus works, is he mansplaining?

Please, so many women don't even know how it works themselves.

Mansplaining is basically what a woman who's wrong but has too big of an ego to admit she's wrong, will say to silence a man. Typical misandry masked as victimhood.

Jawajoey · Answer

There's a category of behavior that the term "mansplaining" makes some sense for. But more often than not, it's just used to refer to a man daring to state an opinion.

DinaM · Answer

It's a term I personally don't like because, like many other controversial terms, everyone seems to have their own interpretation of what it means and whenever uses the word it always ends to a lot of fighting and butthurt people.

Archi3 · Answer

It's not even a catchy word though so as a new word it's already on its way to decline... Try saying it... 'Mansplain', not only would one sound like an utterly fool using it, nobody would *truly* understand them.

What do you think of the term "mansplaining"?

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