Ah, mansplaining . Even just the word is enough to make a woman’s eyes roll all the way up to the stratosphere.
In case you haven’t heard of it before, “mansplaining” is quite literally just what it sounds like: a man has decided he is more educated and well-versed on a subject than a woman and takes it upon himself to explain it to her in the most demeaning, patronizing way possible.
Twitter user @J_dot_J recently posted a tweet asking women to share the “most obvious thing you’ve ever been mansplained about”, and the answers are truly incredible, it not unbelievably maddening.
Here are just a few of the responses.
Men who don’t understand this is literally your job.
Look, if you want to try to ramble on about health insurance to someone, fine. But maybe don’t pick a literal health insurance lawyer as your unwilling audience.
You’re just asking to be accused of mansplaining.
Men who think they understand menstruation.
Perhaps this is an unpopular opinion, but I think it would be best if people who have never experienced something don’t try to invalidate someone who is literally experiencing that very thing.
I don’t know. Just a thought.
Men who corner you into mansplaining road trips.
This guy knew this woman was trapped in a car with him for a long period of time and decided this was his perfect opportunity to go on a patronizing (and wildly incorrect) rant about the Harry Potter series.
Even though he’s only seen the first film and never picked up a Harry Potter book.
Men who should really just keep their mouths shut.
Tell me how you know it “won’t hurt at all” when you quite literally have never, will never, and could never have such a procedure done, doctor?
Go on. Tell me.
Men who mansplain mansplaining.
Well this is almost too meta for my brain to handle. This man literally heard the term for the very first time in his life and decided he already knew more about it than the woman who told him what it was.
Incredible.
Men who think their way is better.
Again, if you’ve never done something before and someone happens to show you how it’s done, the worst thing you can do is then teach them how to do it, but in a different, “better” way.
Now you’re just being an ass.
Men who mansplain without any real knowledge of the subject.
To avoid further embarrassment, perhaps this man should really consider who he’s trying to sprinkle some unwanted knowledge upon before launching into an embarrassing lecture about their particular field of study.
Men who want to control everything.
If she says it’s time to break up, it’s time to break up. Doesn’t matter if it’s not the right time for him, or he thinks she’ll change her mind after her period comes (which, by the way, is a horrifyingly pathetic attempt at preventing a break up from happening.)
Thank goodness she got out of that relationship when she did.
Men who think they know best.
This new dad decided decades of experience doesn’t mean squat when it comes to having a woman teach him how to do something.
No, no. Unacceptable. That’s why he had to take over and show the literal expert how it’s really done.
Men who mansplain about things that we never even know they could mansplain.
I’ll be honest, a woman’s name was the last thing I expected to learn had been mansplained to someone. Yet here we are, with a story of a man who told someone she not only misspells her own name, but also mispronounces it.
You, sir, are simply the worst.
Men who have a death wish.
Seriously. If I am in the middle of giving birth to your child, and you have the audacity to invalidate the pain that I am undoubtedly experiencing…
Well, let’s just say this newborn will be growing up without a father.
