Mansplaining: Annoying Habit or Social Misfire?
We all know the scene, you're mid-sentence, sharing something you know a lot about, maybe it's your job, your degree, or even your opinion and then he interrupts. With a confident tone, he starts explaining the exact thing you were already talking about. Suddenly, you're not in a conversation anymore, you're in a TED Talk you're kinda forced to listen to. That's mansplaining.
We've heard the term, we've used it, and let's be real, sometimes, it hits the nail on the head. It's that special brand of explaining that comes with a side of condescension, usually served by a man who assumes you couldn't possibly know what he knows.
But here's where things get a little messy. Somewhere along the way, the term 'mansplaining' went from calling out genuinely patronizing behavior to being slapped on any time a guy opens his mouth. And that's where we need to slow down for a second.
Believe it or not, not every man explaining something is trying to mansplain. Yes, we're allowed to be annoyed when someone talks over us like we're clueless. That energy is frustrating and dismissive. It makes us feel like our knowledge doesn't count unless it's been approved by a deeper voice, but also context matters, so does tone and so does intent.
And honestly, we shouldn't get lost in the chaos of callouts. You can believe in equality and still admit that not every man is a mansplainer by default. Feminism doesn't mean jumping at every word a man says, it means expecting mutual respect in how those words are shared.
So no, we're not overreacting when we call it out. But we're also not helping ourselves if we flatten every dynamic into the same cliché. There's a difference between 'I know more than you, let me correct you' energy and 'Hey, this reminded me of something interesting, want to hear?' One is a power move. The other is just normal human interaction. It's okay to take a breath, check the vibe and ask: was that mansplaining or was it just a guy, actually trying?
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Mansplaining: Annoying Habit or Social Misfire?
We all know the scene, you're mid-sentence, sharing something you know a lot about, maybe it's your job, your degree, or even your opinion and then he interrupts. With a confident tone, he starts explaining the exact thing you were already talking about. Suddenly, you're not in a conversation anymore, you're in a TED Talk you're kinda forced to listen to. That's mansplaining. We've heard the term, we've used it, and let's be real, sometimes, it hits the nail on the head. It's that special brand of explaining that comes with a side of condescension, usually served by a man who assumes you couldn't possibly know what he knows. But here's where things get a little messy. Somewhere along the way, the term 'mansplaining' went from calling out genuinely patronizing behavior to being slapped on any time a guy opens his mouth. And that's where we need to slow down for a second. Believe it or not, not every man explaining something is trying to mansplain. Yes, we're allowed to be annoyed when someone talks over us like we're clueless. That energy is frustrating and dismissive. It makes us feel like our knowledge doesn't count unless it's been approved by a deeper voice, but also context matters, so does tone and so does intent. And honestly, we shouldn't get lost in the chaos of callouts. You can believe in equality and still admit that not every man is a mansplainer by default. Feminism doesn't mean jumping at every word a man says, it means expecting mutual respect in how those words are shared. So no, we're not overreacting when we call it out. But we're also not helping ourselves if we flatten every dynamic into the same cliché. There's a difference between 'I know more than you, let me correct you' energy and 'Hey, this reminded me of something interesting, want to hear?' One is a power move. The other is just normal human interaction. It's okay to take a breath, check the vibe and ask: was that mansplaining or was it just a guy, actually trying?
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