Mansplaining

[hollodero]

(07-30-2018, 05:35 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: I was thinking about this this weekend. Back in the day, didn't we just use to refer to people as "know-it-alls" or "smart asses"? And it was generally conducted by people with deep insecurity who felt a need to prove something. And didn't this used to be a gender-neutral behavior?

When did explaining something become "an attack on women"? You know, I can understand how it could be viewed that way if someone starts an explanation with "Looky here, little lady....". That is definitely old school chauvinism, right?

Somebody fill me in. How do you define "mansplaining"? Mansplain to me, if you have to.

Sure. First off, I need to explain to you that the psychological assessment "there are deep insecurities that do this and that" usually is quite pointless. Everyone has some deep insecurities, doesn't mean everyone's a smartass. Just me. 

Second, it sounds like you'd ridicule deep, hidden insecurities. You should not. I tried more open insecurities once, doesn't fare too well with the environment either.

Third, I cannot mansplain anything to you. You're a male, I'm a male, I only can be a smartass. Now if you were a woman, I sure could mansplain the world to you. I could mansplain to you things about insecurities, or how the word "mansplain" really just is used by insecure women who have to resort to made up gender stereotypes to deal with an unpleasant experience. I would be wrong probably, but since you asked you wouldn't know better. Right.

Fourth, there is no denying that there are still lots of men who deep down believe they are just smarter than an average woman can possibly be with her ladybrain. Whoever has such an attitude probably shows it from time to time. Also, of course there are also insecure men who overcompensate by believing everyone is at least the same amount of insecure, or who have to actively change a person's image to that wanted perception. Women are usually a good target for that, also openly insecure men. There's certainly an incentive.

Fifth. You explain stuff without being asked to do so, and you might be percieved as degrading someone, to a person in need of your intellectual help which was graciously provided. It can be off-putting to be put in that position. When there's a pattern of you doing it selectively (e.g. towards women) instead all of the time, you might be called a mansplainer. If you're doing it all the time, you might also be called a mansplainer, of course.

I guess that's all.