“This Man Was A Literal Child”: 76 Times Men Assumed They Knew More Than Women

Someone mansplained my area of expertise, and then posted a link to a paper to prove his point.

I wrote the paper.

*chef kiss*.

I had an ex mansplain how mortgages work which doesn't sound too weird except that I was a mortgage banker and he was essentially financially illiterate.

One time, I went with my brother to buy a new pair of composite toe boots for work. I was trying on two different pairs of boots when a guy who worked there came up and asked if my brother needed assistance. My brother redirected the guy to me since I was the actual customer. The guy looked at me and told me that those boots were too big for me without actually having seen my feet. I explained that they are the correct size and that I go up a half size so that I have the option of adding an additional layer of thick wool socks. The guy then proceeded to tell me that I shouldn't wear wool socks because cheap cotton ones from Walmart work just fine. I patiently explained that wool socks are, in fact, more durable, antimicrobial, and still insulate when wet.



He then told me that I didn't need anything heavy duty for working in the garden and definitely didn't need composite toe boots. I was so livid at that point but I remained calm and explained that my job involves working outside and surveying steep terrain in awful weather conditions. So, I need the heavy duty boots and wool socks. The guy still tried to tell me my boot size was wrong. I then turned to my brother and said that we should leave and that I would not be spending money at that establishment. His mansplaining lost him a $300 sale.

Pregnancy. Prolifer dude explained to me that a healthy pregnancy places no physical burden on and poses no risks to the pregnant person.

My period is because I’m unhealthy and healthy women only have a dot of blood that’s why it’s called a period…..

I was a wildlife biologist for a logging company. Hired because I can identify over 300 species of birds via sight and sound. One staff member described a fox sparrow to me, let him know what he saw. Another man told me how that’s not possible and it was some other type of sparrow. I asked how he knew and if he had birding experience, no he worked with wolves and no birds. He just didn’t like that I knew birds and he didn’t lmao.

How to wash blood out of clothing.

Sir, I have been washing blood out of clothing since I was 11 years old. GRRRRR…..

That it was worse for him to have had a catheter than when I did.

Because his went into his urethra and mine went into my V, according to him.

He is not the only man I've been with who thinks [like this].

My absolute favorite (in the worst way) was a know-it-all who was sure that the Ivy League University I went to did not offer my degree.


I told him the subject of my MFA and he expressed his doubts that it existed in the curriculum of my university.


I assured him that as someone who Holds That Degree from That University I was certain that it does indeed exist.
Tf?


A few weeks later he cheerfully let me know that he had researched it and confirmed that --  sure enough, my degree really is offered by that university!


 It was as if he was proudly breaking good news of this discovery to me.

What a movie prop is because he's "in the industry". Dude worked at blockbuster. I was (still am) a union theatre tech with a theatre design degree. But thanks?

I had an ex tell me that women always know immediately when they are pregnant. I tried to explain it is not that simple because women (like myself) can have irregular periods and not know for sure if they miss one or two periods. But no, he told me all women know ASAP. So therefore there is no reason for abortions (not his exact words but basically that was the point he was trying to make).

I was working as an art instructor. He told me that "Real Artists" mix their own white paint by combining all the colors on their palette. I said "Oh really, I'd never heard that before." His assertion was false. That gets you brown/black. But I didn't correct him, because I knew one day, someone else would, and he'd think back to what he told me, and think "Man she must've thought I was an idiot," cuz yes, yes I did, and still do.

When my husband and I first started dating (way back in high school) I mentioned wanting to take a hot bath because of my cramps. He told me I should be taking a cold bath instead because heat is bad for cramps.

I told him I’d see him after my hot bath.

My brother in law told me all about dogs and their behaviors. Complete with why they do what they do, how it relates to their wild ancestors, and how to interpret their body language. When I tried to tell him some of his “facts” were incorrect, he went on to talk over me and explain why *I* was wrong.

I’ve been a veterinary technician for 24 years. He knows this. But please, go on. Tell me *ALL* about dogs and why they do what they do.

My father in law was trying to explain evolution to me. I have a degree in archaeology with specialization in early hominid evolution. When I reminded him of this, he said, “Oh I thought you studied dinosaurs.”

I was the lone woman in a doctoral seminar on I don't even remember what it was now, but some pimply-faced 21 year-old kid tried to mansplain to me about the shortcomings of 2nd wave feminism. *Junior, I* ***was there.***.

Why abortion is wrong (he thought women get their first period at the average age of 20).

How to do the job I am literally getting paid to teach them how to do, on their very first day of training. This has happened more than once.

I used to occasionally write for a news satire site. I shared a piece *I* wrote on Facebook with a quote. A man I know commented explaining to me that the piece was satire and that I had missed the joke, telling me what the author's true intention was.

My favorite is always, “that’s not what mansplaining is. Mansplaining is this: …”.