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"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal

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What truly breaks my heart is women’s fight for equality. I mean, it is probably the oldest battle in time, yet patriarchy still seems to win, as we see it everywhere around us. The worst part is that this social evil has actually been normalized in our society.
A lot of women are angry about it, as they opened up on Reddit when a user asked them to share such things. Trust me, they didn’t hold back from exposing these “norms,” which are oh-so-problematic! Ladies out there, you might even relate to most of these, so just scroll down to check them out!
More info: Reddit

#1

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
I used to think every woman just quietly accepted being groped at clubs like it was part of the “nightlife tax”… until I saw a girl grab a guy’s wrist mid-grope and yell, “Try that again, and I’ll break your fingers.” Queen behavior.
74points

#2

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Getting body shamed for the "crime" of landing with a big chest.

I didn't choose to get what I got, but all the dads in my (Mormon) church were noticing, and all their wives *saw* them noticing and blamed me for it. It didn't matter how modestly I dressed - I could have worn a potato sack on top and I still would have gotten the same treatment.

It got so bad that a rumor started circulating around my church that I was deliberately stuffing my bra in order to distract the men. That's when my foster mom decided to *walk in on me* during a shower to confirm that what I have is legitimate. I was humiliated. I always locked the bathroom door after that whenever I was inside.

After that the conversations at church turned towards getting me a reduction surgery. Which the doctor refused to do, she determined it wasn't medically necessary.

I'm so glad I got away from that family, and that church.
70points

#3

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
The constant pressure to manage the emotions of men around us. If a creepy guy hits on you or touches you? You can’t react too strongly because you have no idea if he’ll flip out and hurt you. You have to craft your rejections so carefully so that you don’t injure their ego.

The other month, some guy grabbed my hand while I was waiting for the metro and asked me if I wanted a new friend. I said no thanks and tried to take my hand back, and he got angry and started yelling that I was a b***h. I wanted to yell back, but then had this stab of fear that he was going to push me on the tracks or pull out a weapon, so I just desescalated by apologizing to him.

And it’s always incredible that when I tell male friends this happened, they get all offended and say that a real man would have defended me. But there were like six men around me on that platform and not one of them even looked over.
59points

As you scroll through the list, you will realize that many of these things revolve around women's appearance and their behavior. Talking about the former one, I am pretty sure almost every woman has faced it at least once in her life. I mean, there's just so much pressure put on women to appear a certain way that is almost unrealistic, and most of it is all thanks to the male gaze.

It's horrifying that young girls get bullied because of their appearance or because they are supposed to look a certain way for the male gaze. Sadly, people don't realize how harmful it is for their self-esteem, which literally goes down the drain. From snide jabs about our weight to the way we dress, it all feels so controlled and suffocating at times.

#4

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Have you seen how they get a biopsy from inside the cervix? 


No pain medication is offered, just use a hole punch to take some flesh and tell you there’s nothing to react to .
56points

#5

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Being told to smile. Now realizing how weird it would be for a man to tell another man to smile. It doesn’t happen.
55points

#6

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Everything is in your head - disrespectful treatment from partners or family, ignored health concerns from healthcare professionals, issues at work. You are a woman and you are overreacting.

….and then I realized that my feelings matter.
54points

Let's not forget about the pretty-privilege, which simply puts more pressure on women to look appealing, just to get something done. The other such horrendous thing is how women are supposed to "behave": they can't be too dumb, they can't be smarter than their male partners, they can't be masculine, they're mocked if they are too girlish, the list can just go on and on forever.

Gender experts warn that it's the culture that has a massive impact on how a woman is valued. With all these extravagant expectations from us ladies, doesn't it feel that patriarchy is just after robbing us of our identity? I truly dream of a world where a woman is free of judgment based on her looks or behavior and gains complete freedom from these oppressive notions. After all, that's all they are, aren't they?

#7

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Being the “default person” when it comes to a lot of things. I make lunch and dinner each day? Meh, that’s just normal. He makes dinner once? Expects a parade in his honour! “Where’s my shirt?” as if I somehow obviously know the whereabouts of his things (which I usually DO know, because of course I also did the laundry). “Make a dentist appointment for me next month” Who makes my appointments? Oh yeah, it’s also me.

And on top of this I work more hours than he does. When he has his weekly “long shift” (which is 12 hours, the same as my REGULAR shift) he can’t even put his socks in the laundry basket because he’s “too tired”. But of course I’M not tired, right? These things are just gonna get done behind the scenes, the dishes fairy is going to come unload the dishwasher while he snores.
54points

#8

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Most women have been SA'd at some point in life and just carry on like nothing happened.
54points

#9

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Period pain. Every adult woman would tell me that period pain was normal. Mine were so severe I would cry, throw up, and one time even pass out. Turns out it was endometriosis.

So much pain is NEVER normal

EDIT: I didn't think this many people would relate, all these stories are absolutely infuriating. I hope you all are better now. If you are in pain and a doctor tells you you are overreacting, go see someone else. A good doctor will work with you to understand where the pain comes from. It is REALLY important to get checked out if you feel pain, as stuff like endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome can get worse without treatment. As for me, I got the correct treatment after 12 years of begging and bad cramps. You can get a pill that stops your period. It has side effects, like a lot of pills like that, but lord did it help me. I still have period cramps here and there, but it's nothing like before. I feel like I can actually live my life. I truly wish good luck to you lads.
48points

The other highly concerning things that women opened up about are domestic violence, emotional manipulation, and just cruelty in general. Nearly every 1 in 2 women in the United States will face physical violence from an intimate partner at some point in their lives. That's a troublesome statistic. No wonder it has been normalized by society.

It has been observed that domestic cruelty can show up in lots of different ways, and going through it can be really tough. It doesn’t just leave physical marks; it can also hurt emotionally and take a toll on someone’s overall health. It can spill into every part of life and make even everyday things feel really hard to handle. Imagine having to go through all this just because you are born a woman. How miserable is that!

#10

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
That it was normal to feel like you constantly have to double-check if you’re “too much” until I realized everyone deserves to just be themselves without walking on eggshells.
48points

#11

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
People (women too and obviously (some)men) thinking we're not equal. Thinking because we're not men, we should do more, should earn less, have less rights and so on.
This is idiotic and not even remotely abnormal in 2025 but pure and deliberate cruelness without remorse.
48points

#12

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Mansplaining, or being spoken to in subtlely insulting ways by men. Not anymore; I have become a rampaging b***h about stuff like that.
46points

Gender discrimination doesn’t just show up in one area of life; rather, it sneaks into so many different spaces. At work, women might get paid less than men for the same job or miss out on promotions because of stereotypes about what they ‘can’ or ‘can’t’ do. In school, some girls are discouraged from pursuing certain subjects or higher education, which holds them back before they even get started.

It also affects health, as sometimes women don’t get the same quality of medical care, or they might struggle to access resources for their mental and emotional well-being. Safety is another big issue, since discrimination is closely tied to harassment and gender-based violence, which can leave women feeling on edge in their own communities.

#13

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Never being trusted that the answer we give is the correct one.

This applies mostly to fields commonly considered masculine, like trades, but can be experienced everywhere in every topic. Grinds my gears that people can't possibly believe a woman has the right answer, so they will ask a man who, yeah, provides the same answer. They believe him, why not me?
44points

#14

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Sexual pressure. I thought every boyfriend believed they were owed s*x and that it was normal for them to use emotional manipulation to get it.
43points

#15

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Wearing heels that hurt like hell seriously thought everyone just powered through the pain like it was some unspoken rule… turns out a lot of women just don’t wear them if they’re uncomfortable.
36points

Lastly, society often pushes women into certain roles, like only being seen as caregivers or homemakers, making it harder for them to freely choose their own paths. When women are underrepresented in politics and leadership, their perspectives and needs aren’t always heard, which means decisions can end up being unbalanced.

At the end of the day, gender discrimination doesn’t just limit women; it limits society as a whole. Imagine what a better world we could live in if women were not forced to accept these things as normal, but voiced them out, and something was actually done to curb them.

However, it sounds like wishful thinking, looking at the online manosphere, which is promoting misogyny. All women can do about it is keep fighting this never-ending battle, and not give up hope, right? To all our female readers, feel free to jot down the discriminatory things you felt were normal until you realized otherwise. We always have an open ear for your thoughts!

#16

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Being yelled at a lot. Years of therapy and boundary setting is helping me. Also f**k my mom.
36points

#17

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Bad doctors. I didn’t know there were good doctors until I moved away and realized wait, doctors actually listen to you?
32points

#18

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
All sorts of medical procedure pain.
30points

#19

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Having to phrase every statement as a question so you didn't get berated if it turned out to be wrong— or even if it was right, but the other party just assumed it was wrong.
28points

#20

"Mansplaining": 27 Abnormal Things That Society Forces Women To Believe Are Normal
Domestic violence.
25points
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