Woman creates chart so co-workers can understand if they are mansplaining
For those who doubt if they often mansplain on various issues, the flowchart by Kim Goodwin is a good place to start.
Mansplaining is when a man explains something in an overconfident, patronizing tone, despite being inaccurate a lot of times. The roots of mansplaining are often rooted in sexism, patriarchy, and arrogance. Men are rarely deterred by logic, lack of knowledge, or common sense when they feel the need to assert themselves as the expert in the relevant topic. In most cases, it's beyond them to even assume that someone else knows better than them. When called out, most men defend themselves and mansplain mansplaining. However, some do want to change. Co-workers of Kim Goodwin asked her how they could figure out if they were unwittingly mansplaining to others.
The Twitter user decided to spell it out for her co-workers and then shared the result on the platform for the benefit of others who wanted to check themselves from mansplaining. She literally drew a flow-chart, so anyone could figure out if they were mansplaining. You can see her chart here:
I have had more than one male colleague sincerely ask whether a certain behavior is mansplaining. Since apparently this is hard to figure out, I made one of them a chart. pic.twitter.com/7DZ1RTrB3R
— Kim Goodwin (@kimgoodwin) July 19, 2018
Goodwin was asked what if there situations where she felt mansplained to. "I get it most in professional contexts, where some guy feels the need to explain basic concepts, or insists I don’t understand something (that I actually have more knowledge of). They are often things I’ve written and taught extensively about," wrote Goodwin.
Apparently I live in the unreal world. I routinely stop people when I need something defined, and generally ask “Are you familiar with X?” before explaining. It’s not that hard.
— Kim Goodwin (@kimgoodwin) July 20, 2018
Thanks for asking. I’d start by asking yourself whether it’s actually helpful to do so, because maybe they have thought of those things. Or start with: How can I best help you think through that? Or: Are there any aspects of your thinking I could help with?
— Kim Goodwin (@kimgoodwin) July 19, 2018
Of course, her timeline was then swamped with men who wanted to explain how she got her chart wrong and accused her of reverse mansplaining.
Based on this chart girls explain things to me without me asking... So maybe we should start accusing women of #womansplaining
— Shane Guymon 🦄 (@shaneguymon) July 20, 2018
However, many could relate to what Goodwin had laid out.
I can’t even count the number of times someone has been in the middle of “explaining“something to me and I have to interrupt to correct them because they don’t even fully know what they’re talking about 🙄 https://t.co/BFHYua9fsz
— Danielle Gold (@daniellegold_) July 20, 2018
can someone tell me where I can get this in laminated pocket card form? https://t.co/B1VGjgOw1Q
— Amy Kapczynski (@akapczynski) July 20, 2018
Thank you for creating this! I’ve seen a few other flowcharts but I found this one to be the most clear and comprehensive. I think this would be a great tool for men to check themselves. My wife agrees, and I think she would like me to keep it as a reference. 🙃
— Dawah Addict 🙂😬🙃 (@dawahaddict) July 22, 2018
This chart is everything! And it’s kind of meta since it’s explaining mansplaining without mansplaining. https://t.co/PpANucYqfk
— Vince Warren (@VinceWarren) July 20, 2018
My wife asked me to explain "" Mansplaining"" a few years ago. After, she said it happens to her a lot. I did wonder if that situation would be its own self referencing loop, but thanks to your chart it seems like I am in the clear #ta
— Mark Grout (@MarkSGrout) July 21, 2018
Drivers regularly slow down to tell me that I shouldn’t be in the middle of the lane. It is always a male. They don’t like it when I explain my rights or safety reasons...
— Joy Cameron (@JoyBringingHope) July 21, 2018
I’m curious. Male cyclists, do you frequently experience this too? #LdnOntBike https://t.co/sZBYYE2mg0
The flowchart was similar to the one posted on the platform by ElleArmageddon. And, of course, there were men telling them they'd done it wrong.
Men are explaining my own flowchart to me, you guys. 😂😢😭
— the apocalypse, but make it fashion. ✨ (@ElleArmageddon) September 14, 2015
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