Why “Mansplaining” Might Not Be What You Think It Is

Article here. Excerpt:

'“Mansplaining” is an accusation thrown around often and risks getting in the way of forming opposite-sex friendships and relationships. Typically, when someone says they’ve been a “victim of mansplaining,” it’s in the context of a man talking to a woman about a topic she already knows about. She perceives his sharing as a condescending or patronising lecture, given intentionally, perhaps in an attempt to put her down.

There are some men who do this. It’s not nice and I don’t condone it. However, I think more commonly it’s an accusation rashly levied at men by those disregarding something fundamental about male communication.

When building same-sex relationships, men often go about this in a different way from women. Male-to-male conversations can be dominated by the exchange of knowledge and recommendations about things: Statistics about sports stars, potential fixes for botched DIY jobs, motorway routes for long trips. The list goes on.'