On the internet, misogynists have no problem spewing their hate in the vilest terms, abusing or harassing women, and loudly proclaiming the evils of feminism. But how do these trolls behave in the real world? Surely some of them are just as nasty, but others must imagine they’re successfully hiding in plain sight.
Not so, according to women, who have something of a sixth sense for dudes who regard them as inferior — even if the guy is trying to fly under the radar.
The subreddit r/AskWomen is host to a wildly illuminating thread on just this phenomenon, with hundreds of replies to the question: “What are some subtle signs in a man’s behavior that tells you he is a misogynist?”
Turns out these men have no idea how revealing their behavior is. For one thing, they divide the entire female population into “fuckable” and “not important”:
Sometimes they don’t even acknowledge the women standing right in front of them:
In certain cases, they seem amazed that women can do anything at all:
A simple matter of word choice or phrasing can also give them away:
Their shallow relationships are always red flags:
And then there are the gendered views of work and careers:
In the end, their double standards will always show through:
They also struggle with some basic tests of interpersonal decency.
Oh, and one more very important warning sign:
The lesson here, fellas, is that when you genuinely think women don’t stack up to men, you’re never going to convince them that you feel otherwise. May as well accept them as equals.
Miles Klee
Miles Klee is MEL’s resident tank-top dirtbag, shitposter and meme expert. He’s also the author of the novel ‘Ivyland’ and a story collection, ‘True False.’
