Only 5.3% of US welders are women. After years as a professor, I became one

> Like other tradeswomen, I’ve learned to work around unwanted comments, including uninvited conversations with men bent on signaling their expertise.

It's obvious why an uninvited conversations are perceived as a sexism.

But anyone with the experience in almost anything but particularly in any trade would tell you what men do receive uninvited conversations with men bent on signaling their expertise all the goddamn time.

Sure, seeing 'a woman out of place' triggers some of them to do it when they wouldn't do it with a man in the same place, because they could get told to shove their oh-so-important opinion to the place where sun is not shining, but the source of this behaviour is not to be a sexist asshole but just being an asshole.

As the other comment rightfully notes, any difference is going to be a target.

I've had men try to teach me stuff a bunch of times. I listen, learn, and thank them.

> receive uninvited conversations with men bent on signaling their expertise all the goddamn time

My father was a mechanic. He learnt fast to stop trying to correct know-it-alls about cars. "Let 'em do stupid shit, it gives us work to bill".

Yeah, same here. Even if I know what I am doing, sometime I learn something new or a new way to approach something. Sometimes not. But then hey, free advice is worth what you paid for it.

> free advice is worth what you paid for it.

Occasionally. Many times it is worth considerably less. Time is valuable.

> with men bent on signaling their expertise all the goddamn time.

The Germans have a good name for them that many languages have incorporated: Besserwisser.

My way of treating them: let them talk. It makes them happy. I might even learn something new. If they are wrong, I do try to ask them a though provoking question. I know that the question will live in their head in the background for a long time. Perhaps one day it'll help change their minds.

> Besserwisser

better-knower should be an adequate translation?

Kudos, both on the term and the way.