Being articulate

[Companion42]

I've been lurking on mumsnet for years now, with the occasional post, and I'm always impressed by the witty and articulate posters (especially on this part of the site 😉).

I've recently started going to real life feminist meetings and talks as well as becoming more active on twitter and I'd like to start more posts here

My problem is that I rarely seem to be able to express myself properly. I either waffle, sound very simplistic or don't seem to be able to get my point across at all despite being reasonable intelligent. (I think).

Any pointers, please?

Expressing your thoughts simply doesn't mean your thoughts are simplistic.

I've always found it useful to acknowledge my own limitations. If I'm not familiar with an aspect of something, I don't wade in mob handed, I hang back, I read, I let others who know their business have at it. Bowl is great at the sciencey stuff, R0wan will know who said that thing I can't remember in a thread way back when, and there are any number of fearsomely funny, clever and compassionate women here who have dug into women's rights for years.

It can be a bit dazzling to be here with clever women sometimes, but I stick to what I know. I probably share far too much than is wise, but I will contribute to threads about homophobia, which I have sadly experienced, threads about trans identifying children, when I can be sure I will keep a cool head, and I mostly waffle on about the cultic aspects of Genderism, having been through the experience of being in a fundamentalist religion and come out (almost) the other side.

Don't be daunted. Everyone here is flesh and failings, same as you. Just say what's on your mind, don't take anything too personally, and give it time to grow your confidence.

I've spent most of my working life writing professionally in one capacity or another. And yet I find posting here very difficult.

I think this is because I have a personal and emotional involvement in one of the subjects often under discussion, and that brings with it a particular vulnerability and fear of being piled on by those who are not interested in discussion.

I am constantly in awe of the amazing posters here who refuse to be silenced or cowed, and who manage to be so articulate in the face of considerable provocation.

Wow thanks so much for all of the replies! Some great advice here which I'll be taking note of and lots of encouragement too 😊
I'm not great at typing on my phone so me and my fat fingers will be back tomorrow when I xan access the laptop.

Less is more, mainly

AnyFucker makes my night, effortlessly.

It's great when you stop worrying about whether someone might think badly of you for what you write. You don't have to write convoluted paragraphs that acknowledge that you could be wrong and outline the opposite point of view too. You can just lay out your opinion and why you think it. You can add evidence and criticise other points of view for having sketchy or non-existent evidence.

OP Please just post. Nothing to be lost.