Let’s talk about incels.

This specific online world is vast and complex, but certain context needs to be provided in order to fully grasp the picture that these people paint around the internet – because only then will one be able to grasp the danger that they pose, and how – for a long time now – these internet hubs have seeped very dangerously into reality. If one is not so familiar with the internet at certain levels, the language and systems incels use online may seem strange or incomprehensible – but allowing oneself to recognise certain red flags when existing around the web equips one with the knowledge to be able to spot problematic behaviour before it sucks them or someone they know too far in.

Before we talk about incels we must establish a few things. To start off, what is an ‘incel’?

The word itself is a shortened term derived from the phrase ‘involuntary celibate’. These people are inexperienced when it comes to sexual intimacy, but not by choice, and generally place all their blame for being so on other people – primarily women (who they call STACYs) and men they have deemed too conventionally attractive to the point of being unfairly at the top of the social hierarchy (who they call CHADs). Incels quite often meet very specific demographic criteria, generally being cis-gendered young men who are technologically proficient and very visible in online spaces finely tailored to their supposed plight, and those who are active within the extended manosphere.

Another odd term. What is the ‘manosphere’?

The manosphere is a group of online spaces that promote hyper-masculinity and are often the sources of extreme opposition to feminism, choosing instead to focus on patriarchal values and misogynistic ideals. Amongst others, the manosphere includes hubs surrounding pick-up artistry, MGTOW (men going their own way), men’s rights ‘activists’ and – on the most extreme end of the spectrum – none other than incels themselves. Whilst the manosphere could be talked about in tomes, it is incels that we shall be focusing on here – and the manners in which this specific group of people operates, and how it affects people in the real world – sometimes even fatally.

Incels group themselves online according to a ‘pill system’. There are the blue pilled, the red pilled and the black pilled. ‘Normies’, or people who are not part of the manosphere, are considered to be blue pilled – meaning that they have not yet been able to see the full truth of society yet. Being considered blue pilled often entails following mainstream feminism, aiming towards equality and an intersectional society – to incels this is considered the most ignorant place to be. The next step is becoming ‘red pilled’, which is considered to be a person who is opening up to the truth about society. At this stage they are beginning to realise that women are not oppressed, and that it is actually men who are the most oppressed group in society – and feminism is a warped ploy to endanger all men. Being ‘red pilled’ to incels means you are ‘waking up’.

Finally, there is being ‘black pilled’ – this is where incels truly have the potential to become violent and dangerous. At this stage people are considered to have fully woken up to the truth of society – this ultimate truth being that conventionally attractive people will always win in life, and incels are doomed to suffer at the hands of them and those who reject them. This is the stage in which incels encourage each other to turn to violence and ‘stand up for themselves’ – generally through targeting women and even men who they feel are the source of all their pain.

Incels and the radicalised alt-right merge very often. Within these online hubs, one may find racism, homophobia and intolerance everywhere. They are the antithesis of equality and acceptance, which is what makes their ideologies so dangerous – and which is why their primary target is generally feminists, and those who believe in liberation for all people. This extremist line of thinking stems from various issues within these young men – and are in actuality issues that are mostly caused by the patriarchy itself. Loneliness and misunderstanding of boys, disallowing them from processing and sharing emotions in healthy manners; young boys being met with derision if they ever do express their emotions or their mental health issues with adults; pressure on boys and young men to be hyper-sexual and heteronormative; a lack of resources for mental health issues and personality disorders.

As a result of these societal issues and pressures, the world view of these young men has been shaped by warped images – particularly when it comes to their views on women. Whether it is viewing their relationships with women as transactional, considering gender-based violence as normal or being desensitised to it, or thinking they are entitled to sex and intimacy simply because they are men – their minds do not have a healthy way of forming relationships with others, nor are they equipped in any way for dealing with rejection. Any ounce of loneliness is instead internalised and funnelled into all we have gone over so far – anger, bitterness, hatred, and sometimes even violence.

Needless to say, once groups of incels have been radicalised to the extent that they are willing to consider said violence, it is important for society to take these threats seriously – particularly when incels and groups within the manosphere have led to the deaths of people before. Only recently, the murderer in Plymouth, UK who went on a shooting spree, which ended with six people being murdered – including himself,  held to the ideology of being ‘black pilled’.

Elliot Rodger. Chris Harper-Mercer. Sheldon Bentley. William Atchison. Nikolas Cruz. These are just a few names of self-proclaimed incels who went on killing sprees, only to go on to reference their being ‘involuntary celibates’ as reasons for murdering. The more society ignores the fact that these groups pose a real threat to others, the more the violence that results from them is going to grow. Knowledge is power, and we must equip ourselves with it – and being aware of who these people are and what these people can do, is the first step.

 

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