A couple months back I entered a "Forced Discipline and Regimen Month." The goal of this was also self improvement. To force myself to do this I put up before and after pictures. I received some guff about "cheese cake photos" and my blinding pasteyness, but again, the overall intention was self-improvement.
And while the two examples above focus on physic fitness and health, if you step back and cast a wider net, you'll realize The Manosphere, as well as various economics blogs, follow a similar parallel. Namely one of self-improvement. Men trying to improve their chances with women. Men trying to advance their careers and financial success. Men (and women) trying to start businesses. And men and women trying to aim for happier, better lives. They are constantly asking "what can I do to improve myself."
I have a simple question.
Where is the feminist equivalent of this?
If I were to generalize the two spheres (feminism and Manosphere) it seems very obvious The Manosphere is focused on self-improvement and improving one's self while the feminist sphere is one of whining, complaining, bitching, victimization and entitlement. I say this not out of spite or agenda, but because it's true.
The Manosphere, for the most part, is an entity of advancement, progress and self-improvement while feminism is one of complaint, victimhood, and class warfare.
If you don't believe me, just take some sample "themes" from both spheres.
Health
How many feminist blogs/sites write constantly about physical fitness and health? And I'm not talking about "how to eat green/organic" (the purpose of such articles being ulteriorly political, not health), but "how can I lose weight?" or "how can I be sexier to the opposite sex?"
None or very little.
Contrast that to The Manosphere where nearly I'd say 1/4th the articles revolve around health. Heck, we even have entire blogs in our ranks dedicated solely to men's health. And how candid and blunt are they compared to their feminist counterparts? We are harsh and merciless upon our readers. Telling, nay, yelling at our younger readers to lose weight, work out, eat their veggies and your personal preferences be damned. You're going to do it son! Whether you like it or not!
And why do we do it?
For women! Not even ourselves! (though it is duly noted that this is so we can GET women, but the point is we at least change our behavior to match what women want).
Education/Labor Market
Another theme that shows where The Manosphere looks to self-improvement while feminists bitch is education. Manosphere Men always ask whether or not the investment in college or training is worth it. Underpinning this is not just the cost of education, but a long term financial strategy, the purpose of which is to achieve economic independence, self-reliance and freedom. Thus, we pursue fields of study that have a positive and adequate ROI. We also encourage younger men (and women) to pursue such fields based on our experiences. We do not let the difficulty of math or science stand in our way, but commit ourselves to it instead knowing surmounting this challenge will pay much better dividends in the future.
The feminist sphere on the other hand practically demands the right to attend college and have a job as an entitlement. An entitlement of which more often than not proves to be a worthless hobby rather than the first step in a well-thought out, long term, SELF SUSTAINING financial strategy. Then, when the economic realities of the labor market come bearing down on them, they NEVER ask what they can do differently to close the wage gap, but rather bitch, whine, complain and demand government intervention to undo what reality and their stupid decisions have done.
Family/Spouse
A huge percentage of The Manosphere is dedicated on how to be a better father, husband, lover and sex machine. Yes, again, admittedly for our own desires, but I've never heard a feminist fret over "whether or not she could provide for her family." Most men, many of which, did not have the luxury of present or real fathers are now starting to fully understand the damage a lack of a dad has on children and thus are recommitted to be good husbands and good fathers. Their own suffering and experiences make them quite selfless as they thoroughly, seriously and completely think about their children and family, current or to be.
Feminists? Are you kidding me? They're begging to get artificially inseminated and have the federal government supplant the husband and father role, with absolutely no regard to the children
Businesses
The Manosphere has a significant percentage of its text dedicated towards setting up a business and doing something significant with your life. Creating a company, employing people, making a better product, innovating a new creation to advance society.
What is the feminist sphere's answer?
Taxing said businesses to fund some non-profit charity that never solves the problem but manages to pay its "directors" a handsome sum?
Some worthless NGO that only employs equally worthless liberal arts majors to protest for some productionless leftist cause or another?
Even MORE bitching and whining about the performance gap between men and women?
Again, The Manosphere is focusing on advancing society where the feminist sphere is primarily focused on parasiting off of it.
Reality
Finally, reality.
Notice how the Manosphere takes a "what is reality" approach first, abides by that reality and then figures out how IT can change to abide and profit from that reality? You know kind of a realistic, mature adult approach to life?
Well the feminism sphere does the complete opposite.
So lazy and ego-centric is the "feminism sphere," it not only ignores reality, but goes to desperate lengths to CRIMINALIZE and CHANGE reality. AND change it to its own selfish and LAZY desires. "Fat Acceptance" being the perfect example.
So selfish and lazy (and veritably insane) is the feminist sphere they ACTUALLY THINK THEY CAN CHANGE MALE SEXUALITY TO THE POINT WE'D LIKE FAT CHICKS. They actually think they can shame men into finding fat and ugly chicks attractive. They think they can, via political arms and the government, get men to "accept fat" (not to mention slave away paying taxes for the government to surrogate their roles in society).
But the key thing is LAZY. Don't for a second think they don't full well know what the reality is. They KNOW what men what. It is the fact that to meet that goal would require such effort and challenge (working out, staying sexy, being GENUINELY educated and intelligent) they are dissuaded from such a life. For such a life requires more effort and rigor than being a women's studies professor, a welfare recipient, a CSR/HR manager, AND requires you consider the desires of others. In short it requires you to be self supporting, and above all else selfless.
And that is a trait no feminist has.
Too right. For anyone who disagrees, next time you got to a financial success forum or real estate investment seminar count the number of women. Far less than 5%!
ReplyDeleteMost of the men have wives, it's just that investing just "isn't their thing" and it's up to the men to look after.
Don't tell me, real estate investment is really a male dominated industry right? Then why are the majority of real estate agents women (at least they are in Australia)?
Go to a book store and you'll see 9 out of 10 people browsing the business section are men.
In this way I believe men are programmed to seek out success, women are programmed to enjoy it. Why else would the majority of novel readers be women?
Also explains why the books they churn out are written for their target audience (women) and have even less appeal to men than ever before in history.
You know the thing that always disturbs me when you write about feminists not facing/discussing reality, Captain?
ReplyDeleteThey've been doing that pretty much since the beginning of the feminist movement (I don't count them as 2nd-gen fems, suffragettes don't deserve to be tarred by association). Feminist writers have been denouncing logic AS SUCH almost from the beginning on the grounds that its an entirely masculine way to understand things, and that wresting knowledge from nature this way was a form of rape.
Yes, you read that correctly. Acquiring knowledge through inductive/deductive logic is tantamount to rape, because it enables you to get knowledge from nature that she didn't intend to give.
They seize upon a cultural metaphor (Mother Nature), presume it to be literal, and then call investigation rape. Wonderful.
Ever heard of Chick Academy?
ReplyDeleteBy their very nature feminists CAN NOT talk about self improvement. This would imply two things.
ReplyDelete1. That women aren't already completely perfect.
2. That something is their responsibility and not caused by the evil patriarchy.
Now they could write about how men can improve, but I'm a bit skeptical about whether or not that would actually be useful to any self-respecting male.
Brilliant
ReplyDeleteThe difference is a result of the different mindsets of the manosphere and feminism, one reality based--the other abstract and idelogical. You know one article you'll never see in the manosphere? Constructing a positive feminity. But there are literally dozens of articles in the feminist blogosphere about indoctrinating sons and changing men. The manosphere accepts the world as it is. Not as they think it should be.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I won't say that no women engage in self-improvement, but as far as feminists go, not so much.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm pulling 60 hours a week (thankfully, I'm a full-blown bachelor). 40hrs/wk at the 9-5 cubical job and 20hrs/wk learning to weld. Show me the Rosie-the- Riveter-cheering feminist who does that. I dare you.
BTW Cappy. My local theater pub is playing Kelly's Heroes tonight. I'll be drinking a beer in your honor, Sir.
ReplyDeleteParasites don't improve they suck.
Gabriella Reece is talking about some of these. She identifies as a feminist, but also talks in her recent book about serving her family and being submissive to her (super alpha) husband, Laird Hamilton.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the mainstream Jizzabel fembots and the Slate monkeys are already at her throat.
Don't you think you oversimplified it a bit. I think the difference in topics and how they see and discuss it stems from a diverging classification system a la Arnold kling. They look on a oppressor - oppressed scale while you are probably more tuned to a different system, though I leave it to you to define it.
ReplyDeleteLet's just take your last point, I don't think they actually want to change men. I think they want men to be considerate and not hurt these women's feelings. They believe that not all fat chicks are guilty of laziness and thus none deserves your scorn. Not that I concur with that thought, but one should always assume the best in your opponent.
Of course most of your points are true when one waves aside the veil of pleasantness and deflection and looks at the meat of their arguments.
The difference in a nutshell:
ReplyDeleteThe manosphere is about self-improvement while feminism is about improving other people.
Or the manosphere is about feeling better about yourself to improve relationships with other people.
Feminism is about improving other people so you can feel better about yourself.
"You know one article you'll never see in the manosphere? Constructing a positive feminity."
ReplyDeleteHere's just one from me:
http://theprivateman.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/in-femininity-there-is-strength/
I think your point is generally right, but occasionally there are feminist self-improvement ideas.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read "Lean In", but my understanding is that it is mostly about building networks and taking risks in business. It seems like it has a strong self-improvement aspect.
@WhiteKnight "(I don't count them as 2nd-gen fems, suffragettes don't deserve to be tarred by association)."
ReplyDeleteNot too much but they are still responsible for the ills they brought on. Suffragettes were the pinnacle of "silent privilege"(ex: votes for women, draft for men).
"So selfish and lazy (and veritably insane) is the feminist sphere they ACTUALLY THINK THEY CAN CHANGE MALE SEXUALITY TO THE POINT WE'D LIKE FAT CHICKS."
ReplyDeleteGood looking chicks are made of the same material as fat chicks. Disgusting.
I hate them all and prefer to remain single.
Amen. Men are always striving. The blue-pill folks just misunderstood the rules of the game, and were lied to about the rules of the game. The manosphere teaches you how the life really works, how people really are, and how to adapt to it.
ReplyDeleteFeminist self-improvement would be reddit.com/r/SRSRecovery - people trying to train themselves into bending over backwards how not to offend anyone ever. Not even calling their friends crazy - not because that would offend their friends, but because that is "ableist" i.e. would offend someone who is actually mentally ill!
ReplyDeleteThis is very amusing to watch. Really look around that sub, pure comedy.
So I guess this kind of "self-improvement" actually exists, I just wouldn't call it improvement.
One data point, but here's an example from an old girlfriend of mine: http://www.highlysuccessfulleaders.com/get-what-you-want/
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! And so true!
ReplyDeleteManospherian Self-improvement vs. feminist entitlement.
There's a rapidly growing number of manospherian blogs aiming at self-improvement. You can literally feel the energy in this and the sheer number of men participating. It will take time but in the end feminist ranting and shaming won't stand a chance against the power of legions of men now growing up with the new spirit and the daily commitment to change things.
"GENUINELY educated" Amen brother. If there is anything that makes me want a woman more than having an intelligent conversation with her I haven't experienced it.
ReplyDeleteSunshine Mary, Sarahs Daughter, Lady Lydia, Elspeth, Ladies against Feminism and humbly submitted my podcast at Carlotta Royce The Homeschool Homemaker. Hear us ROAR :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this blog post. It was inspiring and informative. Inspirational Blog
ReplyDeletevery helpful article, self development is very important to achieve something
ReplyDelete