Tuesday, December 10, 2013

A Question for the Sphere - Are You Better Off Than You Were 4 Years Ago?

Ronald Reagan in his 1980 presidential campaign asked a very simple question - are you better off than you were 4 years ago.

The answer for the majority of Americans was a resounding "no."

Four years later he would ask the same question, and the answer for the majority of Americans was a resounding "yes," and he then went on to re-election.

But this question asked over 30 years ago in the political arena is one that needs to be asked today of every reader, follower, viewer, and listener of The Manosphere, the Econo-sphere, and any other alt-right sphere:

Are you better off today than you were 4 years ago?

And I'm going to bet it's a resounding "Hell yes."

The origins and precise date that these various alternative spheres started is up for debate.  And truthfully I don't think "Fred on Anything" or "Roissy" or Tom Leykis or "Matt Drudge" care when it was or who started it as it is truly an altruistic endeavor or intellectual labor of love for them.  But we can generally agree that the 'sphere (which ever one you want to consider yourself a part of) didn't start gaining significant readership until about four years ago.  I know using my own personal traffic statistics, I'm up about 10 fold since 2009.  And given the anecdotal evidence of Google Trends, MSM attention, etc., it seems "the 'spheres" have enjoyed exponential growth over those same four years.  Ergo, there are probably millions of young men who discovered us, are following us, and have continued to follow us for the past four years. 

But are we doing any good?  Are we making any progress?  And it is here that I'm supremely confident that we are.

There's not a day that goes by that I don't get a "thank you" e-mail from some young (or not so young) guy who tells me how he was miserable until his discovered the 'sphere.  I've even received thanks from women who tell me how much my and others' blogs helped her turn her life around be it career, mothering, of being a wife.  And an increasing percentage of my choir is coming from minorities who appreciate me laying down the law, telling them like it is, and not kissing their ass like some SWPL pussy, but kicking their ass like a loving father.  And though I have no statistical proof of it, I would bet my motorcycle that we have done more to advance, help, and improve the lives of millions of people IN A SINCERE, PRACTICAL, AND TANGIBLE WAY more than any government program, more than any feel-good affirmative action program, and more than any astro-turf non-profit, PSA, bullshit lefty "initiative" ever did.

But the key thing is to denote why.

Why is it such a "hated," "evil," "racist," "bigoted," "misogynistic," hate-filled segment of the internet managed to do so much good?  Why is it such a vile group of basement-dwelling vermin get such praise?

The answer is simple -

We have the balls to tell the god damned truth.

Realize the paradox or dichotomy writers, bloggers, "vloggers," authors, and podcasters in these alternate 'spheres face: 

Obey, get rewarded, but never be free

or

Disobey, speak the truth, get punished, but be free

And 100% of your alternative 'sphere bloggers chose the latter.  We don't have the patience, we don't have the tolerance, and we actually respect ourselves and our fellow man too much to swallow whole and parrot the commie, leftist, feminist script.  We don't care how much it costs us in terms of our careers, our housing, our families, and our futures, because a life of lies is just not worth the McMansion in the suburbs, a confiscatable 401k, student debts, worthless degrees, divorce and false accusations of "ism."

And so with nothing left to lose we speak the truth.  And it's the truth  that people are starving for.

Be it the average American male who's been lied to about what women want, that he should be "sweet" and "kind" and "sensitive."

Be it the poor black man who's been lied to that he shouldn't try because he's been discriminated against by "evil white people" and should hold out for a government check instead of majoring in engineering.

Or be it the woman who deep down inside wants to be a stay at home mom and raise kids, but has been berated for not wanting to become a "powerful lawyer executive supreme awesome independent woman."

we come outright and say not only what's on people's minds, but explain to them with logic, facts, data, and morality why it's OK to think or desire those things.  We give them hope, we give them truth, we give them reality, no matter how harsh and unpleasant it may be compared to the lies and bullshit Oprah, the media, the government, politicians and the education industry tell them, because in the end it is only the truth that matters.

In short, it is simply adhering to The Reality Principle that not only makes our 'spheres a success but gives our readers practical, functional, and effective advice because...

it's based in reality

not politics, lies, propaganda and bullshit.

So, riddle me this, riddle me that readers, viewers, listeners, lieutenants, economists, children and agents in the field:

Are you better off than you were 4 years ago?  Has the Manosphere, Androsphere, Econosphere, etc., improved your lives?  Are you in better financial shape?  Are you in better physical shape?  Are you in better mental shape?  Do you have some modicum of hope?  And is your life not better?

Because understand I'm not looking for a particular answer.  I merely want the truth.  But I'm going to bet my bottom dollar the alternative 'spheres have done more good, helped more people, and advanced more lives (not to mention saved some people's sanity) than the trillions of dollars the government has spent on social programs and thousands of hours of Oprah-spew ever has.  Because we have something even better than trillions of dollars and a cable network with a bloviating woman:

Reality and the truth.

And that is the only thing that can genuinely help out your fellow man.

Enjoy the decline.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

4 years ago I was falsely "happy" as a beta-provider in a marriage that was doomed, but I didn't know it yet.

I didn't find out about PUA/game until after getting divorced a year later, and didn't really get deeper into it than what you can learn by reading "The Game" until two years ago. So it was too little too late for my marriage.

It has almost certainly enriched my singlehood though.

The more individuals you can get through to, the better. I imagine there are a lot of people who come here for the economics and end up having their eyes opened.

Anonymous said...

I am better off than I was four years ago. I graduated college, have a full-time job, passed my professional certifications, and have a girlfriend.

ballista74 said...

Something for you.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/11/29/man-throws-away-7500-bitcoins-now-worth-7-5-million/

$7.5 million of Bitcoin in the landfill.

Anonymous said...

I gave up on the MSM and started getting my news/analysis from the internet and talk radio around 2006 and consider myself 10 time better informed that I was previously about politics and economics. The crash of 2007-2008 convinced not to trust anything from traditional news sources who all missed the coming disaster and continue to assign and cover-up the causes for the crash. I discover and started reading the manosphere about a year or so ago. I wouldn't say it has changed my life as I am well past my prime. However it has completed the circle for me. Just like when I abandoned liberalism, embraced conservative principles, then discovered conservative blogs and talk radio, each step has made life and the world we live in more clear. It is good to know there are so many people that see things the way I do. I only wish all this info/technology was available back in the 80's when I was a young man.

Adam Lawson said...

I'd say I am.

Definitely in spite of the government and not because of them; who knows how much better off I would be if we weren't all on the socialism death march.

Get out of my way, I'm trying to improve my standing.

Unknown said...

I've gone from 50 visitors a day to 1000-1100 a day in three years. For me, that is a lot.

Anonymous said...

Personally, I am better off now than I am four years ago because:
1) I involuntarily took the red pill when the lying girlfriend who was sucking me dry of money, had left me. This previous condition was due in part because a) I was still naive, thinking I needed to "man up" and provide for her(well, I never thought in terms of the contemporary slogan "man up" but rather it was based on what I thought was Greatest-Generation-old-school morality) and b) at one point, she threatened to file a false dv charge if she did not get money then would later say, "oh, women just SAY that" (followed by a giggle)
2) I found the 'sphere, and YT channels like Clary's and Aurini and have not only confirmed my unconscious beliefs that something just was not quite right with the world and had found voices articulating thoughts that I already espoused.
3) because of #1, I have so much more appreciation for my freedom and really see just how screwed married male wage slaves really are. I am a cubical drone myself but, at this point, if I ever get laid off, I will be fine. I have recovered financially from #1 so my hatches are battened down when the economy under our current administration goes further south.

roe said...

The answer to your question is "yes."

I am in better physical shape then I was four years ago.

I am in better mental shape then I was four years ago (less angry, less self-attacking)

My social life is better then it was four years ago (less shy, more willing to establish and maintain "boundaries")

My family life is better then it was four years ago (more connected, more honest)

The only thing that hasn't changed appreciably is my financial situation (which was OK to begin with)

ChrisP said...

Other than having paid down some debt I don't think I'm better off than 4 years ago. But then, I can't take the medicine you're offering as I'm married with children.

I think my son, who is just a baby now (we'll leave him out of the better off equation) will benefit from his dad giving him words of wisdom he learned from guys like the captain.

Looking forward to your new book.

Merry Christmas! (from an atheist who isn't a whiny bitch about anything, and joins in on then fun when he likes to)

Anonymous said...

4 years ago i was married to a woman who didn't love me, living the blue pill life and almost did the insane thing of having a child with a pathetic rescue. I was playing captain save a hoe.

Today, almost 3 years removed from my failed marriage, and having been a part of the sphere for almost the same amount of time, it's night and day.

I've never been happier. Never been more sure of myself. Never seen life clearer. Knowing the bullet i dodged and understanding everything the sphere had to teach me set me free.

marc pisco said...

Better, in my case. Better job, found the red pill.

Peregrine John said...

Better off than you were 4 years ago? Depends on which area:
Financial? Not much better.
Physical? Slightly.
Mental? Oh, hell yeah.
Any slight hope? Finally a glimmer.
So has the androsphere et al, improved my life? Yeah. The visual differences are small at the moment, but my philosophy, thought structures, even aspects of personality have been entirely reconstructed over the past few years, and it's all in the process of being put into action - which is always toward the end of a design or building sequence of any quality. False starts and mistaken directions have been worked through, and the only thing to slow the metamorphosis is escape from the habits and pointless "overhead" of life that still binds. As I understand it, that escape process is necessary for a butterfly's survival, and my guess is that it'll serve me well, too.

earl said...

Am I better off on the surface...probably not much from 4 years ago.

Am I better off on the inside from 4 years ago...I'm light years better.

I'm in the best shape of my life...my inner demons are being vanquished, things don't get to me as easily, I have more of an inner peace, I'm more attractive to women, I'm enjoying life, and my masculine spirit has returned.

coolstud said...

I am way better off, learned some truths gained mentally and physically. its time the the sphere invade the mainstream and change the narrative.

Use Guerrilla warfare against our enemies. Study and use their strengths against them. We can win the battles and win the war.

Glen Filthie said...

I am getting too old to be part of the monosphere - and will shortly be taking up residence with Fred in the 'Geezersphere'.

I am the reason you young fellas have it so bad because when I was younger I sat back and kept quiet rather than starting a fight. When I did grumble, I went quiet when some f-tard called me a racist, or a bigot or a chauvinist. I literally sat back, shaking my head as politically correct liberals laid the foundations for the fucked up society and females you have today. I can't claim ignorance as the baby boomers do...I am 50 this year and I suffered from the affirmative action, diversity initiatives, and the 'equal opportunities' that favoured everyone but me in the job market. About 3 years ago I pulled the pin. I couldn't take it anymore. I began to speak. I refused to shut up when my intellectual and moral superiors told me to. The price tag was staggering.

My daughter dropped the sciences in university and took up fine arts to 'follow her dreams'. I told her she was an idiot and my family damn near had a bird when I didn't retract that. When she announced she was gay I told her she was a pervert too - and my in laws treated me with ostracism. When my daughter told me I as a homophobic sexist bastard I told her to FOAD. I call 'em as I see 'em and to hell with the liberals and stupid people that get offended as a result. Haven't seen her since, and don't want to until she shapes up. I will forgiver her failures but I won't enable them or tolerate them.

The manosphere came too late for me but it leaves me feeling good. You kids may turn things around. The dummies responsible for the pussification and faggotification of our men may not listen to me...but they WILL listen to you...eventually.

What's important for you is that you have fun and don't lose your sense of humour like I did. Families with liberal values don't work anymore and if yours falls apart because of them like mine did - don't beat yourself up. Stay true to yourself, your morals and your ethics, and make a conscious effort to be happy.

For me, the loss of my inlaws and daughters is huge...but there was a huge pile of BS that came along with that. Am I better off? There is a lot to be said for mansions, nice cars, and happy family get togethers...but there are downsides to them as well.

I am not doing better or worse really...but I'm doing alright and hope you young ones are as well.

Black Poison Soul said...

Tremendously better off, inside and outside.

Factory said...

You should pop by my blog (hunting for archetypes) and check out the link for MRm! Magazine I put up there. OK, actually its an anthology, but whatever... anyway, the articles span an interesting timeframe, you may find it interesting. Maybe even linkable.

Robert What? said...

Glen, guess I can join you in the geezersphere ;-) Late 50s for me. The 'sphere definitely saved my sanity and probably my life. Only sadness is that it didn't exist ten years ago. I learned whata completely self-defeating bbeta-white-knight I was. Although I disagree - you are never too old for the 'sphere. Yes. I know most of it seems to be focused on the 20-somethings, but hopefully that will change over time. Right now the young men just starting to make their way in thr world are the ones who need it the most.

Carl said...

Yes.

Finally realized at 57 that the cubicle was a cell and retired without the assets "recommended" by the so-called experts. My epiphany hit home when it dawned on me the conventional wisdom was that I retire to an income level that supported not just me but the advisor(s) as well. When it became abundantly clear I could be happy and content on much less income the die was set. Went Galt. Read, "Enjoy the decline", gravitated to Aaron's blog and discovered the manosphere.

After all these years it was refreshing to hear from all these intelligent, articulate men about the nature of women. I'd always thought something was not quite right. I couldn't discuss these feelings with anyone for fear of being labeled and ostracized.

This is a whole new level of freedom. I no longer live my life in fear. Rather enjoy it now, decline be damed.




Dr. Kenneth Noisewater said...

Hate to say it, but I'm pretty much doing a shit-ton better than I was 4 years ago.

4 years ago, I was halfway thru paying down about $45k in credit card debt, living in hightaxland on the east coast, in a dead-end tech job with no future, from which I would be laid off.

4 years later, I have relocated to Texas, have a much better job, have long since paid off all that debt and have been able to get stupid cheap $$ for a house whose PITI costs significantly less than the rental I had back east (with acreage, a well, septic tank, and space for a solar array). Heck, I ended up maxing out my Social Security contribution so the last 6 weeks of the year I get a bit of an extra bonus! I think 2013 will be my highest income year ever.

I now buy stuff on rewards/cashback cards and pay them off in full each month to clawback the CC charges that are baked into everything these days, unless the store offers a cash discount (some liquor, gun and bullion stores I do business with do this, and with them I pay cash or ACH). I had a really nice stash of guns and metals, until they were all lost in a tragic boating accident.

It turns out that, in my line of work at least, it's somewhat hard to find a good gig that doesn't pay really well unless you go independent, and after relocating I kinda broke away from a lot of my work-related network that would support an independent consulting career. So, basically, I bank a shit ton and have a bit more than 2 years complete living expenses saved, and I add to that pretty regularly in case TS finally HTF.

Anonymous said...

Yes.

I lost 60 lbs, finished my engineering degree and am now employed making decent money. Oh, and my Bitcoin investment is really starting to pay out.

Anonymous said...

I'm much better off now than 4 years ago. I'm a much better wife. My husband is much happier and I love watching him flourish as head of the household. Only wish I had found it sooner.

Pete Brewster said...

Glen,

Never fear, she'll come crawling back---when Uncle Sugar runs out of other people's money. By then she'll be old enough that you are the only man left on earth who has any chance at all of falling for her bullshit.

Whatever you do, don't answer the door. Let her reap what she sowed. You'll know we've turned the corner when consequences aren't just for men too poor to afford lawyers. I hope to be there.

Anonymous said...

One could argue this goes back much more than four years...

I'm free
I'm free
And freedom tastes of reality
~ Pete Townshend

Anonymous said...

This is the kind of self-deluded, self-congratulatory blather that makes you people come off as so laughable. Look on any "old media" website like MSN -- virtually every article is about ridding oneself of debt, finding non-tradtional ways to make a living, to consider whether a college degree is worth it for you, etc. What's your other contributions to the world? More sex? Get in shape and watch your diet? Yeah, you really invented that. You are all walking in the shoes of Tony Robbins (with some Hugh Hefner thrown in) and calling it a bold new world.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely!!

The first few months after taking the red pill, was a little rough psychologically, as I came to realize all the BS that we were spoon-fed from public schools and the corporate media.

There is an acceptance and adjustment process that can take awhile, but after that, I can't even put in words the magnitude of how peaceful, serene and happy I feel today!

When you are a man, today's culture hands you a shit-sandwich and expects you to eat it. You are not even allowed to mention the sandwich smells kind of funny.

Upon discovering the manosphere, you realize that what you suspected all along is true: it is a shit-sandwich, but you know what? You don't have to eat it, you can go your own way, you don't have to get married, you don't have to have kids and you don't have to suck-up to corporate America.

This is what I call LIBERATION, and I have never been HAPPIER :-)

Also, everything I learned in the manosphere about women and game have been absolutely invaluable for me. My relationship with my gf has improved dramatically, now that we both accept our gender roles (I lead, and she supports me).

It's not hyperbole to say that the manosphere saved my life, as I was depressed and suicidal because I couldn't live up to the retarded expectation that society unfairly piles on men (with nothing to offer in return, except for shaming!)

JoeAmerica said...

This last weekend I went to the Richard M. Nixon library in Yorba Linda California. Interesting to see the history. Cant talk about Nixon without mentioning Watergate. At the time the press beat it to death, its all they talked about. I was reading Obama was getting close to Nixon era approval ratings at the height of Watergate. That says something considering how favorable the main stream media portrays.