Why the Manosphere Sounds So Reasonable at First
The misogynistic cult that sounds like good advice
The manosphere is a collection of men in the right-wing and alt-right political sphere. It includes men’s liberation groups, incels, pick-up artists, traffickers, multi-level marketing, and a myriad of crypto scams.
On the surface, it might sound like it offers a supportive community, but the new Louis Theroux documentary, “Inside the Manosphere,” shows it has become a full-fledged cult within the Cult of Trump.
Like all destructive, authoritarian cults, deception is rampant. There is outright lying and those within it actively distort information to make it seem legitimate.
The manosphere, which presents itself as a community of men offering one another a supportive environment for self-discovery, does not offer extreme gateway content. It is, in fact, reasonable.
Go to the gym. Eat well. Read books. Take responsibility for your life.
These are messages many parents would endorse, and parents who want to raise disciplined, self-reliant children may have even shared some of this content themselves.
Take a look at one of the manosphere’s most popular influencers, Andrew Tate, and two of his 41 Tenets.
Do these seem like particularly unreasonable ways of living to you?
This is what is known in destructive cults as “Outer Doctrine,” but it is not what is actually taught, believed, or practiced (Inner Doctrine).
It is incredibly important to analyze this as it lets us see where and how the radicalization starts.
