this post was submitted on 27 Jul 2024
506 points (95.2% liked)

Ask Lemmy

26734 readers
1511 users here now

A Fediverse community for open-ended, thought provoking questions

Please don't post about US Politics. If you need to do this, try !politicaldiscussion


Rules: (interactive)


1) Be nice and; have funDoxxing, trolling, sealioning, racism, and toxicity are not welcomed in AskLemmy. Remember what your mother said: if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. In addition, the site-wide Lemmy.world terms of service also apply here. Please familiarize yourself with them


2) All posts must end with a '?'This is sort of like Jeopardy. Please phrase all post titles in the form of a proper question ending with ?


3) No spamPlease do not flood the community with nonsense. Actual suspected spammers will be banned on site. No astroturfing.


4) NSFW is okay, within reasonJust remember to tag posts with either a content warning or a [NSFW] tag. Overtly sexual posts are not allowed, please direct them to either [email protected] or [email protected]. NSFW comments should be restricted to posts tagged [NSFW].


5) This is not a support community.
It is not a place for 'how do I?', type questions. If you have any questions regarding the site itself or would like to report a community, please direct them to Lemmy.world Support or email [email protected]. For other questions check our partnered communities list, or use the search function.


Reminder: The terms of service apply here too.

Partnered Communities:

Tech Support

No Stupid Questions

You Should Know

Reddit

Jokes

Ask Ouija


Logo design credit goes to: tubbadu


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

I'm an ex incel myself, but I've been seeing a few users here exhibiting the tell tale signs. "I'm not attractive enough", "I don't socialize correctly", "I'll never find a woman" - all extremely unhealthy attitudes.

Personally I burned through many friendships and ruined a lot of chances with women because I was in the incel community. The community warped my view of women so much that I made it even harder to meet women, I became my own worst enemy. I lost friends because all I could think of was how horrible it was that they had girlfriends.

I have a friend who helped me out of it. She was the one who started calling out my bad behavior for what it was, and I started on the long uphill path out of it. I'm now married and stable for well over a decade, but I still think back to those days, and it depresses me seeing other people causing this themselves and not being aware of it.

So, Lemmy, for those who have clawed out of it, what's your story?

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I was like that for a long time. I think I solved my problem by mostly thinking about my situation and the reasons for it and managed to separate fact from fiction. Something that also played a role was to - for a while - literally giving up. For a while I thought I would stay alone forever. For a while I was able to relax a little and not be that desparate, stressed guy who thought his time was running out. Who had to always think about opportunities to meet someone. I could just be myself. Desparation isn't a very attractive trait. I realized that there actually where quite a few women who seemed to show interest in me, but I never was able to see it, because I felt so beneath them. Them showing interest in me was unbelievable. In times where I didn't try to desparately meet women or get them to be interested in me I was much better at talking and being interested.

I think I was lucky in having a rather rational way of thinking about problems. That's how i was able to understand myself and find a way out of this whole. What were the things that (I think) got me out of it:

  • I was able to think of women as just other humans.
  • They are not automatically miles above me and i would have to hope to get their attention out of luck
  • They sometimes are as desparate or unsure of themselves as I was. They were actually pretty glad if I was showing interest in them (previously I never dared to talk to them just for the sake of it, because I feared they would be annoyed as they would always be talked to by idiots like me).
  • I remembered something someone said to me as a teenager: " You will make 10 times as many friends in the time you try to get people to be interested in you If you instead show interest in other people". I realized that for a long while I had the mindset of "please pick me!" when i thought about women. I was the low being who would have to hope to be chosen. I was thinking about wearing interesting shirts, or doing interesting things so that someone of the "upper class" would find me worthy enough and talk to me. Only late in life I realized that other people - especially women - weren't some higher level being - some mythical alien creatures. They were a lot like myself, yearning to be recognized by other human beings. And that I wasn't that low as well and a lot of other people - especially ( again:) women - were quite happy if I showed interest in them. So for anyone reading this: It might be strange to ask other people their name or from where they are, what they do, what they like. what problems they have. But after a while your thinking changes. Then you might actually genuinely be interested in them. And a lot of them greatly appreaciates it. So: try to be for other people what you want them to be to you. And don't only talk to people who you want to get into bed. Just expand your perspective. talk to people.

It's mostly just the mindset. If you're thinking your worthless and other people are unreachable, then your behavior will mirror this thinking.

Another thing: I am quite glad that when I had this phase in my life "incel" culture wasn't a thing. At least there were no dark corners in the Internet offering me easy explanations for my problems. I came from a strange place, believing that women where heavenly creatures miles above my sorry existence, so maybe not that typical incel-vibe, but I am still not 100% sure that these women-hating incel-idiots would have turned me against 50% of the population.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago

Not an Incel, usually I have great interactions with women IRL and it more often than not lead to dates and relationships. What I absolutely suck at is meeting people.

I'm currently desperately trying to figure out how to meet more people kinda in general. I have a solid friend group a mix of married, single, and in-relationship people but all our hobbies usually aren't conducive to meeting people. I've recently joined a 20s & 30s meet up group for random activities to hopefully meet some people and I've been trying to casually read or stuff in local places like Barnes and Nobel. It just feels hard to interact with strangers nowadays if there's no medium to start the conversation.

I've looked into volunteering but all the opportunities are during my work hours so that's out unfortunately. I'm an introvert so usually bars and the like are out of the question for me. Kinda just stuck. My life otherwise is actually in a pretty decent spot overall

[–] [email protected] 22 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Not an incel but someone on the trans-and-women-hating pick me pipeline: Got into a fight with a Reddit mod about autism. I'm autistic and ended up arguing with a sub's mod about how not all autistic people are special snowflake tumblerinas. Left such a bad taste in my mouth that I stopped going to the sub, which was my main source of hate content. Let me get exposed to other viewpoints and ultimately I came out as nonbinary after previously saying nonbinary people weren't real.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

Denial is a common way to cope with all sorts of dysphoria when societal pressure is applied and can influence your decisions.

Congrats on coming out and coming to terms with yourself!

[–] [email protected] 23 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Honestly... Two years in prison. Made me grow up and see how shitty I was as a person.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago

Mind if I ask you more? What was the nature of crime? How do you feel it changed you? It's very rare nowadays to see stories of people who feel prison actually helped them becoming better people, and I'd love to know more.

Of course, only if you feel like talking about it; if not, this is alright!

[–] [email protected] 43 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (3 children)

I took estrogen.
I was like fuck them they are so pretty 😭 Now I am pretty yay

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I feel that "I'm not pretty" stuff too!

But wary of taking estrogen and going with transitioning for social reasons and also because I kinda want to remain sexually active and keep a solid dick lol

So, crossdressing and some makeup it is!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

I’d kill myself sooner than see myself in the mirror as an old man one day. It’s pretty easy indicator. Old woman - yeah whatever could be nice, old man - no fucking way brr

And social things, yeah well this is admittedly something that is problematic but I am a firm believer that if you are confident enough, you can get away with just about anything.

I am just me, Emmie, hello. Nothing less or more and the rest anyone can make up in their heads as they see fit. Not my business

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

Cool!

In any case, I admire your bravery and the firm dedication to be yourself. I wish you the best of luck!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

I read the last line in Mysticats voice lol

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

No but seriously I was kinda incel once. I barely can remember that time but it involved lots of substances, clubs and things that were supposed to make you manly. Other people enjoyed them, me? I only wanted these things to make me more manly. I thought it can be learned or acquired with enough cigarettes, beer and calling people names and doing stupid ‘acts of masculinity’. I mistook antisocial for masculine I think in this pursuit.
When I felt empathy? again at 27 years old it was amazing. Like a blind person who has seen colours first time since losing them at the young age.

It’s truly amazing that we are capable of caring and this deep connection as humans and I don’t think there’s anything more worthwhile.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago
[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

So you’re saying he has cousins there?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Had sex

spoilerBut really, wasn't a women-hating incel per-se, more socially inept nerd.

Worked to better myself. Lost some weight, became more talkative by being a DM in D&D, started more interesting hobbies other than watching anime and gaming, alcohol helps to get loose in social settings.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

did you delete Facebook and lawyered up?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago

Facebook up, hit the lawyer, delete gym.

load more comments
view more: next ›