Whether the “red pill” ends up being a net gain or a net loss for men in general is something that only time will tell. At first my thoughts were absolutely no way that it doesn’t become a net gain, but time has proven that if current trends continue it could very well go the other way. The Red Pill Ideology is written by Jared Trueheart of Legends Of Men fame does a great job of discussing many of the troublesome aspects of the red pill and how it can spell disaster for men.
In one of my discussions with Jared I said that in many ways the red pill is kind of like chemotherapy to help get rid of cancer. Now I’m not doctor or anything like it but essentially chemo is essentially a poison that destroys the body to hopefully destroy the cancer as well. Too much and it’ll kill you and as little as possible should be used for safety. Same with the red pill.
I think the red pill is in ways a “natural” reaction to things like feminism and other greater movements that result in the upside down world we live in now. Unfortunately two wrongs and two extremes do not make a right or a healthy life. And too much of the red pill can kill one’s soul and health. But enough of me pontificating and let’s focus on what’s in the book.
A Brief History & Some Asides
A good chunk of the book will be review for most of my readers who have been around awhile. It details the start of the red pill movement (and also how the term can be problematic and has many meanings) and covers things like the PUAs, the 3 R’s, and the evolution since then. Again if you’ve been around “this side of the internet” for any length of time won’t be much new for you but still gives a good refresher of how it all came to be and a brief history of the red pill.
He then goes on to give a brief outline of general red pill beliefs so we can have somewhat of a working definition. I know many will have issue here as there’s no way possible to cover all of the “red pill” beliefs but I think Jared does a good job of getting the gist down and what it’s all about. He defines the different “sects” of the red pill either black pill or white pill as well as addresses the “enjoy the decline” mentality espoused by many in the community.
He then goes into parts of the commercialization of the red pill (not to think that the red pill was all good before this or anything) simply as I said discussing the evolution of the red pill and where it eventually leads. He also talks about the “capitalization of sex” (I made that up but sounds pretty cool) and some other topics that are worth at least perusing through. He talks about how business thinking has perverted thoughts towards relations with the opposite sex regardless of what one wants, another interesting topic worth discussing.
The Self-Defining Worldview Of The Red Pill
Man what a great chapter. It should come with a big “prepare to be triggered” warning for red pillers but contains a whole lot of truth. Honestly if there’s one chapter that causes the most contention with the red pill it’ll be this one (at least from an ideological and not personal stand point). So much of what constitutes “truth” in the red pill ideology has more to do with self-selection (screening for things that justify that particular truth and ignoring anything that does not) than just about anything else.
Jared uses an example of a married woman having sex with a guy she meets at a nightclub. Now obviously Jared isn’t saying that this doesn’t happen but he’s talking about how the red pill draws flawed conclusions from this data and ends up with twisted worldviews that do not reflect reality but only a certain reality.
This isn’t to say I don’t have any issue with this chapter. For example Jared talks about seducers contributing to a lack of marriageable women but I’d see it as exposing things for what they are. But on the other hand that does not mean “AWALT/all women are sluts at the right time” and so on and so forth. There is a lot of variety to human behavior and character although when looking at an overall trend (meaning large group behavior) it’s not a pretty picture.
Ressentiment & Risk Avoidance
Another great chapter that comes right after the self-defining one. Jared starts this chapter off by talking about how many seducers end up having a disdain for women (while still exploiting them) in many ways like a stripper has disdain for her clients (while still exploiting them). However if a stripper thinks every guy is like her clients (even if men as a whole are a lot like her clients) no “red pill” person would have a problem pointing out her error. But flip it and then you have a problem.
Again we come to self-selection. A seducer looks for a woman who will cheat on her husband, sorts through them/self-selects for one, and then concludes that all women are like that (especially if he was dumb enough to then try to have a long term relationship with such a woman). Now when you have “teachers” with such experiences telling young males with no experience with females that this is the truth you’re going to run into a lot of issues.
Jared also talks about ressentiment and slave and master morality and how it applies to the red pill and feminism. And while one should always be wise and keep both eyes open Jared talks about the difference between risk avoidance and risk mitigation and how the red pill’s risk avoidance beliefs and instructions are foolish and impotent (literally). Jared also does a great breakdown of the spiritual (not religious) problem of the red pill, which makes for another great chapter.
Other Good Stuff
There’s a chapter dedicated to the red pill’s misunderstanding and misapplication of evolutionary psychology/biology and how many in the red pill use fancy terms and such to sound smarter and more complicated than they are. He talks about the problems with those in the MRA type camp and how that what they want just isn’t going to work and isn’t going to produce the things that they want it too.
He also talks about how carrying some of the red pill tenets into marriage isn’t the best strategy and isn’t realistically going to work (assuming that’s what one wants). He talks about the soap opera nature of many of the red pill gurus and the associated nonsense and drama surrounding it. He devotes a chapter to how the red pill does offer freedom as well as what will eventually be its demise.
With all of the great stuff in the book that doesn’t mean I don’t have disagreements with any of it. I don’t agree with all of Jared’s arguments like mentioned above or may agree but in a different way. Personally I think too much focus was placed on Rollo in this book (though understand it as a case study) as I find Rollo’s work to be good when taken in the right context and not taken to black and white extremes. But overall a very solid read.
The Red Pill Ideology
Not only do I like this book but I think it came at a very good time. More and more I see myself and others drifting away from the red pill and all that it represents. What was always needed and what has always been needed. Is men who are strong and wise. Men such as this are what the good parts of the red pill (which there are many) were all about anyways. As George Bruno says in the introduction the red pill mindset (at least at its best) was “just being a man” (I also like what Bruno has to say about LARPing and the red pill.)
So overall a very good critique of the red pill from an honest and masculine source. Like I said I think in many ways the red pill sort of works as chemo to the cancerous mindset many are plugged into in our modern world. Those with stronger fathers or strong males around are less susceptible but that is becoming more and more a rarity.
So if you want to move beyond the red pill and understand the complex nature of it then pick up your copy of The Red Pill Ideology today.
