This weekly roundup thread is intended for all culture war posts. 'Culture war' is vaguely defined, but it basically means controversial issues that fall along set tribal lines. Arguments over culture war issues generate a lot of heat and little light, and few deeply entrenched people ever change their minds. This thread is for voicing opinions and analyzing the state of the discussion while trying to optimize for light over heat.
Optimistically, we think that engaging with people you disagree with is worth your time, and so is being nice! Pessimistically, there are many dynamics that can lead discussions on Culture War topics to become unproductive. There's a human tendency to divide along tribal lines, praising your ingroup and vilifying your outgroup - and if you think you find it easy to criticize your ingroup, then it may be that your outgroup is not who you think it is. Extremists with opposing positions can feed off each other, highlighting each other's worst points to justify their own angry rhetoric, which becomes in turn a new example of bad behavior for the other side to highlight.
We would like to avoid these negative dynamics. Accordingly, we ask that you do not use this thread for waging the Culture War. Examples of waging the Culture War:
-
Shaming.
-
Attempting to 'build consensus' or enforce ideological conformity.
-
Making sweeping generalizations to vilify a group you dislike.
-
Recruiting for a cause.
-
Posting links that could be summarized as 'Boo outgroup!' Basically, if your content is 'Can you believe what Those People did this week?' then you should either refrain from posting, or do some very patient work to contextualize and/or steel-man the relevant viewpoint.
In general, you should argue to understand, not to win. This thread is not territory to be claimed by one group or another; indeed, the aim is to have many different viewpoints represented here. Thus, we also ask that you follow some guidelines:
-
Speak plainly. Avoid sarcasm and mockery. When disagreeing with someone, state your objections explicitly.
-
Be as precise and charitable as you can. Don't paraphrase unflatteringly.
-
Don't imply that someone said something they did not say, even if you think it follows from what they said.
-
Write like everyone is reading and you want them to be included in the discussion.
On an ad hoc basis, the mods will try to compile a list of the best posts/comments from the previous week, posted in Quality Contribution threads and archived at /r/TheThread. You may nominate a comment for this list by clicking on 'report' at the bottom of the post and typing 'Actually a quality contribution' as the report reason.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
A bit off topic, but what exactly is the sigma thing? My vague sense it's a rebranded MGTOW (attempting to leave all the pathetic parts behind) but could use an explainer.
It started out as the usual internet autists that systematize any topic to make wikis about the millions of niche political ideologies or genders applying their talents to the "sociosexual hierarchy". The pseudopsychological concept where we attempt to understand human social relations using the terms designed for pack wolves like alpha and beta. Which got pretty popular in the redpill/PUA circles at some point.
Like any incomplete model it had to be extended to fit enough archetypes to please everyone, and sigma is essentially the MGTOW archetype, or as he is classically called, the Übermench, the man who lives life according to his own principles.
People started to make graphs and to try to rank the archetypes, eventually putting sigma on top because, well he's better than the alpha because he's beyond the hierarchy since he refuses to acknowledge it, which not only sounds like immense cope it is also extremely memable.
So the internet did what it does best and started making ironic meme clips of movie characters "acting according to their own principles" and getting praise for doing insane self serving evil shit, most especially with Patrick Bateman who's already a meme icon in his own right.
And then it just followed the usual process where every ironic meme slowly turns post-ironic when people start thinking that while idolizing Walter White murdering a whole bunch of people for his own gain is funny because it's so wrong, there's also a kernel of truth to the idea that, as a man, social norms are burdensome and you deserve to pick your own fate.
So in a nutshell, the Sigma male started out at somewhat ridiculous element of a theory of social hierarchies and became a memetic exploration of will to power.
And we pretty much seem to have stabilized at MGTOW-but-post-ironic and with a better aesthetic than middle aged men whining about getting shafted in their divorce.
I thought it originally had a "spergy" quality to it. Basically like a James Damore-type guy who is too autistic to often notice let alone care about social cues and women.
Then somehow Tommy Shelby became a sigma.
I believe the original poster boy for it was Keanu Reeves who also has his own meme connotations but is pretty definitely the transcendental sperg that does stuff for its own sake.
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link
More options
Context Copy link