Serious Why isn’t There More Incel Violence?

[InMemoriam]

Why isn’t There More Incel Violence?​

• July 2023
• Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology 9(4)

DOI:10.1007/s40750-023-00220-3
Authors:
William Costello

• University of Texas at Austin

David M Buss

• University of Texas at Austin

Download full-text PDF

Citations (2)
References (39)

Abstract​

Incels (involuntary celibates) are an online subculture community of men who form an identity around their perceived inability to form sexual or romantic relationships. They attribute their lack of success to genetic factors, evolved mate preferences, and social inequities. While we have a deep ancestral history of incels, the modern incel community is an evolutionarily novel group that fosters a shared victimhood identity. We applaud Lindner for an important contribution to the scant literature on incels and highlight the importance of her evolutionary psychological lens in understanding their grievances. Our critique of Lindner’s work addresses two key issues. Firstly, we challenge the hypothesis that incels engage in simulated coalitional bargaining for sexual access. While coalitional bargaining for sexual access may have played a role in ancestral populations of involuntarily celibate men, this is not a suitable analysis of modern incels. Instead, the incel community operates as a fatalistic echo-chamber, where failure is celebrated, and individuals discourage each other from pursuing romantic success. Secondly, we critique the association between incels and violence. Contrary to common beliefs, empirical evidence suggests that incels are not particularly prone to violence. Incels’ propensity for violence appears relatively low compared to that of the general population. We conclude by offering one hypothesis as to why modern day incels are not as violent as we might expect. The Male Sedation Hypothesis, that online virtual worlds, such as pornography, may pacify the potential for violence among sexless young men, providing a counterfeit sense of sexual fulfillment and reducing motivation for real-life mate competition.

 

[SociallyStupid]

Some key quotes (not all original, but relevant):

Indeed, genetic evidence reveals that in every generation, most women reproduce whereas only a subset of men reproduce

Confirming hypergamy.

We concurwith Lindner that the evidence suggests that extreme inceldom looks more like suicidality than violence toward others. The two strongest correlates of male suicidalideation are, failure in heterosexual mating and burdensomeness to kin (de Catanzaro, 1995). Both factors are extremely salient for incels, many of whom report to beNEET (not in education, employment, or training) and still living with their parentsinto adulthood (Costello et al., 2022). The key point is that there does not seem tobe compelling evidence, despite a small number of highly florid cases that received tremendous news attention, that incels are particularly prone to violence.

Confirming incels are not particularly prone to violence, but prone to self-harm.

Even in the high-profile cases of incel violence, however, there has been a conspicuous absence of sexual violence. [...] Contrary to the mate deprivation hypothesis of sexual violence, incels score significantly lower than the general population in this measure.

Confirming that incels don't rape - in fact they report to rape less other groups of men even if they could get away from it. This also confirms that, as Incels are typically rejected, women prefer men who would like to rape more.

We propose what has been referred to in popular media as the MaleSedation Hypothesis—that online worlds have a pacifying effect, perhaps by takingthe motivational edge off of engaging in real-life mate competition, on the potentiality for violence among sexless young men

Arguing that boards like this reduce violence

 

[PersonalityChad]

Man this William Costello guy is fucking obsessed with us lmao.

 

[blackraven]

because incel is only an indicator of your estimated value in sexual marketplace rated by opposite sex and does not have to do with anything else

 

[Robo_Cope]

I miss incel violence …

 

[Wilmoty_95]

Well, the histrionics after Minassian perpetrated the van attack of course came to nothing, which is totally unsurprising. It seemed more like a thinly-veiled attempt to justify their contempt for 'losers'

 

[deucegigalo]

<a href="https://imgflip.com/i/811i83">
from Imgflip Meme Generator

 

[Antorian]

Arguing that boards like this reduce violence

Of course it does, it gives the average incel a place to vent his emotions instead of bottling it up before exploding and going ER.

 

[incelmadara]

So they want me to quit Internet, gaming and p*rn and compete by bashing the heads of attractive men (in world of warcraft) to gain more status?

I would get more violent if I could skip prison or any punishment, trust me.

 

[just lonely]

i dont like or agree with violence. not only that but it solves nothing. the incels that killed people, were women having sex with incels after?
no they were not. asking these questions is not really good at all. but you are asking not me. i just responded.

 

[GhostedPhantom]

it solves nothing. the incels that killed people, were women having sex with incels after?
no they were not.

I think the point is not for other incels to get sex but to drag normies and soyciety down with ourselves.

Regardless I'm too low-inhib to go ER.