PZ1,
I’ve always assumed it was a reference to the scenes from either The Matrix, or Alice in Wonderland, regarding a newly acquired ability to see a reality that had always been present, but not previously apparent because it had been invisible, or made to be invisible to someone who was meant never to see it for what it was. I never did read the full story of Alice in Wonderland so I can’t be certain, but in The Matrix, the taking of the blue pill is a choice that would have allowed the main character to return to his immersion in the manufactured reality that had been created for him, which was mildly comfortable, but totally fake, and essentially mental slavery. The taking of the red pill was an irreversible choice to acquire the ability to see the true reality which, though not as mind numbingly comfortable, allowed the character to see reality for what it actually was, and put control of the decisions governing his own interests in his own hands. The red pill represented freedom from slavery, but required the character to accept responsibility for his own best interests in a world mostly hostile to them.
Mgtow represents a very similar choice for a man. If he chooses, he can easily accept the role that is expected of him in a gynocentric society that basically intends to enslave him and extract from him his property, efforts, time and energy for the benefit of someone else. This role is not presented to him as the slavery that it is. It is presented to him as ‘being a real man…’, or ‘manning up…’ or some other version of that same manipulation. The presentation is that if he is a real man and leads his life for the benefit of someone else, that he will be respected, honored and appreciated for it. This is the fake, blue pill reality. But you will meet no resistance or hostility if you choose it.
The red pill is to see this manipulation for what it is. It sets you free from living your life for someone else, but then puts all the responsibility for your own best interests in your own hands. You can not expect to make this choice and still hope for the approval of those people who intended to benefit from our sacrifice. In fact, you can expect some ongoing hostility for it.
In the matrix, it’s a choice between comfortable slavery willingly chosen on the basis of a fake reality, or clarity based freedom made more frightening by the necessity of facing a real, but hostile one.
If you have spent much time accepting the fake reality that was created for you, seeing the real one all at once is surprising and disorienting, and this is part of both stories.
Maybe not the short version you asked for, but as clear as I could make it without repeating the entire stories in this post.
Maybe someone who has read Alice in Wonderland could comment on wether I’ve been completely off here…?
Look, it's not my fault that tornado dropped a house on your sister. Now get back on your broom and get your ass out of here... and take your monkeys with you
Anonymous 4 years, 11 months ago.
