By David Futrelle
Incels seem to think that they are the only people on earth who have problems. They regularly claim that women are literally incapable of feeling real depression, feeling sad only when they’re temporarily denied the adoring attention they’ve come to expect. As if that’s how any of this works.
On the Braincels subreddit today, one incel brain genius argued that female “depression” — yes, with scare quotes — is “voluntary.”
Incels constantly complain that no one understands their pain, that no one else goes through what they go through. In fact, innumerable people go through the exact same things — feeling loneliness, despair, hopelessness — and somehow manage to do it without getting murderously angry and dismissing the problems of everyone else on earth as imaginary.
I’ve dealt with clinical depression, spending years of my life untreated and basically fumbling around in the dark. I’ve been close to a number of women (and men) who have also dealt with clinical depression and/or other mental illnesses, in some cases worse than mine even at its most severe. They all got better after they got help, though it sometimes took years. We all feel bitter at times, but none of us lashed out at the world and assumed that no one but us ever felt like shit or had to deal with real issues.
Incels, your depression is real, and not your fault. But it’s also not the fault of women, or feminism, or your height, or any of the other convenient scapegoats you like to yell about online. Your ideology is toxic. It makes your life worse. It makes the world worse. Unlike your depression, it’s something you chose. You don’t have to allow that shit into your head. It’s voluntary, and as long as you choose to believe it your life will remain shitty. Get off of Braincels. Get off of Incels.me. Get help. Fix yourselves.
It isn’t. Maybe some weird sort of placebo effect that boosted confidence without any genuine change in height?
Ah, so the depressive psychosis I suffered during my cancer recovery that drove me to suicide (I would have jumped from the bridge if the paramedics hadn’t physically pulled me off the ledge) was just a figment of imagination courtesy of my feeble little ladybrains. Makes sense.
@Teabug
That sounds really rough. I hope things have improved for you.
@kupo thank you so much and yes, they did. I found a support group who takes amazing care of me. It’s a place of healing and contribution all at once. Since joining them my health is better than ever, have not had a major depressive episode in three years and have published two books. Isn’t it weird how life can be so cruel and still manage to have a few happy endings in store?