NOTE: This page is in desperate need of revision and expansion. In the meantime, I suggest you use Rationalwiki’s Manosphere Glossary.
For newcomers to this blog, here’s a handy guide to some of the strange acronyms and lingo you’ll encounter here and in the “manosphere” in general. (For a definition of that term, see below.) I will update this entry periodically as needed.
First, the acronyms you’ll see most often here:
MRA: Men’s Rights Activist
MRM: Men’s Rights Movement
MGTOW: Men Going Their Own Way MGHOW: Man Going His Own Way.
Ok, so what do those terms mean?
MRM: The Men’s Rights Movement: A loosely defined, but largely retrograde, collection of activists and internet talkers who fight for what they see as “men’s rights.” Unlike the original Men’s Movement, which was inspired by and heavily influenced by feminism, the self-described Men’s Rights Movement is largely a reactionary movement; with few exceptions, Men’s Rights Activists (or MRAs) are pretty rabidly antifeminist, and many are frankly and sometimes proudly misogynistic. Those who oppose the MRM are generally not against men’s rights per se; they are opposed to those who’ve turned those two words into a synonym for some pretty backwards notions.
MGTOW: Men Going Their Own Way: As the name suggests, MGTOW is a lot like lesbian separatism, but for straight dudes. MGTOW often talk vaguely about seeking “independence” from western and/or consumer culture, and a few MGTOW try to live that sort of zen existence. But most of those who embrace the term have a deep hostility towards and/or profound distrust of feminists and women in general. Many MGTOW refuse to date “western women” and some try to avoid women altogether. I think the Man Going His Own Way acronym MGHOW adds another layer of confusion to an already awkward acronym, so I use MGTOWer instead.
Some other terms and acronyms you’ll run across here:
Anglosphere: Countries in which English is the primary language, or, more narrowly, those countries that used to be British colonies. They are full of evil Western Women (see below).
Incel: Involuntarily Celibate. A term, and identity, adopted by some dateless guys (as well as some women, but it’s the men we’ll focus on here). While there is nothing shameful about being dateless, or a virgin, or having a really long dry spell sexually — most of us have been there at some point — the term “involuntarily celibate” seems to suggest that the world owes incels sex, and that women who turn down incel men for dates or sex are somehow oppressing them. For those (male, straight) incels who are genuinely socially awkward or phobic, this can be a self-defeating stance that can lead to bitterness towards women. And often does.
Mangina: Derogatory term used by MRAs, MGTOW, etc. to describe guys who disagree with them — e.g., me. You can figure out the various connotations of this term yourself.
The Manosphere: The loose collection of blogs, message boards, and other sites run by and/or read by MRAs, MGTOW, and assorted friendly Pick-up Artists. The primary source of material for this blog.
NAWALT: Not All Women Are Like That. Dudes in the manosphere make so many ridiculous and untrue generalizations about women that they’ve come up with their own little acronym to describe the most common reaction to their nonsense: “not all women are like that.” Remarkably, many seem to think that making a reference to NAWALT is actually some sort of clever rebuttal of their critics.
PUA: Pick-up Artist. PUAs are obsessed with mastering what they see as the ultimate set of techniques and attitudes — known as “Game” — that will enable them to quickly seduce almost any woman they want. There is a vast literature on “game” online, though PUA (insofar as it is not complete bullshit) is at its essence simply a male version of the age-old ploy of “playing hard to get.”
Western Women: Also known as WW. Evil harpies, at least according to many in the manosphere. Contrasted with “foreign women,” a term that (in the manosphere, at least) sometimes refers to all women outside the Anglosphere, but often refers to a subset of these women from poor and/or Eastern countries, mostly Asian, who are regarded as more pliable and thus more desirable to haters of “Ameriskanks” and other WW.
Urgh, typo. Should be “them”, not “they”.
You ladies enjoy your feminism. I’m another one joining MGTOW.
Noooo, we’ve lost another one, ladies!
Please come back, Mr. MGTOW! I’ll make you a sammich!
But seriously, check out the link in his nym. It’s good for a LOL.
We will enjoy it, and enjoy the absence of misogynists even more. Bye now, don’t let the door hit your arse on the way out.
“Enjoy your feminism.” Isn’t that like “enjoy your cats?” Like, why yes, indeed, cats and feminism are both highly enjoyable.
But, anyway, thank you Mr. MGTOW, I do indeed enjoy my feminism and will continue to do so! Bye now! I’m sure you’re truly going to go your own way and not spend your time complaining about how awful women are! I’m sure that’s a thing that’s going to happen!
Hurrah! Light up the board, another frustrated man is off to focus on making his life better rather than complain about and harass women online.
That’s what you plan to do right? Not just continue to vomit mindless misogyny on message boards and blame women for all your own problems, which you believe are all the important problems facing humanity. If you do that then you’re just another dunderheaded misogynist who likes to throw around meaningless acronyms as a way to pretend their goofball antics and playacting are super serious activism and reasonable adult behavior.
Ninja’d a bit by Sparky. Yup, I have a feeling his free time will be mostly spent complaining about how awful and treacherous feeemaaalees are.
His site is incredibly mockable. It also started in July so I’m not sure why he’s announcing his intent to go his own way as if he just decided to today because WHTM articles and commenters were just the last straw.
Some gems just from the forum topic listings
So clever! What genius mind it takes to change cupid to stupid. OMG it rhymes! Hilarious!
Oh no! My boss told me to what do! That’s misandry! Who does she think she is? A man?
Yuck. Computers and smart phones are so icky and complicated. Unless they’re pink. Right ladies?
The relationship sub forum is actually called “relationshits.”
That was the saddest and most ridiculous thing I’ve read in a while. And I didn’t even go look in the forums yet.
Okay, I peeked into the first two threads on the general all things MGTOW topic. The first one was about them getting mad at some former escort deciding she wants to settle down. The second one was them getting mad at some new hipster trend of women dying their armpit hair.
Nothing says men going their own way like getting together to obsess over a woman seeking love or a woman decorating her pit hair!
I’ll stop now. I’m just a little bored right now.
MGTOW never seem to be able to stick their flounce.
“the stuff girlfriends and wives can’t stand…….”
Did I miss a meeting? When did we begin hating technology,lol?! Guess I shouldn’t be surprised….your antiquated notions of a woman’s place and the fact that you seem unaware that women, too, use technology on a daily basis, leads me to believe that you have no grounded relationship with reality…tsk, tsk.
BTW, feminists abhor misogyny, so telling us that you will not be available to us is akin to a klansman saying I can’t come to his meeting because I detest racism…..oh, goody.
Bye, felicia, bwahahahahaha – please take as many of the MRAs and MGTOWs with you as possible.
Summarily, stop copycatting feminists, we already backed out of the club when the third wave came on in the 90s…….your going your own way movement is like being kicked out of a club and walking away whining that you never wanted to be a part of it anyway
See this is the problem. Too many men still looking for validation from women. It shouldn’t matter what women feel about you going your own way. They have no say in your decision, They no longer have power over your world or masculinity. Really, I don’t know, maybe a lot of MGTOW haven’t grown to that point yet.
But on the flip side, just because your Mgtow doesn’t mean you have to give up on sex.
Just because you have a Girlfriend doesn’t mean you can’t be a Mgtow. Its comes down to your mindset and priorities.
And whats with this sex business. There’s nothing wrong with a man just interested in sex. There’s nothing wrong with a women just interested in sex. It’s called having a healthy sex life. As long as he/she respects the other as a person then whats the problem. Women like sex, Men like sex.
As evidenced by what? Define your terms. How many is too many? What are you calling validation and in what way does that have anything to do with women and avoiding them because of their eeeeevil ways?
MGTOWs never go anywhere. They just whine about women not belonging to them properly. They rant about civilization falling without them like doomsday fundamentalists yearning for the apocalypse to cleanse the world of people they hate. It isn’t about mindsets or independence. It’s about making excuses for being really, really pathetic haters.
That’s handy, because no one fucking cares.
Yeah, it kinda does.
WWTH,
HA! I dyed my pit hair once years ago. A friend I was working out with told me it embarrassed her to work out with me because I didn’t shave my pits. So, I dyed it bright red before I went to the gym with her again. She was so mad! I was so amused. It’s the little things in life that make it worth living, isn’t it?
It washed right out. Body hair doesn’t take dye well.
…and no, we don’t cotton to each other anymore.
So worth it.
Go, Brooked, go!
You should post that on Urban Dictionary.
Yet you can’t resist coming around here to make a big show of telling us all about you MGTOWness. You don’t want to just go your own way, you want to make sure we feel bad about it. So I guess you do seek validation from women.
It never gets old pointing that out.
Goodbye, you won’t be missed!
The first paragraph was directed to Mgtow men, not to feminist. It was about their need to validate there existence to women. How they need to grow beyond that. Sorry for not clarifying that the first time.
And those relations are shit because these guys were/are in them. Betcha.
This isn’t actually a MGTOW forum you know.
Dood, no one gives a shit. If you’re going to seek validation from other idiots, you’re not going your own way. It doesn’t matter what the gender of the idiots happens to be.
And yes, sorry to say it, but “going your own way” DOES mean you get no sex from women. And you deserve none, either. Not even stupid women should have to put up with you insufferable wankers.
What is it about this thread that makes it so irresistible to MGTOW? Is it like catnip for them?
Maybe it’s high in the Google results?
Unknown Traveler flounced months ago. And he’s back again.
When will these men going their own way actually go their own way?