Exactly. These institutions exploit something that can actually be quite beautiful when used towards positive ends. Young men needing to belong to each other is how we got the Beatles and sports.
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I hate it so much! Ive had some deep and meaningful friendships with groups of both men and women thanks to music and nerdy stuff and it has always been such a lovely and positive thing. I am not religious by any means, but it is like these institutions are spitting on something holy and sacred
aug 1, 2025, 9:26 pm • 5 0 • view
YES. I don’t think you’re wrong about it being holy- there are so many religious traditions based around male kinship and it makes sense as an instinct that would help a group survive. In many ways nerd culture can be very subversive in the way it can encourage healthy male friendships.
aug 1, 2025, 9:30 pm • 3 0 • view
Absolutely! I LOVE how nerd culture can bring people together. There are certainly a lot of toxic men who engage in nerdy stuff, but ive personally seen a few men stop engaging with incel/podcastbro content when they realized that real life doesnt work that way. Only works if they actually go out
aug 1, 2025, 10:13 pm • 4 0 • view
And meet with other people though. I think that ties back to the isolation thing. It is VERY difficult to manipulate people away from a strong community, but conversely very easy to manipulate them into a toxic one if they are lonely
aug 1, 2025, 10:14 pm • 4 0 • view
I am profoundly grateful for all of the nerds who have taken care of my nerd brother over the years.
aug 1, 2025, 10:40 pm • 4 0 • view
Me too 😊
aug 1, 2025, 11:12 pm • 3 0 • view