Inceldom

[Belacqua]

I agree that when it comes to mental health problems, it's important for society to continue to raise awareness regarding these problems and promote means to facilitate potential solutions or treatments for these problems, like making psychotherapy/counselling options more affordable for those who are in most need of it (for example).

But at the end of the day, real change needs to come from within. You can implement all sorts of solutions for people to make use of, but if these solutions require effort on the part of the targeted beneficiary (especially if it involves such difficult things as deep and honest self-reflection, acknowledging one's pattern of thinking and addressing that, and being motivated to improve oneself), then this is something they (the individual) need to do something about (as challenging as that may be unfortunately). Society cannot do that task for them.

I agree with you. Nobody can force a person to change. And I don't think that individuals should be able to evade responsibility for their actions by saying "my society made me that way." (Well, maybe extreme examples, but not usually.) 

Partly I think we're reproducing the classic conservative/liberal argument about personal responsibility vs. social conditioning. The right says "lock-em-up." The left says "get them therapy, the poor dears." 

As usual I can see the wisdom in both sides -- or imagine that the solution will be a mix. 

For a more theoretical and less practical analysis, I honestly think we should go back to Marx. He's the one who got us all talking about how the social conditions of capitalism cause alienation. How every aspect of life is turned into a commodity that can be assigned a value quantified in money or something equivalent. Incels think there is a list of measurable qualities that attractive partners must have, and that they are the deprived underclass. 

So when you elect me emperor, I will institute a number of programs that will help the country and, along the way, rouse some incels out of their dank cellars.

~ Free college or job training for everyone. No student debt. 

~ Universal health insurance, which includes psychological counseling. 

~ A nation-wide public works program, in which young people form groups to work on infrastructure and other practical quality-of-life projects. Some of the pale basement dwellers would benefit from a year of physical activity, sunshine, a healthy diet, and the camaraderie that comes from cleaning up a river together. 

~ I would end the symbiosis between the Pentagon and Hollywood. Instead, the government would spend that money on movies in which normal-looking people solve problems in non-violent ways. Extra points if friendly non-sexual affection is portrayed as success. 

In other words, taking large parts of life out of the work-or-die capitalist world that we live in would decrease alienation, in my view. 

Fantasy, I know.