The Incel Question

We're warned that so-called ‘incel culture’ is on the rise across the UK. British schools, according to terrified journalists, have become incubators for misogyny and future domestic terrorists. This dark prophesying around incels is largely fueled by a perverse obsession with Andrew Tate, the so-called 'incel king', and narratives surrounding these disenfranchised young men tend to fluctuate between sheer sensationalism and outright absurdity. Such narratives, largely detached from reality, leave little room for factual and precise information.

Unfortunately, incels have been reduced to a caricature, a simplistic stereotype that diverts our attention from the complex reality of their situation. Contrary to popular belief, incels are not a homogeneous group with a fixed ideology. They belong to a primarily online subculture characterised by an absence of sexual and romantic intimacy. While some may harbour anger towards females and may even express a desire to harm them, it is important to note that this is a minute fraction, and only a tiny fraction of that fraction have actually acted on these feelings.

The noted philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once stated that happiness stems from a sense of power and accomplishment. One wonders what Nietzsche, an inveterate loner, would make of incels, a group of individuals who are, by-and-large, marked by feelings of powerless and bereft of achievement. Instead of progressing and adapting, incels find themselves trapped in self-imposed isolation.

Naama Kates, a sort of incel guru, has highlighted several misconceptions regarding these confused, lost souls. Firstly, she underscores that the notion of incels as a unified ‘movement’ driven by a violent ideology is completely inaccurate. Unlike other extremist groups, incels do not have any political or cultural objectives. For the vast majority, their sole personal goal is to exorcise their demons and find a way to improve their personal situations. Many are even willing to resort to extreme measures, such as undergoing jaw surgery, in an effort to embody societal standards of masculinity. Kates also points out that incels lack any formal organisation or offline network. They have no leader, no meeting spot, and, in truth, they don't have some nefarious, overarching agenda.

When examining individuals associated with violent acts, the link to the incel community is, at best, tenuous. As I have demonstrated elsewhere, since 2014, incels have only been directly responsible for the deaths of only 60 people worldwide. One individual, a Canadian named Alek Minassian, was responsible for 11 of these 60 fatalities. While Minassian identified as an incel, it is crucial to remember that his heinous act involved driving a van into an indiscriminate crowd of pedestrians, resulting in the loss of both male and female lives. Even when we consider the notion of incels as violent misogynst extremists, it is necessary to challenge the stereotype.

Picture an incel. What do you see? A white supremacist with Third Reich-inspired tattoos, donning a wife beater vest, citing lines from American History X? If so, think again. Psychologist Andrew G. Thomas, who specialises in the study of incel culture, has found that incels display a significant amount of diversity in terms of their race, ethnicity, and political beliefs. Contrary to popular belief, incels are not exclusively white. In fact, in a study by Thomas and his colleagues, over one-third of the incels interviewed identified as non-white. When asked about their politics, the majority of incels identified as left-leaning rather than right-leaning — more Jeremy Corbyn, less Jordan Peterson, another high-profile individual regularly linked with the incel movement.

The idea that all incels are out on the streets, poised to attack any passing woman, is unsupported by data. Typically, incels are individuals languishing in self-ostracism, rotting away in self-imposed prisons, posing a greater threat to themselves than they are to you and me.

Incels also exhibit internal variety, with some more plataple than others. A recent study published in the journal Psychology of Men & Masculinity emphasises this very fact. According to the authors, incels are not a monolithic unit. Instead, they can be divided into three distinct groups: ‘Externalizers’ – individuals who blame society (mostly women) for their problems. ‘Hopers’ — those seeking to improve their lives. ‘Internalizers’ — Those who blame themselves, not others, for the pits of despair they find themselves in. This self-directed blame causes severe emotional discomfort, including an increased risk of suicidal ideation.

The authors conclude, "This study finds that self-described "incels" should not be broadly labeled as violent extremists and can be classified according to whether or not they believe their situation is permanent, the extent of their suicidal ideation, and the extent of their violent ideation."

One needn't be Jordan Peterson to understand that many incels are not well — they are suffering; they have difficulty socialising, especially with members of the opposite sex, hence their retreat into their mothers' basements.

The correlation between autism and inceldom is particularly interesting. According to researcher Anna Speckhard and her colleagues, those who identify as incels have a significantly higher prevalence of autism spectrum disorder, including Asperger's, when compared to the general population. Their work revealed that nearly 20 per cent of respondents reported an official diagnosis, while approximately 44 per cent experienced autism symptoms. This is in stark contrast to the mere 0.82 per cent rate observed in the general English population. Given the challenges individuals with autism face in initiating and maintaining relationships, romantic or otherwise, it is reasonable to consider the disorder as a significant barrier to successful engagement in romantic relationships.

Speckhard and her team also found that incels exhibit notably higher rates of depression and anxiety compared to men who do not identify as incels. This raises the age-old chicken and egg conundrum: Are depressed men drawn towards inceldom, or does inceldom itself lead to depression? In reality, it is likely a reciprocal relationship. However, further empirical evidence is necessary to provide definitive answers. What we do know is that the majority of narratives around inceldom are unfounded. They are designed to generate clicks and fear, not constructive discussions.

Brandon Sparks, a forensic psychologist who has thoroughly researched incel culture, emphasised that due to a lack of comprehensive research, assumptions and baseless judgments often fill gaps in our knowledge. Until we have more substantial information, it is crucial to remember that incels are individuals with their own complexities, rather than a one-dimensional ideological group. They are our brothers, friends, neighbours, and work colleagues. Sure, some of them harbor evil intentions. But most of them don't. They need help. They are stuck in a hole, and they need a way out.