[user104658]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

Not to turn into a Contra shill but

Youtube video

Like she and some of her commenters say, and some people here, he has (had?) genuine value in getting disaffected young men into better habits and improving their lives; with the side-effect of having a "down the rabbit hole" effect when it comes to some of his other views.

It's ultimately a bad path from the beginning as all of it promotes the idea of self-improvement for "social worthiness" rather than self improvement for self. Once you spark that idea it only goes one way - into the concept of "value", and the idea of "high value women" who are earned like prizes for increasing ones own social worthiness.

And of course it's all absolute BS so you end up with a bunch of already-angry 20-something year old lads, pumped up at the gym and half of them chock full of steroids, expecting to now be worthy but finding themselves enraged because all of it was snake oil to begin with. And the blame never goes where it belongs - to the peddlers of said snake oil - it goes squarely on the women.

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Soldier Boy

And of course it's all absolute BS so you end up with a bunch of already-angry 20-something year old lads, pumped up at the gym and half of them chock full of steroids, expecting to now be worthy but finding themselves enraged because all of it was snake oil to begin with. And the blame never goes where it belongs - to the peddlers of said snake oil - it goes squarely on the women.

If they tidy their room and pet cats when they see them, it'll all fall into place

I've not read his book, nor heard him speak (outside of contextless clips) in years, but I think (hope!) both of those "rules" are shorthand for bigger concepts, not entirely literal? In the same way that people who say "don't smile until Christmas" don't literally mean keep a straight face for three months, and nothing else