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'''Men Going Their Own Way''' (abbreviated '''MGTOW''', pronounced /ˈmɪg.taʊ/), sometimes also called the '''marriage strike''', the '''marriage boycott''', or the '''sexodus''', is a worldwide [[social phenomenon]] and [[Community of interest|community]] of [[heterosexual]] men who uphold a [[personal philosophy]] which rejects [[gynocentrism]] in favor of a [[Value (personal and cultural)|value system]] of male [[Self-determination theory|self-determination]] and [[self-preservation]], and who consequently choose a [[way of life|lifestyle]] which avoids legal and romantic entanglements with women, including, at the very least, [[marriage]], [[cohabitation]], and [[procreation]]. A participant in MGTOW is called a '''Man Going His Own Way''' (abbreviated '''MGHOW''', pronounced /ˈmɪg.haʊ/). In Japan, MGTOW are known as [[Herbivore men|'''herbivore men''' or '''grass-eater men''']].<ref name="From carnivores">{{cite web
'''Men Going Their Own Way''' (more commonly abbreviated '''MGTOW''', pronounced /ˈmɪg.taʊ/<!-- <ref name=sundaytimes/> -->) is an [[online community]]<ref name="walesonline">{{cite journal|url = http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/david-sherratt-18-mens-rights-10480411|title = David Sherratt, 18, is a men's rights activist who won't have casual sex in case he is falsely accused of rape|first = James|last = McCarthy|publisher = [[Wales Online]]|date = 22 Nov 2015|access-date = 2015-12-31}}</ref> supported by websites and social media presences.<ref name="Lamoureux">{{cite journal|first = Mack | last = Lamoureux|url = http://www.vice.com/read/inside-the-global-collective-of-straight-male-separatists|title = This Group of Straight Men Is Swearing Off Women|publisher = [[Vice (magazine)|Vice Magazine]]|accessdate = 2015-12-30|date = September 24, 2015}}</ref> The community is part of what is more broadly termed the [[manosphere]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1 = Goldwag|first1 = Arthur|title = Leader’s Suicide Brings Attention to Men’s Rights Movement|journal = Intelligence Report|date = Spring 2012|issue = 145|url = http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2012/spring/a-war-on-women|accessdate = 6 April 2015|publisher = [[Southern Poverty Law Center]]}}</ref>
|url = http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/from-carnivores-to-herbivores-how-men-are-defined-in-japan
|title = From carnivores to herbivores: how men are defined in Japan
|publisher = japantoday.com
|date = Feb 16, 2012
|accessdate = 31 March 2015
}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Japan's 'grass eaters' turn their backs on macho ways|work=[[the Guardian]]|date=2009-12-27|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/dec/27/japan-grass-eaters-salaryman-macho|accessdate=2015-10-17|first=Justin|last=McCurry}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=After the end of the world|work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|date=2011-03-23|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/03/23/apop032311.DTL&ao=2|accessdate=2012-01-15|first=Jeff|last=Yang}}</ref><ref>lifestudies.org [http://www.lifestudies.org/specialreport04.html Special Report: Herbivore Men]</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Blurring the boundaries|work=[[The Japan Times]]|date=|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20090510x1.html|accessdate=2012-01-15}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-16500768|work=BBC News|title=Young Japanese 'decline to fall in love'|date=2012-01-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flMjGXEIFe8&feature=youtu.be|title=Unmasking Japan, Episode 2 "The Last Days of Pompeii?"|publisher=YouTube|date=|accessdate=2012-08-20}} {{dead link|date=February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/14756847?story_id=14756847|work=The Economist|title=They need another hero|date=2009-10-29}}</ref><ref name="tomikawa1">{{cite news|url=http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/01/13/no-sex-please-were-young-japanese-men/|work=The Wall Street Journal|first=Yuri|last=Tomikawa|title=No Sex, Please, We're Young Japanese Men|date=2011-01-13}}</ref>


As [[The Sunday Times|Sunday Times]] journalist [[Martin Daubney]] has pointed out<ref name="sundaytimes">{{cite journal|author=[[Martin Daubney]]|publisher=[[The Sunday Times]]|title=Meet the men giving up on women|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/article1629220.ece|quote=These young men don't want girlfriends; they don't want children; and they don't even want to have sex. The secretive "MGTOW" movement is a fast-growing online community of disillusioned males. But are they misogynists or simply misunderstood? In interviews, Martin Daubney tracks some of them down.}}</ref><ref name="breitbart0">{{cite website|author=Will Ross|publisher=[[Breitbart News Network]]|url=
According to [[The Sunday Times|''Sunday Times'']] journalist [[Martin Daubney]], members of the MGTOW community believe that legal and romantic entanglements with women fail a [[cost–benefit analysis]] and [[risk–benefit analysis]].<ref name="Daubney 2015">{{Cite web|title = Meet the men giving up on women|url = http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/article1629220.ece|website = www.thesundaytimes.co.uk|first=Martin|last=Daubney|date=15 November 2015|accessdate = 2015-12-30|quote=As a result of these views, such men are making what they see as logical, factual and cost-benefit-based decisions about women, dating and sex — and their brutally stark conclusion is that it’s simply not worth the risk, expense or effort.}}</ref> According to Frank Worley-Lopez, the movement is a response to [[gynocentrism]].<ref>{{Cite web|last = Worley-Lopez|first = Frank|title = MGTOW: Join the Puerto Rico Independence Movement!|url = http://blog.panampost.com/frank-worley-lopez/2015/05/19/mgtow-join-the-puerto-rico-independence-movement/|website = The Canal|publisher = [[PanAm Post]]|accessdate = 2015-12-30|language = en-US|quote = If you’ve been using social media of late, it’s almost impossible that you won’t have come across the MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way) movement. It’s a response to decades of feminist legal and social hypocrisy and what is often referred to as "gynocentrism.|date = May 19, 2015}}</ref> According to [[Kay Hymowitz]], some self-identified MGTOW express bitterness because they see women as [[hypergamy|hypergamous]] and manipulative.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Why Are Men So Angry?|url = http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/02/28/why-are-men-angry-manning-up-author-kay-hymowitz-explains.html|website = The Daily Beast|date = 2011-02-27|accessdate = 2015-12-30|first = Kay|last = Hymowitz|quote=this is bitterness from guys who find the young women they might have hoped to hang out with entitled, dishonest, self-involved, slutty, manipulative, shallow, controlling—and did I mention gold-digging?}}</ref> ''[[Business Insider]]'' compared MGTOW to the Red Pill movement, one difference being MGTOW may go beyond avoiding relationships with women, and choose to drop out of modern society altogether.<ref name="bizinsider">{{cite journal |last=Love |first=Dylan |date=2013-09-15 |title=Inside Red Pill, The Weird New Cult For Men Who Don't Understand Women |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/the-red-pill-reddit-2013-8 |journal=Business Insider |access-date=2016-01-04}}</ref>
http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2015/11/18/the-sunday-times-magazine-provides-frank-humanizing-look-at-the-men-going-their-own-way/|title=The Sunday Times Magazine Provides Frank, Humanizing Look at the Men Going Their Own Way}}</ref>, according to [[Google Trends]], interest in "MGTOW" has grown [[exponential growth|exponentially]] since 2009; doubling approximately every 12 months<ref name="googletrends1">[https://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=mgtow&date=1%2F2009%2082m&]</ref>, it has rapidly overtaken both "[[women's rights]]" and "[[men's rights]]", as well as "[[radical feminism]]" in search popularity. It has been estimated that the MGTOW arm of the so-called "[[Manosphere|manosphere]]" is not only its largest segment, but also its fastest growing.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Meninists, Twitter and 'Going Ghost'|url = https://pjmedia.com/drhelen/2013/12/18/meninists-twitter-and-going-ghost/|website = Dr. Helen|accessdate = 2015-11-28|publisher = [[PJ Media]]|date = December 18, 2013|last = Smith|first = Helen|authorlink = Helen Smith}}</ref> Renowned family care activist [[Erin Pizzey]] has described MGTOW as "very powerful" and "almost epidemic".


==Definition==
BBC television personality [[Reggie Yates]] made a documentary on Britons who take part in the manosphere. He also attempted to contact MGTOW, but none of them could be reached for comment.<ref name="bbc">{{cite episode | title = Men at War | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06s5h18/reggie-yates-extreme-uk-2-men-at-war | series = Reggie Yates' Extreme UK | network = [[BBC]] | station = [[BBC Three]] | air-date = January 12, 2016 | season = 1 | number = 2 | minutes = 22}}</ref>
Because it is a decentralised [[social phenomenon|phenomenon]] and a [[community of interest|community]], and not so much a [[movement]] (coordinated [[Group action (sociology)|group action]]), MGTOW does not have any leaders, spokesmen, by-laws, official publications, official manifesto, or organizational structure, which can make the concept contentious, ambiguous, and difficult to define. The concept of MGTOW is thus primarily defined and refined by the MGTOW community itself, by means of articles, conversations, and debates in self-published books, websites, blogs, web forums, and online videos. Authors that have researched the phenomenon, such as [[Kay Hymowitz]], have recommended examining MGTOW websites, including [http://MGTOW.com MGTOW.com], [http://web.archive.org/web/20100514072412/http://www.nomarriage.com/ NoMarriage] (now [[Link rot|defunct]]), and [https://eternalbachelor.wordpress.com EternalBachelor], for readers interested in this matter.<ref name="hymowitz2">{{cite web|last1 = Hymowitz|first1 = Kay|title = Why Are Men So Angry?|url = http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/02/28/why-are-men-angry-manning-up-author-kay-hymowitz-explains.html|website = The [[Daily Beast]]|publisher = The [[Daily Beast]]|accessdate = 6 April 2015|date = February 27, 2011|quote = During the last few years researching this age group, I’ve stumbled onto a powerful underground current of male bitterness that has nothing to do with outsourcing, the Mancession, or any of the other issues we usually associate with contemporary male discontent. No, this is bitterness from guys who find the young women they might have hoped to hang out with entitled, dishonest, self-involved, slutty, manipulative, shallow, controlling—and did I mention gold-digging? Check out the websites [with] names like MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way), Nomarriage.com, or EternalBachelor [...] (“Give Modern Women the Husband They Deserve. None.”)|authorlink = Kay Hymowitz}}</ref><ref name="walesonline" /><ref name="panam"/>


===MGTOW.com===
==Notes and references==
According to MGTOW.com, MGTOW are men who share a specific view, philosophy, or school of thought with regard to modern society, romantic relationships, and women in general. According to this website, while the specific wording differs among individuals, generally accepted definitions within the MGTOW community include:<ref>{{Cite web|title = About {{!}} MGTOW|url = https://www.mgtow.com/about/|website = www.mgtow.com|accessdate = 2015-12-20}}</ref>
{{Reflist|30em}}

*A man who maintains and protects his [[self-ownership]] and personal sovereignty.
*A man who avoids cultural definitions and preconceptions of what a "man" is.
*A man who looks to no one for [[social approval]].
*A man who does not allow anyone to treat him as a [[Male disposability|disposable utility]].
*A man who lives according to his [[ethical egoism|own best interests]], rather than society's expectations.

== Basic concepts ==

One essential tenet of MGTOW is the avoidance of legal entanglements with women, including, at the very least, marriage, cohabitation, and procreation. The percentage of unmarried males in America (and many other countries worldwide) has steadily increased since the early 1970s, such that, as of 2015, 70% of American males between 20 and 34 years old are not married; according to Janice Shaw Crouse, author of the book "Marriage Matters", this may have ominous consequences for the future.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-hollingsworth/bachelor-nation-70-men-aged-20-34-are-not-married|title = Bachelor Nation: 70% of Men Aged 20-34 Are Not Married|date = February 12, 2015|accessdate = December 19, 2015|website = CNSnews|publisher = [[CNS News]]|last = Hollingworth|first = Barbara}}</ref>

In addition, many MGTOW to varying degrees choose to abandon romantic relationships, casual sexual relationships, female friendships, and/or [[social interaction|social contact]] with women altogether.<ref name=":1">{{cite news|title=Japan's "herbivore" men shun corporate life, sex|work=[[Reuters]]|date=2009-07-27|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/07/27/us-japan-herbivores-idUSTRE56Q0C220090727|accessdate=2012-01-15}}</ref> These phenomena are known as '''going ghost'''<ref>{{Cite web|title = Meninists, Twitter and 'Going Ghost'|url = https://pjmedia.com/drhelen/2013/12/18/meninists-twitter-and-going-ghost/|website = Dr. Helen|accessdate = 2015-11-28|publisher = [[PJ Media]]|last = Smith|first = Helen|authorlink = Helen Smith}}</ref><ref name="going ghost">{{cite article|title=Break-ups: why do men 'ghost'?|author=Gareth May|publisher=The Telegraph|date=28 Apr 2014|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/10752491/Break-ups-why-do-men-ghost.html}}</ref> (or, less commonly, as '''going monk'''<ref name="vice1" />). In Japan's '''[[herbivore men]]''' phenomenon, an extreme form of men going ghost is known as [[hikikomori|'''hikikomori''']].<ref>{{cite web|last=Teo|first=Alan|title=Modern-Day Hermits: The Story Hikkomori in Japan and Beyond|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70bv5gaN4LI|accessdate=26 February 2014}}</ref>

Being free from the necessity of supporting a wife and familiy, many MGTOW to varying degrees choose to reject the traditionally male [[gender role]] of [[breadwinner]], refrain from [[Occupational hazard|dangerous]] or [[Rat race|stressful careers]], minimize the duration of their [[workweek]], reduce their tax burden, lead a [[frugality|frugal]] and [[Simple living|minimalistic]] lifestyle, opt for [[entrepreneurship]] or [[freelancing]] instead of [[permanent employment]], while some even [[Self-sufficiency|sever their dependence on the grid]], [[expatriation|expatriate]] to countries where the [[cost of living]] is lower, and/or drop out of education and the [[workforce]] altogether.<ref name=":1">{{cite news|title=Japan's "herbivore" men shun corporate life, sex|work=[[Reuters]]|date=2009-07-27|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/07/27/us-japan-herbivores-idUSTRE56Q0C220090727|accessdate=2012-01-15}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web|last = Harney|first = Alexandra|url = http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2009/06/the_herbivores_dilemma.html|title = Japan panics about the rise of "herbivores"—young men who shun sex, don't spend money, and like taking walks. - Slate Magazine|publisher = Slate.com|date = |accessdate = 2012-08-20}}</ref> These phenomena are referred to as '''going Galt'''<ref name="smith"/><ref name="galt">{{cite journal|url=https://pjmedia.com/drhelen/2012/04/06/how-should-men-go-galt-in-a-female-centered-society/|title=How should Men "Go Galt" in a female-centered society?|first=Helen|last=Smith|publisher=[[PJ Media]]}}</ref>, after [[John Galt]], the [[iconic]] [[protagonist]] of [[Ayn Rand]]'s novel [[Atlas Shrugged]]<ref name="footnote">The book was originally titled "The Strike" by Rand, but the title was changed on the suggestion of her husband.</ref>. In Japan's [[Herbivore men|herbivore men phenomenon]], men going Galt are called [[Freeter|'''freeters''']] or [[NEET|'''NEETs''']].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.japanfocus.org/-Kosugi-Reiko/2022|title=Youth Employment in Japan's Economic Recovery: 'Freeters' and 'NEETs'|publisher=JapanFocus|date=|accessdate=2012-08-20}}</ref> One study estimated that 37% of the decline in male employment in America since 1979 could be explained by men's retreat from marriage and fatherhood.<ref>W.B.Wilcox, R.I.Lerman, ''For richer, for poorer: how family structures economic success in America.''</ref>

The term MGTOW is often used interchangeably with the so-called '''marriage strike''' or '''marriage boycott''', which are not entirely coterminous with MGTOW (which is a broader concept), although there is considerable overlap. The marriage strike is a form of protest against the allegedly unfair legal conditions of marriage. Some marriage strikers hope to return to marriage once these laws have been reformed, while many other MGTOW do not wish to return to marriage or women, or change society, but merely wish to be [[Separatism|left alone]]. Such MGTOW have no demands to present, no terms to bargain about, and no compromise to reach, thus engaging in a marriage [[boycott]].<ref name="quit">{{cite website|first=Helen|last=Smith|title=Are Men on Strike or have they Quit?|url=https://pjmedia.com/drhelen/2013/12/31/are-men-on-strike-or-have-they-quit/|publisher=[[PJ Media]]}}</ref>

Journalist [[Milo Yiannopoulos]] has also coined and popularized the term '''sexodus''' (a [[portmanteau]] of sex and [[exodus]]) as a synonym for MGTOW.<ref name="sexodus1"/><ref name="sexodus2" /><ref name="breitbart3" />

MGTOW can refer to both the [[social phenomenon]], in which case a man can be a participant in MGTOW without even knowing about the term "MGTOW", and to the a [[community of interest|community]] of men who discuss, advocate, and promote the MGTOW philosophy, and support each other in their MGTOW lifestyle.

== What MGTOW are not ==

The modern incarnation of MGTOW as a community originated in what is known as the [[manosphere|"manosphere" (or "androsphere")]], a loose and informal collection of weblogs, web forums, and websites, and online video channels, of men discussing men's issues, many of which are [[Men%27s_spaces|male-only spaces]]. Many MGTOW prefer to disassociate themselves from the "manosphere", as the latter term is sometimes used as an attempt to conflate several very different ideas:

* MGTOW are separate and different from the [[men's rights movement|men's rights movement (MRM)]]. Men's rights activists (MRAs) seek to influence or reform society though protests, demonstrations, conferences, [[public speaking]], publications, lobbying, [[picketing]], petitions, and other organized political and legal activism, whereas MGTOW are not a political [[movement]], and hence MGTOW as such are either unconcerned with influencing larger society, or engage in (private and personal) [[passive resistance]] and [[Foot voting|nonparticipation]] as a form of protest.

* The MGTOW philosophy is not synonymous with [[antifeminism|antifeminism]]. Indeed, many MGTOW view both [[progressivism|progressive]] [[feminism]] and [[traditional conservatism|traditional conservative]] antifeminism as two sides of a single [[gynocentrism|gynocentric]] spectrum. Gynocentrism refers to a biological instinct to protect and provide for women and prioritize their well-being, and to a cultural system that supports this instinct. Hence, MGTOW also oppose the antifeminist traditional conservatives for the latter's defence of [[chivalry]], traditional [[gender roles]] of [[breadwinner]] and [[housewife]], and traditional conservative "[[family values]]", such as an insistence on [[monogamy]], marriage, and procreation.

* MGTOW also differ from "[[Pickup artist|pick-up artists (PUAs)]]" and the "[[seduction community|seduction community]]" which encourage men to dedicate time, money, and effort to pursuing sex and relationships, with an emphasis on increasing one's number of sexual partners, and garnering female approval. While many MGTOW still engage in sexual relationships with women, such MGTOW strive to minimize the time, money, effort, and risks involved in such activities, and exercise great [[Sexual selection|selectivity]] in their choice of romantic partners.

* MGTOW also should also not be confused with self-described [[involuntary celibacy|"involuntary celibates" ("incels")]]. An "incel" is a man who considers himself too unattractive to attract a woman, and subsequently resents women for purportedly causing his [[sexual frustration]].<ref>{{Cite news|title = Inside the ‘manosphere’ that inspired Santa Barbara shooter Elliot Rodger|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2014/05/27/inside-the-manosphere-that-inspired-santa-barbara-shooter-elliot-rodger/|newspaper = The Washington Post|date = 2014-05-27|access-date = 2015-12-13|issn = 0190-8286|language = en-US|first = Caitlin|last = Dewey}}</ref> MGTOW consider 'involuntary celibacy' to be an [[oxymoron]]: many MGTOW practice [[voluntary celibacy]], other MGTOW have relationships or partake in [[casual sex|casual]] or [[transactional sex|transactional]] sex. An "incel" defines his life by his difficulties in attracting women, essentially analogous to a PUA who defines his life by his abilities to attract women. A MGHOW considers both of these worldviews to be worthless, and by definition does not allow female [[social validation|validation]] to define him or his worth. Whether or not a MGHOW has sex or not is irrelevant; it is a matter of perspective and perspective alone.

* Finally, the MGTOW concept is not simply identical with "[[bachelorhood]]" in general, one reason being that MGTOW are bachelors who uphold a personal philosophy based on male self-determination, self-preservation, and a opposition to [[gynocentrism]], whereas a bachelor in general may be a bachelor for variety of other reasons (such as a lack of physical attraction to women, as in the case of [[asexuality]] or [[homosexuality]]).

== History of MGTOW ==

Monks, celibates, and ascetics, have been common throughout history—[[Siddhartha Gautama]] had a wife and a son that he abandoned at the age of 30 to investigate the world, and even [[Paul the Apostle]] recommended against wives and families because he considered them to be an encumbrance—however, MGTOW are not per se a part of any religious tradition, and do not necessarily [[abstinence|abstain from sex]]. The phenomenon of male self-determination goes back centuries under names such as of free-man, celibate, bachelor, stag, freewheeler. In the [[Victorian era]], the term [[eligible bachelor]] was used in the context of [[upper class]] [[arranged marriage|matchmaking]], denoting a young man who was not only unmarried and eligible for marriage, but also considered "eligible" in financial and social terms for the prospective bride under discussion. In the Victorian era, the term "[[confirmed bachelor]]" denoted a man who was resolute to remain unmarried. Sometimes these self-determined or ‘MGTOW’ men formed groups, the earliest known being that of the Anti-Bardell Bachelor Band of 1898<ref name="band">Wright, Peter. ''MGTOW movement of 1898.'' Gynocentrism and its Cultural Origins. [http://gynocentrism.com/2013/12/20/mgtow-movement-of-1898/]</ref>. The phrase “men going their own way,” or variants such as “going his own way,” or “to go his own sweet way,” in reference to men’s freedoms is hundreds of years old.<ref name="earlymgtow">Wright, Peter. ''Early References to Men Going Their Own Way.'' Gynocentrism and its Cultural Origins. [http://gynocentrism.com/2014/09/02/early-references-to-men-going-their-own-way/] </ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Early History of MGTOW|url = http://unknownmisandry.blogspot.com/search/label/MGTOW|website = The Unknown History of Misandry|accessdate = 2015-11-30}}</ref> The "[[herbivore men]]" phenomenon was first observed by Maki Fukasawa in an article published on Oct. 13, 2006, and was subsequently discussed in a book by Masahiro Morioka<ref>『最後の恋は草食系男子が持ってくる』 (Translated: ''Herbivore Men Bring the Final Love'') Masahiro Morioka. July 23, 2009</ref>.

The modern incarnation of MGTOW as a community has its origins in what is known as the [[manosphere|"manosphere" (or "androsphere")]], a loose and informal collection of weblogs, web forums, and websites of men discussing men's issues. The MGTOW phrase made its appearance in the early 2000s in several online men's rights groups. Three of those who conceived the MGTOW community went by the names Zed the Zenpriest, Ragnar Jensen, and Meikyo. Zed noted that many types of men's rights movements, to his dismay, would splinter and fracture, because the men in those movements displayed an incredible amount of stubbornness, in-fighting, and stifling political correctness. Zed coined the term "MGTOW", because he noticed one reason why the men's rights movement was not effective was because “men kept going their own way”<ref name="zed1">Some of the early MGTOW discussions remain preserved at [http://www.the-niceguy.com/forum/]. A summary of these discussions can be found at [http://failuresforgodesses.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-mgtow-manifesto-black-pill-and.html]</ref>.

Ragnar describes the historical establishment of "men going their own way" as taking place in [[Hickory, North Carolina]], in October 2004, in a meeting between Ragnar and Meikyo; Zed was also invited, but was unable to attend due to illness.<ref name="history">Fedders, Rob. ''The History of MGTOW.'' NO-MA'AM. [https://no-maam.blogspot.com/2006/01/history-of-mens-movement-according-to.html]</ref> They concluded that an individual, [[grassroots activism|grassroots]] strategy, which Zed had previously dubbed "men going their own way", was superior to the [[men's rights movement]] and working for men's rights organisations. In an interview, Ragnar describes the moment as follows:

"''You see, all the ideas were floating around on the internet. We were frustrated that we couldn't get men to build an organization, couldn't get men to come to this damned meeting—everybody was going their own damned way, and the fact that men went their own way, we started to use that phrase and we started to talk about what's important for men… who's going to define their masculinity? Well, they actually have to do that themselves, they have to find out what it is for themselves. So, as you have the responsibility for your own actions, well then it's also your responsibility to define who you are as a man.""'' http://youtube.com/watch?v=qUUT2TCxU-o

In a seminal announcement dated December 1, 2004<ref name="announcement">{{cite website|url=http://standyourground.com/forums/index.php?topic=4411.msg48427#msg48427}}</ref>, Ragnar declared that MGTOW was based on an essay titled '''''Ignoring Women''''', written by Zed the Zenpriest, as its foundational document. As Zed stated in this document:

"''Men now must completely destroy marriage. It is too corrupt and too fouled to fix. It is a derelict building which MUST be torn down so that something useful can be built in its place.''

''We cannot stop the marriage strike. The real "[[men's movement]]" is millions of [[wildcat strike|wildcat strikes]] of one man who has woken up to what bullshit "marriage" as it exists today really is.''

''No matter how big a dam one builds, a river will always overcome it. We cannot either push, or hold back, the river. It will proceed at its own pace.''

''We can, however, clear out the [[snag (ecology)|snags]] which naturally hold it back and let natural forces speed up the current.''

''Women have turned their backs on us when we needed them, now we must turn our backs on them when they need us.''<ref>{{Cite website|url=https://dontmarry.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/book_of_zed_the_zen_priest.pdf|title = Book of Zed:  The Collected Works of Wisdom|author = Zed the Zenpriest}}</ref><ref name="ignoring">Zed the Zenpriest, ''Ignoring Women''. NO-MA'AM. [http://no-maam.blogspot.com/2010/09/zenpriest-27-ignoring-women.html]</ref>"

As Ragnar elaborated in his announcement:

"''Today I believe we need even more activism and together with a few other guys it has resulted in an idea about "MEN GOING THEIR OWN WAY" based on Zenpriest's essay "Ignoring Women". Those other guys will speak for themselves in due time.''

''The idea is to instill masculinity in men. To make men understand that they don't have to cater to women unless there is a "[[quid pro quo]]" situation. Men don't need someone to compete with. They need someone to help them. Men naturally enjoy being with other men in bands or brotherhoods, so they should go ahead and start some men's clubs and enjoy that. Men should also understand that you don't have to live with women, that they can live a fullfilling life without living with women. This doesn't mean without sex, not at all—it might, on the contrary, be with too much sex—depending on your personal preferences.''<ref name="announcement"/>"

Ragnar concluded with what he called a "small essay" of his own, which introduced the MGTOW logo, and which advocated "two strategies that come together in one", namely,
# <blockquote>1. Instilling masculinity in men</blockquote>
# <blockquote>2. Ignoring and shunning women. <ref name="announcement" />"</blockquote>

Much of these ideas were subsequently fleshed out and discussed, occasionally with heated arguments; and men adapted and expounded upon MGTOW as a philosophy and a way of being. The present incarnation and definition of the term "MGTOW" has evolved away and severed its ties from its murky origins in the men's rights movement, such that today the definition of MGTOW is a strictly nonpolitical philosophy centered around independence or [[separatism]] from women, and a rejection of [[traditional conservatism|traditional]] [[gender roles]] of masculinity and femininity.<ref name="fidelbogen">Debate between Barbarossa and Luigi Logan. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_VLmzXi-h4]</ref><ref name="manifesto">[http://sheddingoftheego.com/2015/09/26/a-rejection-of-the-mgtow-manifesto/]</ref>

==As described by prominent sources==

{{Expand section|elaborating the listed references into separate paragraphs}} <!-- Criticism of MGTOW belongs in the "Criticism of MGTOW" subsection, not here! -->
MGTOW have been described by various prominent sources.

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The MGTOW phenomenon has been described in detail in books by prominent authors such as
[[Helen Smith (psychologist)|Helen Smith]]<ref name="smith">{{cite book|last=Smith|first=Helen|publisher=Encounter Books|date=June 4, 2013|asin=1594037620|title=Men On Strike; Why Men are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood and the American Dream, and Why It Matters|quote=American society has become anti-male. Men are sensing the backlash and are consciously and unconsciously going “on strike.” They are dropping out of college, leaving the workforce and avoiding marriage and fatherhood at alarming rates. The trend is so pronounced that a number of books have been written about this “man-child” phenomenon, concluding that men have taken a vacation from responsibility simply because they can. But why should men participate in a system that seems to be increasingly stacked against them? As Men on Strike demonstrates, men aren’t dropping out because they are stuck in arrested development. They are instead acting rationally in response to the lack of incentives society offers them to be responsible fathers, husbands and providers. In addition, men are going on strike, either consciously or unconsciously, because they do not want to be injured by the myriad of laws, attitudes and hostility against them for the crime of happening to be male in the twenty-first century. Men are starting to fight back against the backlash. Men on Strike explains their battle cry.}}</ref>,
[[Kay Hymowitz]]<ref name="Hymowitz">{{cite book|asin = 0465028365|title = Manning Up: How the Rise of Women Has Turned Men into Boys|last1 = Hymowitz|first1 = Kay|publisher = Basic Books|date = March 6, 2012|quote = Women complain there are no good men left—that men are immature, unreliable, and adrift. No wonder. Masculine role models have become increasingly juvenile and inarticulate: think of stars like Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell, or the dudes of the popular Judd Apatow movies. There are no rules for dating and mating. Guys are unsure how to treat a woman. Most importantly, dating in the pre-adult years is no longer a means to an end—marriage—as it was in the past. Many young men today suspect they are no longer essential to family life, and without the old scripts to follow, they find themselves stuck between adolescence and “real” adulthood. In Manning Up, Kay Hymowitz sets these problems in a socioeconomic context: today’s knowledge economy is female friendly, and many of the highest profile areas of that economy—communications, design, the arts, and health care—are dominated by women. Men are increasingly left on the outskirts of this new, service economy, and take much longer to find a financial foothold. With no biological clock telling them it’s time to grow up, without the financial resources to settle down, and with the accepted age of marriage rising into the late 30s or even 40s, men are holding onto adolescence at the very time that women are achieving professional success and looking to find a mate to share it with. A provocative account of the modern sexual economy, Hymowitz deftly charts a gender mismatch that threatens the future of the American family and makes no one happy in the long run.}}</ref>,
[[Philip Zimbardo]]<ref name="Zimbardo">{{cite book|author = [[Philip Zimbardo]]|title = The Demise of Guys: Why Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It|date = 2012|quote = "celebrated psychologist Philip G. Zimbardo and Nikita Duncan say that an addiction to video games and online porn have created a generation of shy, socially awkward, emotionally removed, and risk-adverse young men who are unable (and unwilling) to navigate the complexities and risks inherent to real-life relationships, school, and employment. ... The book is based on a popular TED Talk which Zimbardo did in 2011, and includes extensive research as well as a TED-exclusive survey that drew responses from more than 20,000 men."}}</ref>,
and in many mainstream or notable newspapers, websites and other sources, including
the [[Sunday Times]]<ref name="sundaytimes">{{cite journal|author=[[Martin Daubney]]|publisher=[[The Sunday Times]]|title=Meet the men giving up on women|url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/article1629220.ece|quote=These young men don't want girlfriends; they don't want children; and they don't even want to have sex. The secretive "MGTOW" movement is a fast-growing online community of disillusioned males. But are they misogynists or simply misunderstood? In interviews, Martin Daubney tracks some of them down.}}</ref>,
[[Breitbart News Network]]<ref name="sexodus1">{{cite website|publisher = [[Breitbart News Network]]|url = http://www.breitbart.com/london/2014/12/04/the-sexodus-part-1-the-men-giving-up-on-women-and-checking-out-of-society/|title = The Sexodus, Part 1: The Men Giving Up On Women And Checking Out Of Society|quote = Social commentators, journalists, academics, scientists and young men themselves have all spotted the trend: among men of about 15 to 30 years old, ever-increasing numbers are checking out of society altogether, giving up on women, sex and relationships and retreating into pornography, sexual fetishes, chemical addictions, video games and, in some cases, boorish lad culture, all of which insulate them from a hostile, debilitating social environment created, some argue, by the modern feminist movement.|first = Milo|last = Yiannopoulos}}</ref><ref name="sexodus2">{{cite website|author=[[Milo Yiannopoulos]]|publisher=[[Breitbart News Network]]|url=http://www.breitbart.com/london/2014/12/09/the-sexodus-part-2-dishonest-feminist-panics-leave-male-sexuality-in-crisis/|title=The Sexodus, Part 2: Dishonest Feminist Panics Leave Male Sexuality In Crisis|quote=We can be quite sure now that the sexodus is not some fringe, isolated internet movement as “Men Going Their Own Way” has sometimes been characterised. A combination of disastrous social engineering, special privileges for women, the relentless mockery of white men on the basis of their sex and skin colour and the economic and educational abandonment for boys has created one, if not two, lost generations already.}}</ref><ref name="breitbart3">{{cite website|author=Will Ross|publisher=[[Breitbart News Network]]|url=
http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2015/11/18/the-sunday-times-magazine-provides-frank-humanizing-look-at-the-men-going-their-own-way/|title=The Sunday Times Magazine Provides Frank, Humanizing Look at the Men Going Their Own Way|quote=Though often conflated with MRAs, the Manosphere, or “The Red Pill” communities, MGTOWs are a distinct culture focused less on fighting women or feminists than on living separately, due to what they believe to be a rational assessment of the modern risks of male-female relationships. There is very little malice or combativeness to them. They don’t want to fight. They just, as they say, want to go their own way..}}</ref>,
[[Vice (magazine)|Vice Magazine]]<ref name="vice1">{{cite journal|author=Mack Lamoureux|url=http://www.vice.com/read/inside-the-global-collective-of-straight-male-separatists|title=This Group of Straight Men Is Swearing Off Women|publisher=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice Magazine]]|quote=At first glance, it's easy to lump MGTOW in with typical Men's Rights Activists (MRAs) who also believe that female oppression is a myth and that it's actually males who are oppressed—but that's not the case. The two groups differ significantly in how they make sure those tricky, tricky women don't pull any of their devious tactics. While MRAs are out to fix the problem through action and activism, members of MGTOW hold self-preservation above all else, and because of this the majority of the community seems to have decided to bow out.}}</ref><ref name="vice2">{{cite journal|date = September 8, 2014|title = Do We Have to Worry About Someone Actually Killing or Raping a Feminist Activist?|author = Chris Köver|url = http://www.vice.com/read/do-we-have-to-worry-about-someone-actually-killing-or-raping-a-feminist-activist-887|publisher = [[Vice (magazine)|Vice Magazine]]|quote = It’s what I like to call the new misogyny—basically a large amorphous internet subculture that is consumed with hating and attacking women. Some of these people call themselves men’s rights activists and portray what they are doing as somehow beneficial for men. Others call themselves “men going their own way,” the basic premise being that they want to live independently of women but end up talking most of the time about how terrible women are. That whole subculture is very heavily represented among gamers and on websites like Reddit.}}</ref>,
the [[Daily Mail]]<ref name="dailymail1">{{cite journal|last1 = Jackson-Edwards|first1 = Phoebe|title = 'Anti-feminist' student reveals he won't party with women in case he's accused of rape – and says he may stay single forever|journal = [[Daily Mail]]|date = 18 November 2015|url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3323931/Anti-feminist-student-reveals-won-t-party-women-case-s-accused-rape-says-stay-single-forever.html|quote = David Sherratt, 18, is a self-proclaimed 'anti-feminist' and member of Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW), a secretive movement of straight men who avoid women altogether.}}</ref><ref name="dailymail2">{{cite journal|last1 = Lloyd|first1 = Peter|title = Men to blame for childless women? I don't think so - it's society that deliberately disenfranchises fathers, says Peter Lloyd|date = 24 May 2013|url = http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2330458/Get-Britain-Fertile-Peter-Lloyd-says-men-blame-women-childless-Melissa-Kite-says-society-is.html|quote = Yes, I sympathise that her many life choices never produced children, but it's not men who are to blame. For years feminism has declared that women don't need us; that we are redundant. Fine. But guess what - we don't need women either. And it's trending.}}</ref>, [[Reason magazine]]<ref name="reason">{{cite journal|url = https://reason.com/blog/2015/09/25/mgtows-mras-and-libertarians|first = Elizabeth|last = Nolan Brown|publisher = [[Reason (magazine)|Reason Magazine]]|title = Why So Many Men Who Hate Women Love Limited Government|quote = Along with standard MRA views—feminists have destroyed the rightful social order, men are the ones truly discriminated against today, etc.—the community subscribes to a four-part "Levels of MGTOW," the first and second of which involve ditching romantic, social, and sexual relationships with all women. The third step is economic disengagement, in which one "refuses to earn more money than is necessary for sustaining life" because government is "tyrannical" and one must "actively drain money from the bureaucrats." The fourth step is wide-scale societal disengagement. The founders of the MGTOW community—or "Red Pill," as it is now more commonly known—said in an early mission statement the group's goal is to instill "masculinity in men, femininity in women, and work toward limited government!"}}</ref>,
the [[Daily Telegraph]]<ref name="telegraph">{{cite journal|title = George Lawlor's story shows how universities have become hostile towards men|first = Martin|last = Daubney|publisher = [[Daily Telegraph]]|url = http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/george-lawlors-story-shows-how-universities-have-become-hostile/|quote = For the past two months, I’ve immersed myself in the highly-secretive (and oft-maligned) world of the MGTOWs – the Men Going Their Own Way. To my sadness, if not surprise, I discovered a rapidly-growing, global army of men who have concluded that sex, relationships, marriage and fathering children in the modern world is simply “too risky”. The MGTOWs feel the “gynocentric” system is stacked against men, so they’re quietly opting out, preferring instead to retreat into their man caves to indulge in video games, porn, self-improvement through study or the gym. They're finding the comfort of male-only friends, usually online (but not for sex). Despite the fact they are usually sexual pacifists who have figured “the only way to win the game is to not play”, for their viewpoints these men are variously dismissed as “toxic misogynists” or ridiculed as “a cult for lonely virgins”.}}</ref>, the [[Daily Mirror]]<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = This teenager doesn't want a girlfriend or sex - in case he's accused of rape|url = http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/meet-18-year-old-who-6878569|website = [[Daily Mirror]]|publisher = |accessdate = 2015-12-13|last = McCarthy|first = James|last2 = Logan|first2 = Ross|date = November 22, 2015}}</ref>, the [[Sun (newspaper)|Sun]]<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title = Meet the student who fears he'll be accused of rape if he gets a girlfriend|url = http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/6750231/Meet-the-student-who-doesnt-want-a-girlfriend-because-he-might-be-accused-of-rape.html|website = [[The Sun|Sun]]|accessdate = 2015-12-05|last = Kamouni|first = Sara|date = November 19, 2015}}</ref>,
the [[Independent]]<ref name="independent">{{cite journal|url = http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/cardiff-university-student-david-sherratt-speaks-about-why-he-s-anti-feminist-opposes-sex-consent-a6738746.html|title = Cardiff University student David Sherratt speaks about why he’s anti-feminist, opposes sex consent classes and wants to remain single|first = Aftab|last = Ali|publisher = [[The Independent]]|quote = MGTOW is described as a movement which centres on a ‘statement of self-ownership’ whereby its members aim to steer clear of the social expectations of women and society in the belief that both have become ‘hostile’ against masculinity. According to Sherratt, though, MGTOW’s message is about staying away from the opposite sex, and not doing ‘what’s expected’ of a man by remaining single and having no children.}}</ref>,
the [[Irish Independent]]<ref name="irish">{{cite journal|url = http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/ruth-dudley-edwards/deluded-feminists-divide-us-and-imperil-basic-freedoms-34222925.html|title = Deluded feminists divide us and imperil basic freedoms|author = Ruth Dudley Edwards|publisher = [[The Irish Independent]]|quote = On campuses, with war being waged on "lad-ism" and wild allegations being made about rape-culture, men are becoming frightened of challenging women, lest they are accused of harassment, discrimination, sexism or God knows what. A Cardiff student called David Sherratt explained last week why he is part of MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way): "I'm genuinely too scared to go near a woman, just in case. At university, I'm made to feel like a rapist all the time." And in the workplace, men are nervous that saying the wrong thing might lead to a complaint or a lawsuit. Listen, you social-justice warriors, you need to get a sense of perspective and (trigger warning) man up. The West is now in a war against Islamists - violent fundamentalists who would enslave all women and murder all those they consider deviants. Men, women and the transgendered should all be standing up to this terrible threat together: for most of us, our main weapon to challenge this toxic ideology is through the freedom of speech they hate.}}</ref>,
[[Independent Journal Review]]<ref name="ijreview">{{cite journal|url = http://www.ijreview.com/2015/09/430085-group-men-come-pretty-extreme-response-combat-feminism/|title = A Group of Men Has Come Up With a Pretty Extreme Response to Combat Feminism|first = Jed|last = Smith|publisher = [[Independent Journal Review]]|quote = The group, called Men Going Their Own Way, has been building steam for a while now, but its recent coverage in the media is garnering it a lot more attention- and criticism.}}</ref>,
the [[Huffington Post]]<ref name="huffpo">{{cite journal|url = http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/leah-morrigan/modern-dating-frustrations_b_7538254.html|title = The Fear of Being Alone Has Ruined Modern Dating|first = Leah|last = Morrigan|publisher = [[Huffington Post]]|quote = Then there is Men Going Their Own Way, or MGTOW, an online men's community that supports "a statement of self-ownership, where the modern man preserves and protects his own sovereignty above all else." I was delighted to find this site until I read further and found that what began as masculine empowerment quickly turned vile. [...] Sandman, sits safely behind his computer screen and proclaims his bitter, indiscriminate hate towards women, according to his videos I've watched. Sandman says that all women are manipulative whores and liars; he slut-shames, fat-shames, and age-shames women, and ironically complains about being single.}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title = Reader Comments to '5 Signs You Might Be Dating a Man-Child'|url = http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jill-p-weber-phd-/reader-comments-to-5-signs-you-might-be-dating-a-man-child_b_8363420.html|website = The Huffington Post|accessdate = 2015-12-22|date = October 30, 2015|publisher = The [[Huffington Post]]|last = Weber Ph.D.|first = Jill P.}}</ref>,
[[Wales Online]]<ref name="walesonline">{{cite journal|url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/david-sherratt-18-mens-rights-10480411|title=David Sherratt, 18, is a men's rights activist who won't have casual sex in case he is falsely accused of rape|first=James|last=McCarthy|publisher=[[Wales Online]]|quote=Chemistry student David is part of an online community known as MGTOW – Men Going Their Own Way. According to mgtow.com, it is about "ejecting silly preconceptions and cultural definitions of what a 'man' is". It's about "looking to no-one else for social cues. Refusing to bow, serve and kneel for the opportunity to be treated like a disposable utility." And, it's about "living according to his own best interests in a world which would rather he didn’t".}}</ref>,
[[PanAm Post|Pan-American Post]]<ref name="panam">{{cite journal|url=http://blog.panampost.com/frank-worley-lopez/2015/05/19/mgtow-join-the-puerto-rico-independence-movement/|title=MGTOW: Join the Puerto Rico Independence Movement!|first=Frank|last=Worley-Lopez|journal=[[PanAm Post]]|quote=If you’ve been using social media of late, it’s almost impossible that you won’t have come across the MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way) movement. It’s a response to decades of feminist legal and social hypocrisy and what is often referred to as “gynocentrism.” Within MGTOW and the men’s-rights movement are plenty of former husbands and fathers who have been left hopeless and sometimes homeless by family-and-divorce court. So bad is the situation that the term “divorce rape” was created to explain what happens to men when they get divorced. The men’s-rights movement has spawned a host of websites and YouTube channels like A Voice for Men, Return of Kings, MGTOW.com, and Sargon of Akkad, a YouTube channel with over 100,000 subscribers. It has also created the likes of JudgyBitch and GirlWritesWhat: women who have become famous for fighting for men’s rights.}}</ref>,
[[Infowars.com|InfoWars]]<ref name="infowars1">{{cite journal|author = Paul Joseph Watson|title = Sexodus: Why are young men giving up on women?|publisher = [[Infowars.com|InfoWars]]|url = http://www.infowars.com/sexodus-why-are-young-men-giving-up-on-women/}}</ref><ref name="infowars2">{{cite journal|author = Paul Joseph Watson|title = Radical Feminism is Destroying Young Men|publisher = [[Infowars.com|InfoWars]]|url = http://www.infowars.com/radical-feminism-is-destroying-young-men/|quote = Why are more and more young men giving up on women and checking out of society? They’re calling it The Sexodus – an entire generation of boys abandoning female company, relinquishing relationships and retreating into a virtual reality world of pornography, video games, lad culture and chemical addictions.”}}</ref>,
[[Metro_(British_newspaper)|Metro]]<ref name="metro">{{cite journal|url = http://metro.co.uk/2015/11/18/student-wont-party-with-women-in-case-he-is-falsely-accused-of-rape-5511019/|title = Student won’t party with women in case he is accused of rape|first = Amy|last = Willis|publisher = [[Metro_(British_newspaper)|Metro]]|quote = The student, a self-proclaimed ‘anti-feminist’, is part of a new movement of straight men who are avoiding any kind of contact with women, known as the Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW) club. Speaking to student newspaper The Tab, he said: ‘I wouldn’t say I don’t plan to have a girlfriend, ever. I’d make the exception for maybe one person at some point. ‘But I don’t see anything on the horizon at the moment, you have to be really really careful. Going out and having one night stands is too risky. Girls could falsely accuse you of rape.’}}</ref>,
[[Psychology Today]]<ref name="psychologytoday">{{cite journal|last1 = Nicholson, M.S.W., Ph.D.|first1 = Dr. Jeremy|title = Why Are Men Frustrated With Dating? Is dating a punishing situation for men?|journal = [[Psychology Today]]|date = April 3, 2012|url = https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-attraction-doctor/201204/why-are-men-frustrated-dating|accessdate = April 6, 2015|series = The Attraction Doctor|publisher = Sussex Publishers, LLC|quote = finally, some men choose opting out as the best option for them. This is sometimes known as the "men going their own way" (MGTOW) movement. Essentially, these are the guys who have been frustrated and punished to the point that they see no further incentive to relate. Rather than spending their efforts on material success to attract a partner, they focus on making themselves happy. Although these guys are often socially-shamed as "not growing up", in fact, they are arguably just reacting to the lack of outside motivation...and taking care of themselves.}}</ref>,
the [[Daily Beast]]<ref name="hymowitz2">{{cite web|last1 = Hymowitz|first1 = Kay|title = Why Are Men So Angry?|url = http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/02/28/why-are-men-angry-manning-up-author-kay-hymowitz-explains.html|website = The [[Daily Beast]]|publisher = The [[Daily Beast]]|accessdate = 6 April 2015|date = February 27, 2011|quote = During the last few years researching this age group, I’ve stumbled onto a powerful underground current of male bitterness that has nothing to do with outsourcing, the Mancession, or any of the other issues we usually associate with contemporary male discontent. No, this is bitterness from guys who find the young women they might have hoped to hang out with entitled, dishonest, self-involved, slutty, manipulative, shallow, controlling—and did I mention gold-digging? Check out the websites [with] names like MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way), Nomarriage.com, or EternalBachelor [...] (“Give Modern Women the Husband They Deserve. None.”)|authorlink = Kay Hymowitz}}</ref>, [[PJ Media]], the [[BBC]]<ref name=":4">{{Citation|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8RxL9kuBs4&t=23m36s|accessdate = 2015-12-15|title = Reggie Yates' Extreme UK. Episode 2: "Men at War"|publisher = [[BBC|BBC3 ]]|date = December 15, 2015}}</ref>, [[Tommy Sotomayor]], the [[Tom Leykis|Tom Leykis Show]], [[xoJane]]<ref name="xojane">{{Cite web|url = http://www.xojane.com/sex/men-going-their-own-way-forums-has-a-whole-thread-dedicated-to-what-a-whore-i-am|title = It Happened To Me: My Online Dating Profile Inspired A Whole Forum Thread Dedicated To What A Whore I Am|date = June 12, 2013|accessdate = November 30, 2015|website = |publisher = [[xoJane]]|last = Mercer|first = Mara}}</ref>,
[[Business Insider]]<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title = Inside Red Pill, The Weird New Cult For Men Who Don't Understand Women|url = http://www.businessinsider.com/the-red-pill-reddit-2013-8|website = Business Insider|accessdate = 2015-12-10|date = September 15, 2013|last = Love|first = Dylan|quote = ""MGTOW" is short for "men going their own way." This is a school of thought similar to Red Pill that's all about being a man who "will not surrender [his] will to the social expectations of women and society, because both have become hostile against masculinity." A fully-realized MGTOW (there are levels to it) is someone who shuns all relationships with women, short-term, long-term, romantic, and otherwise. He eventually shuns society as a whole: "For all intents and purposes, he does not exist. A urbanite might keep to his own apartment, while someone further out may simply head into the wilderness and go off-grid.""}}</ref>, the [[The Conservative Woman|Conservative Woman]]<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|title = Sexodus anger needs to be channelled before it explodes|url = http://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/kathy-gyngell-sexodus-anger-needs-to-channelled-before-it-explodes/|website = [[The Conservative Woman]]|accessdate = 2015-12-13|language = en-US|last = Gyngell|first = Kathy|date = April 21, 2015}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web|title = They call it the ‘sexodus’.  Men retreat from women|url = http://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/laura-perrins-call-sexodus-men-retreat-women/|website = [[The Conservative Woman]]|accessdate = 2015-12-13|language = en-US|last = Perrins|first = Laura|date = December 12, 2014}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite web|title = A century of feminism has failed us. Women have betrayed men's trust|url = http://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/belinda-brown-a-century-of-feminism-has-failed-us-women-have-betrayed-mens-trust/|website = [[The Conservative Woman]]|accessdate = 2015-12-13|language = en-US|date = May 1, 2015|last = Brown|first = Belinda}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite web|title = Reader’s Comment of the Day: Facebook corrodes the bond between men and women|url = http://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/readers-comment-of-the-day-facebook-corrodes-the-bond-between-men-and-women/|website = The Conservative Woman|accessdate = 2015-12-13|language = en-US|date = September 6, 2015}}</ref>, [[News24|Women24]]<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|title = Sexodus: Are men retreating from society?|url = http://www.women24.com/Wellness/BodyAndSpirit/Sexodus-Are-men-retreating-from-society-20141208|website = Women24|accessdate = 2015-12-13|last = Roux|first = Adam|date = }}</ref>, [[:es:Eldiario.es|eldiario.es]]<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|title = MGTOW : El hombre del Siglo XXI|url = http://www.eldiario.es/mientras-tanto-en-internet/MGTOW-hombre-Siglo-XXI_6_418268170.html|website = eldiario.es|accessdate = 2015-12-22}}</ref>, [[WorldNetDaily]]<ref name=":13">{{Cite web|title = Men giving up on women (and women who hate them)|url = http://www.wnd.com/2015/06/men-giving-up-on-women-and-women-who-hate-them/|website = [[WorldNetDaily]]|accessdate = 2015-12-23|date = June 12, 2015|last = Lewis|first = Patrice|publisher = [[WorldNetDaily]]|quote = "Thus was born a movement called “Men Going Their Own Way,” or MGTOW. I had never heard about it before last fall, but once brought to my attention, I’ve seen related stories cropping up all over the place. Many men, it seems, have decided women aren’t worth the trouble. They are eager to participate in one-night stands, but that’s about the extent of their willingness to commit. This in not just a case of “Why buy the cow when the milk is free?” Instead, for many men it seems the cost of the cow is simply too high."}}</ref>, the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]]<ref name="SPLC">{{cite journal|last1 = Goldwag|first1 = Arthur|title = Leader’s Suicide Brings Attention to Men’s Rights Movement|journal = Intelligence Report|date = Spring 2012|issue = 145|url = http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2012/spring/a-war-on-women|accessdate = 6 April 2015|publisher = [[Southern Poverty Law Center]]|quote = Other movement adherents have forsworn sex altogether, or at least romantic relationships and marriage; the acronym they use for themselves is MGTOW, for “Men Going Their Own Way.” “If you are willing to marry a woman — any woman — in the West then you must also be willing to become the next murder-suicide story when she threatens to file for divorce, steal your kids out of your life and extort you for every current and future dollar you will ever earn,” wrote one commenter at The Spearhead. “If a man kidnapped your children, stole your home, your wallet and your bank account, you’d be more than willing to kill him in self defense. Why is it any different when ex-wives do it with the full force of the law behind them?”}}</ref>, and others.

In an interview, [[Erin Pizzey]], the family care activist internationally famous for having started the first domestic violence shelter in the modern world, described MGTOW and expressed her concern about the effects on women:

"''MGTOW, Men Going Their Own Way, is very powerful in America; it's almost epidemic in Japan. So in a funny way, as the women of the [[feminist movement]] turned on men, men ran away. And what's happening now: I move between London and Los Angeles, where my son lives with his family, and what I see is desperate between late thirties and forties women, who are never going to be married, and are never going to have children, because the men aren't there;  and what the men will offer, and the only thing they'll offer, is what they call [[Hookup culture|Hookup]]—particularly in America, where a man can see four or five women at the same time and have sex with them all''. http://youtube.com/watch?v=dj8883DryKA

Dr. Jeremy Nicholson, M.S.W., Ph.D., for his column "The Attraction Doctor" in [[Psychology Today]], viewed MGTOW sympathetically, calling societal and female expectations on men in relationships a "[[double bind]]", which has left many men "wounded" or "frustrated" to the point that have chosen to "opt out" entirely and instead concentrate on making themselves happy in other ways.<ref name="psychologytoday" />

In February, 2011, in an article about her published thesis that what she terms "the rise of women" has had a negative influence on men, American author [[Kay Hymowitz]] suggested the reader search for terms including "MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way)" for examples of young men frustrated by women who complain of inequality while demanding preferential treatment.<ref name="hymowitz2" />

A detailed account of the MGTOW phenomenon was published by Helen Smith, Ph.D., in her 2013 book "Men On Strike; Why Men are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood and the American Dream, and Why It Matters"<ref name="smith"/>

The [[Sunday Times]], the largest-selling British national "[[Quality_press|quality]]" Sunday newspaper, featured an in-depth 8-page article detailing the MGTOW phenomenon<ref name="sundaytimes"/>

== Reasons why men go their own way ==

{{Expand section|1=additional subsections, and subsection contents}}
<!-- This section is ONLY intended for MGTOW-specific grievances, not generic Men's Rights-related grievances not related to MGTOW! For example, issues such as military conscription, male rape culture in prisons, male genital mutilation, bias in prison sentencing, etc. do NOT belong in this article! -->

=== Summary ===
MGTOW believe that legal and romantic entanglements with women fail a [[cost–benefit analysis]] and [[risk–benefit analysis]]. MGTOW believe it is advisable for men to shun marriage, cohabitation, and procreation, because they believe that the modern legal climate and justice system is hostile and dangerous towards men, and that the prevailing society or culture is [[gynocentrism|gynocentric]] and [[misandry|misandrist]]. Many MGTOW also are of the opinion that even if all such alleged legal dangers, [[moral hazard|moral hazards]], and other problems disappeared, modern women and modern society do not provide any positive incentives for men to engage in interactions with women. Many believe that [[mechanization]] and [[automation]] have [[Technological unemployment|substituted for]] the need for female labor in many (traditionally female) household tasks. Many self-identified MGTOW also feel that that female companionship does not provide sufficient positive incentives to associate with women, and advise men stay away from all romantic relationships, because they see such relationships as inherently dangerous and exploitative, or even in some cases from women in general, whom they see as [[hypergamy|hypergamous]] and manipulative by nature.

=== Divorce statistics ===

<!-- High divorce rate, high female initiated divorce rate, no-fault divorce, etc. -->

=== Consequences of divorce ===
Richard Doyle wrote about the court handling of divorces and child custody processes:

"''Divorce courts are frequently like slaughter-houses, with about as much compassion and talent. They function as collection agencies for lawyer fees, however outrageous, stealing children and extorting money from men in ways blatantly unconstitutional... Men are regarded as mere guests in their own homes, evictable any time at the whims of wives and judges. Men are driven from home and children against their wills; then when unable to stretch paychecks far enough to support two households are termed "runaway fathers." Contrary to all principles of justice, men are thrown into prison for inability to pay alimony and support, however unreasonable or unfair the "obligation."''" (Messner (1997) <ref>http://books.google.com/books?id=nG8MGcopgWQC&pg=PA41#v=onepage&q&f=false 41–48</ref>

MGTOW have claimed that family and divorce law discriminate against men and favored their wives.{{sfn|Ashe|2007|p = [http://books.google.com/books?id=nXDbiPA9IuQC&pg=PA57#v=onepage&q&f=false 57]}} MGTOW assert that men are consciously or unconsciously opting out of marriage and engaging in a "marriage strike" as a result of the lack of benefits in marriage and the emotional and financial consequences of divorce, including alimony and child custody and support.<ref name="SacksThompson">{{cite web|url = http://www.ifeminists.com/introduction/editorials/2002/0709a.html|title = Have Anti-Father Family Court Policies Led to a Men's Marriage Strike?|author = Glenn Sacks|authorlink = Glenn Sacks|author2 = Dianna Thompson|date = 2002-07-05|publisher = Philadelphia Inquirer|accessdate = 2013-07-15}}</ref><ref name="smith" /><ref name="McElroy">{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,94415,00.html|title=The Marriage Strike|author=Wendy McElroy|authorlink=Wendy McElroy|date=2003-08-12|publisher=Fox News – Opinion|accessdate=2013-07-15}}</ref> MGTOW have argued that divorce and custody laws violate men's individual rights to equal protection.

{{see also|Implications of divorce}}

Other reasons why men go their own way include:
* Divorce statistics: high prevalence of divorce, high prevalence of female-initiated divorce.
* Unenforced prenuptual agreements
* Emotional sequelae of divorce: male suicide.
* Asset division after divorce
* Alimony
* Child support
* (Lack of) child custody
* Parental alienation syndrome

* Paternity fraud
* Lack of reproductive rights: spermjacking, etc.
* Violence against men: Domestic violence. Female on male rape(?). Stalking, etc.
* False rape accusations
* False domestic violence accusations
* Lack of benefits in marriage (A wife has no legal obligations in marriage. No obligation to have sex. No obligation not to cheat. No obligation not to cuckold. No obligation to stay married (no-fault divorce). There is nothing a husband is legally entitled to in marriage.)
* Sexless marriage

* Downsides of cohabitation: encroachment on male living space ("the prospect of having your personal space rearranged, and even being driven out of your personal space (which you're paying for) and into the garage [or "man cave"] isn't very savoury"), cohabitation as common law marriage
* palimony
* Substitute goods and services: self-improvement, hobbies, sports, video games, porn, sex toys, sexbots, prostitutes, escorts, massage parlors, artificial wombs, etc.
* Decreasing wages: man cession, making it more difficult to support a household, etc.
* Personal productivity:
Research shows increased scientific and artistic productivity in men who do not marry. As Christopher Orlet observes in his New English Review article ''Bachelorhood and Its Discontents'',
{| class="cquote"
|“
|Some years ago a noted Japanese researcher analyzed the biographical data of some 280 famous mathematicians, physicists, chemists, and biologists and discovered that all peaked professionally in their twenties, at which point their careers spiraled downward. Married scientists suffered the worst decline in productivity. However, those who never married remained highly productive well into their fifties. "Scientists tend to 'desist' from scientific research upon marriage,” the researcher told an interviewer, “just like criminals desist from crime upon marriage." One theory suggests married men lack an evolutionary reason to continue working hard (i.e., to attract females). Though it likely they similarly lack the prerequisite time and solitude.<sup>[1]</sup>
|}
<blockquote>Some believe that the contributions of the many celibate medieval monks (such as Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Desiderius Erasmus, Michael Servetus) were essential in preserving and building European culture through the medieval age and laying the foundation for the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.<sup>[2]</sup></blockquote>
* Alienation due to vilification of men in feminism and popular culture.<!-- spermjacking, etc. --><!-- Domestic violence. Female on male rape not taken seriously. Stalking, etc. --><!-- A wife has no legal obligations in marriage. No obligation to have sex. No obligation not to cheat, not to cuckold. There is nothing a husband is legally entitled to in marriage. No fault divorce belongs here(?)--><!-- Loss of male space. Palimony, etc. --><!-- sports, video games, porn, sex toys, sex workers, massage parlors, etc. -->

== Criticism of MGTOW ==

MGTOW are sometimes dismissed as "toxic misogynists" or shamed as "a cult for lonely virgins"<ref name="telegraph" />. MGTOW have also been accused of having [[Peter Pan Syndrome]] or [[commitmentphobia]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Child-Man in the Promised Land|url = http://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_1_single_young_men.html|website = www.city-journal.org|accessdate = 2015-12-21|date = 2008|publisher = [[City Journal]]|last = Hymowitz|first = Kay S.|authorlink = Kay Hymowitz}}</ref> Critics of MGTOW often state that men need to "man-up" and take on the burdens and responsibilities of having a wife and children.

In an investigative report critical of the [[men's rights movement]], The [[Southern Poverty Law Center]], a group dedicated to battling "[[hate crimes]]", painted a negative picture of MGTOW, presenting quotes from MGTOW that included violent metaphors.<ref name="SPLC" /> It quoted MGTOW advocates as opposing marriage on the grounds that it allows the woman and the state to virtually kidnap a man's children, evict him from his home, steal his money, and enslave him for life on pain of prison. Gwendolyn Leachman writes that this sort of framing "downplays the systemic biases that women face that justify protective divorce and custody laws."<ref>{{Cite journal |last= Leachman |first= G |title= Legal Framing |year= 2013 |journal= Studies in Law, Politics, and Society |volume= 61 |issue= |pages= 25–59 |doi= 10.1108/S1059-4337(2013)0000061005 |url= http://books.google.com/books?id=ZNunVhZjK0cC&pg=PA25 |accessdate= November 1, 2013|isbn= 9781781906200 |series= Studies in Law, Politics and Society }}</ref>

BBC television personality [[Reggie Yates]] did a documentary on Britons who take part in the manosphere. He also attempted to contact MGTOW, but received serious backlash and was met with general distrust by many MGTOW members.<ref name="bbc">{{cite episode | title = Men at War | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06s5h18/reggie-yates-extreme-uk-2-men-at-war | series = Reggie Yates' Extreme UK | network = [[BBC]] | station = [[BBC Three]] | air-date = January 12, 2016 | season = 1 | number = 2 | minutes = 22}}</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
{{wiktionary|MGTOW}}
{{wiktionary|MGTOW}}
* [[Herbivore men]]
* [[Herbivore men]]
* ''[[The Manipulated Man]]''
* [[Gynocentrism]]
* [[Hikikomori]]
* [[NEET]]
* [[Freeter]]
* [[Parasite single]]
* [[Lad culture]]
* [[Salaryman]]
* [[Mancession]]
* [[The Manipulated Man]]
* [[Chinweizu Ibekwe]]
* [[Tom Leykis]]
* [[Briffault's Law]]
* [[Ethical egoism]]
* [[Separatism]]
* [[Criticism of marriage]]
* [[Implications of divorce]]

== External links ==
* [http://mgtow.com MGTOW.com]
* [http://mgtowhq.com MGTOW Headquarters], a popular MGTOW forum
* [http://happybachelorsforum.com/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=90d7114bfb8b7cfdd87e2a2affd0119f Happy Bachelors] , a popular MGTOW forum
* [http://reddit.com/r/MGTOW MGTOW subreddit]
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/barbarossaaaa/videos?sort=p&view=0&flow=grid Barbarossa], a popular MGTOW channel
* [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo1qRcO1OehgkOD_fHsu_uQ/videos?sort=da&view=0&flow=grid Thinking Ape], a popular MGTOW channel
* [http://sheddingoftheego.com Shedding of the Ego]
* [http://www.goingyourownway.com/content.php?r=118-Grass-Fed-Herbivore-Men "Grass Fed": An Explanation of Herbivore Culture]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOIduTY0mHY What is MGTOW?] (comedy lecture)
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs82rCR-yro Dr. Helen Smith interview compilation]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oodeWmXpS9k Kay Hymowitz interview] on the [[Tom Leykis|Tom Leykis Show]]
* [http://mirrorofthesoul.blogspot.com Mirror of the Soul] a blog by Meikyo (one of the originators of MGTOW)
* [http://unknownmisandry.blogspot.com/search/label/MGTOW Early history of MGTOW]

==Notes and references==
{{reflist|2}}


{{Masculism}}
{{Masculism}}
{{Manosphere}}
{{Human sexuality}}
{{Human sexuality}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Men's Rights}}


[[Category:Words coined in the 2000s]]
[[:Category:Masculinity]]
[[Category:Intimate relationships]]
[[:Category:Masculism]]
[[Category:Popular psychology]]
[[:Category:Men's movement]]
[[Category:Sexual attraction]]
[[:Category:Words coined in the 2000s]]
[[Category:Terms for males]]
[[:Category:Interpersonal relationships]]
[[Category:Masculinity]]
[[:Category:Intimate relationships]]
[[Category:Men's movement]]
[[:Category:Popular psychology]]
[[Category:Interpersonal relationships]]
[[:Category:Psychological attitude]]
[[Category:Psychological attitude]]
[[:Category:Sexual attraction]]
[[Category:Criticism of marriage]]
[[:Category:Terms for males]]
[[Category:Social psychology]]
[[:Category:Marriage]]
[[Category:Celibacy]]
[[:Category:Free love]]
[[:Category:Criticism of marriage]]
[[:Category:Social psychology]]
[[:Category:Celibacy]]

Revision as of 03:21, 5 January 2016

Men Going Their Own Way (abbreviated MGTOW, pronounced /ˈmɪg.taʊ/), sometimes also called the marriage strike, the marriage boycott, or the sexodus, is a worldwide social phenomenon and community of heterosexual men who uphold a personal philosophy which rejects gynocentrism in favor of a value system of male self-determination and self-preservation, and who consequently choose a lifestyle which avoids legal and romantic entanglements with women, including, at the very least, marriage, cohabitation, and procreation. A participant in MGTOW is called a Man Going His Own Way (abbreviated MGHOW, pronounced /ˈmɪg.haʊ/). In Japan, MGTOW are known as herbivore men or grass-eater men.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

As Sunday Times journalist Martin Daubney has pointed out[10][11], according to Google Trends, interest in "MGTOW" has grown exponentially since 2009; doubling approximately every 12 months[12], it has rapidly overtaken both "women's rights" and "men's rights", as well as "radical feminism" in search popularity. It has been estimated that the MGTOW arm of the so-called "manosphere" is not only its largest segment, but also its fastest growing.[13] Renowned family care activist Erin Pizzey has described MGTOW as "very powerful" and "almost epidemic".

Definition

Because it is a decentralised phenomenon and a community, and not so much a movement (coordinated group action), MGTOW does not have any leaders, spokesmen, by-laws, official publications, official manifesto, or organizational structure, which can make the concept contentious, ambiguous, and difficult to define. The concept of MGTOW is thus primarily defined and refined by the MGTOW community itself, by means of articles, conversations, and debates in self-published books, websites, blogs, web forums, and online videos. Authors that have researched the phenomenon, such as Kay Hymowitz, have recommended examining MGTOW websites, including MGTOW.com, NoMarriage (now defunct), and EternalBachelor, for readers interested in this matter.[14][15][16]

MGTOW.com

According to MGTOW.com, MGTOW are men who share a specific view, philosophy, or school of thought with regard to modern society, romantic relationships, and women in general. According to this website, while the specific wording differs among individuals, generally accepted definitions within the MGTOW community include:[17]

  • A man who maintains and protects his self-ownership and personal sovereignty.
  • A man who avoids cultural definitions and preconceptions of what a "man" is.
  • A man who looks to no one for social approval.
  • A man who does not allow anyone to treat him as a disposable utility.
  • A man who lives according to his own best interests, rather than society's expectations.

Basic concepts

One essential tenet of MGTOW is the avoidance of legal entanglements with women, including, at the very least, marriage, cohabitation, and procreation. The percentage of unmarried males in America (and many other countries worldwide) has steadily increased since the early 1970s, such that, as of 2015, 70% of American males between 20 and 34 years old are not married; according to Janice Shaw Crouse, author of the book "Marriage Matters", this may have ominous consequences for the future.[18]

In addition, many MGTOW to varying degrees choose to abandon romantic relationships, casual sexual relationships, female friendships, and/or social contact with women altogether.[19] These phenomena are known as going ghost[20][21] (or, less commonly, as going monk[22]). In Japan's herbivore men phenomenon, an extreme form of men going ghost is known as hikikomori.[23]

Being free from the necessity of supporting a wife and familiy, many MGTOW to varying degrees choose to reject the traditionally male gender role of breadwinner, refrain from dangerous or stressful careers, minimize the duration of their workweek, reduce their tax burden, lead a frugal and minimalistic lifestyle, opt for entrepreneurship or freelancing instead of permanent employment, while some even sever their dependence on the grid, expatriate to countries where the cost of living is lower, and/or drop out of education and the workforce altogether.[19][24] These phenomena are referred to as going Galt[25][26], after John Galt, the iconic protagonist of Ayn Rand's novel Atlas Shrugged[27]. In Japan's herbivore men phenomenon, men going Galt are called freeters or NEETs.[28] One study estimated that 37% of the decline in male employment in America since 1979 could be explained by men's retreat from marriage and fatherhood.[29]

The term MGTOW is often used interchangeably with the so-called marriage strike or marriage boycott, which are not entirely coterminous with MGTOW (which is a broader concept), although there is considerable overlap. The marriage strike is a form of protest against the allegedly unfair legal conditions of marriage. Some marriage strikers hope to return to marriage once these laws have been reformed, while many other MGTOW do not wish to return to marriage or women, or change society, but merely wish to be left alone. Such MGTOW have no demands to present, no terms to bargain about, and no compromise to reach, thus engaging in a marriage boycott.[30]

Journalist Milo Yiannopoulos has also coined and popularized the term sexodus (a portmanteau of sex and exodus) as a synonym for MGTOW.[31][32][33]

MGTOW can refer to both the social phenomenon, in which case a man can be a participant in MGTOW without even knowing about the term "MGTOW", and to the a community of men who discuss, advocate, and promote the MGTOW philosophy, and support each other in their MGTOW lifestyle.

What MGTOW are not

The modern incarnation of MGTOW as a community originated in what is known as the "manosphere" (or "androsphere"), a loose and informal collection of weblogs, web forums, and websites, and online video channels, of men discussing men's issues, many of which are male-only spaces. Many MGTOW prefer to disassociate themselves from the "manosphere", as the latter term is sometimes used as an attempt to conflate several very different ideas:

  • MGTOW are separate and different from the men's rights movement (MRM). Men's rights activists (MRAs) seek to influence or reform society though protests, demonstrations, conferences, public speaking, publications, lobbying, picketing, petitions, and other organized political and legal activism, whereas MGTOW are not a political movement, and hence MGTOW as such are either unconcerned with influencing larger society, or engage in (private and personal) passive resistance and nonparticipation as a form of protest.
  • MGTOW also differ from "pick-up artists (PUAs)" and the "seduction community" which encourage men to dedicate time, money, and effort to pursuing sex and relationships, with an emphasis on increasing one's number of sexual partners, and garnering female approval. While many MGTOW still engage in sexual relationships with women, such MGTOW strive to minimize the time, money, effort, and risks involved in such activities, and exercise great selectivity in their choice of romantic partners.
  • MGTOW also should also not be confused with self-described "involuntary celibates" ("incels"). An "incel" is a man who considers himself too unattractive to attract a woman, and subsequently resents women for purportedly causing his sexual frustration.[34] MGTOW consider 'involuntary celibacy' to be an oxymoron: many MGTOW practice voluntary celibacy, other MGTOW have relationships or partake in casual or transactional sex. An "incel" defines his life by his difficulties in attracting women, essentially analogous to a PUA who defines his life by his abilities to attract women. A MGHOW considers both of these worldviews to be worthless, and by definition does not allow female validation to define him or his worth. Whether or not a MGHOW has sex or not is irrelevant; it is a matter of perspective and perspective alone.
  • Finally, the MGTOW concept is not simply identical with "bachelorhood" in general, one reason being that MGTOW are bachelors who uphold a personal philosophy based on male self-determination, self-preservation, and a opposition to gynocentrism, whereas a bachelor in general may be a bachelor for variety of other reasons (such as a lack of physical attraction to women, as in the case of asexuality or homosexuality).

History of MGTOW

Monks, celibates, and ascetics, have been common throughout history—Siddhartha Gautama had a wife and a son that he abandoned at the age of 30 to investigate the world, and even Paul the Apostle recommended against wives and families because he considered them to be an encumbrance—however, MGTOW are not per se a part of any religious tradition, and do not necessarily abstain from sex. The phenomenon of male self-determination goes back centuries under names such as of free-man, celibate, bachelor, stag, freewheeler. In the Victorian era, the term eligible bachelor was used in the context of upper class matchmaking, denoting a young man who was not only unmarried and eligible for marriage, but also considered "eligible" in financial and social terms for the prospective bride under discussion. In the Victorian era, the term "confirmed bachelor" denoted a man who was resolute to remain unmarried. Sometimes these self-determined or ‘MGTOW’ men formed groups, the earliest known being that of the Anti-Bardell Bachelor Band of 1898[35]. The phrase “men going their own way,” or variants such as “going his own way,” or “to go his own sweet way,” in reference to men’s freedoms is hundreds of years old.[36][37] The "herbivore men" phenomenon was first observed by Maki Fukasawa in an article published on Oct. 13, 2006, and was subsequently discussed in a book by Masahiro Morioka[38].

The modern incarnation of MGTOW as a community has its origins in what is known as the "manosphere" (or "androsphere"), a loose and informal collection of weblogs, web forums, and websites of men discussing men's issues. The MGTOW phrase made its appearance in the early 2000s in several online men's rights groups. Three of those who conceived the MGTOW community went by the names Zed the Zenpriest, Ragnar Jensen, and Meikyo. Zed noted that many types of men's rights movements, to his dismay, would splinter and fracture, because the men in those movements displayed an incredible amount of stubbornness, in-fighting, and stifling political correctness. Zed coined the term "MGTOW", because he noticed one reason why the men's rights movement was not effective was because “men kept going their own way”[39].

Ragnar describes the historical establishment of "men going their own way" as taking place in Hickory, North Carolina, in October 2004, in a meeting between Ragnar and Meikyo; Zed was also invited, but was unable to attend due to illness.[40] They concluded that an individual, grassroots strategy, which Zed had previously dubbed "men going their own way", was superior to the men's rights movement and working for men's rights organisations. In an interview, Ragnar describes the moment as follows:

"You see, all the ideas were floating around on the internet. We were frustrated that we couldn't get men to build an organization, couldn't get men to come to this damned meeting—everybody was going their own damned way, and the fact that men went their own way, we started to use that phrase and we started to talk about what's important for men… who's going to define their masculinity? Well, they actually have to do that themselves, they have to find out what it is for themselves. So, as you have the responsibility for your own actions, well then it's also your responsibility to define who you are as a man."" http://youtube.com/watch?v=qUUT2TCxU-o

In a seminal announcement dated December 1, 2004[41], Ragnar declared that MGTOW was based on an essay titled Ignoring Women, written by Zed the Zenpriest, as its foundational document. As Zed stated in this document:

"Men now must completely destroy marriage. It is too corrupt and too fouled to fix. It is a derelict building which MUST be torn down so that something useful can be built in its place.

We cannot stop the marriage strike. The real "men's movement" is millions of wildcat strikes of one man who has woken up to what bullshit "marriage" as it exists today really is.

No matter how big a dam one builds, a river will always overcome it. We cannot either push, or hold back, the river. It will proceed at its own pace.

We can, however, clear out the snags which naturally hold it back and let natural forces speed up the current.

Women have turned their backs on us when we needed them, now we must turn our backs on them when they need us.[42][43]"

As Ragnar elaborated in his announcement:

"Today I believe we need even more activism and together with a few other guys it has resulted in an idea about "MEN GOING THEIR OWN WAY" based on Zenpriest's essay "Ignoring Women". Those other guys will speak for themselves in due time.

The idea is to instill masculinity in men. To make men understand that they don't have to cater to women unless there is a "quid pro quo" situation. Men don't need someone to compete with. They need someone to help them. Men naturally enjoy being with other men in bands or brotherhoods, so they should go ahead and start some men's clubs and enjoy that. Men should also understand that you don't have to live with women, that they can live a fullfilling life without living with women. This doesn't mean without sex, not at all—it might, on the contrary, be with too much sex—depending on your personal preferences.[41]"

Ragnar concluded with what he called a "small essay" of his own, which introduced the MGTOW logo, and which advocated "two strategies that come together in one", namely,

  1. 1. Instilling masculinity in men

  2. 2. Ignoring and shunning women. [41]"

Much of these ideas were subsequently fleshed out and discussed, occasionally with heated arguments; and men adapted and expounded upon MGTOW as a philosophy and a way of being. The present incarnation and definition of the term "MGTOW" has evolved away and severed its ties from its murky origins in the men's rights movement, such that today the definition of MGTOW is a strictly nonpolitical philosophy centered around independence or separatism from women, and a rejection of traditional gender roles of masculinity and femininity.[44][45]

As described by prominent sources

MGTOW have been described by various prominent sources.

The MGTOW phenomenon has been described in detail in books by prominent authors such as Helen Smith[25], Kay Hymowitz[46], Philip Zimbardo[47], and in many mainstream or notable newspapers, websites and other sources, including the Sunday Times[10], Breitbart News Network[31][32][33], Vice Magazine[22][48], the Daily Mail[49][50], Reason magazine[51], the Daily Telegraph[52], the Daily Mirror[53], the Sun[54], the Independent[55], the Irish Independent[56], Independent Journal Review[57], the Huffington Post[58][59], Wales Online[15], Pan-American Post[16], InfoWars[60][61], Metro[62], Psychology Today[63], the Daily Beast[14], PJ Media, the BBC[64], Tommy Sotomayor, the Tom Leykis Show, xoJane[65], Business Insider[66], the Conservative Woman[67][68][69][70], Women24[71], eldiario.es[72], WorldNetDaily[73], the Southern Poverty Law Center[74], and others.

In an interview, Erin Pizzey, the family care activist internationally famous for having started the first domestic violence shelter in the modern world, described MGTOW and expressed her concern about the effects on women:

"MGTOW, Men Going Their Own Way, is very powerful in America; it's almost epidemic in Japan. So in a funny way, as the women of the feminist movement turned on men, men ran away. And what's happening now: I move between London and Los Angeles, where my son lives with his family, and what I see is desperate between late thirties and forties women, who are never going to be married, and are never going to have children, because the men aren't there;  and what the men will offer, and the only thing they'll offer, is what they call Hookup—particularly in America, where a man can see four or five women at the same time and have sex with them all. http://youtube.com/watch?v=dj8883DryKA

Dr. Jeremy Nicholson, M.S.W., Ph.D., for his column "The Attraction Doctor" in Psychology Today, viewed MGTOW sympathetically, calling societal and female expectations on men in relationships a "double bind", which has left many men "wounded" or "frustrated" to the point that have chosen to "opt out" entirely and instead concentrate on making themselves happy in other ways.[63]

In February, 2011, in an article about her published thesis that what she terms "the rise of women" has had a negative influence on men, American author Kay Hymowitz suggested the reader search for terms including "MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way)" for examples of young men frustrated by women who complain of inequality while demanding preferential treatment.[14]

A detailed account of the MGTOW phenomenon was published by Helen Smith, Ph.D., in her 2013 book "Men On Strike; Why Men are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood and the American Dream, and Why It Matters"[25]

The Sunday Times, the largest-selling British national "quality" Sunday newspaper, featured an in-depth 8-page article detailing the MGTOW phenomenon[10]

Reasons why men go their own way

Summary

MGTOW believe that legal and romantic entanglements with women fail a cost–benefit analysis and risk–benefit analysis. MGTOW believe it is advisable for men to shun marriage, cohabitation, and procreation, because they believe that the modern legal climate and justice system is hostile and dangerous towards men, and that the prevailing society or culture is gynocentric and misandrist. Many MGTOW also are of the opinion that even if all such alleged legal dangers, moral hazards, and other problems disappeared, modern women and modern society do not provide any positive incentives for men to engage in interactions with women. Many believe that mechanization and automation have substituted for the need for female labor in many (traditionally female) household tasks. Many self-identified MGTOW also feel that that female companionship does not provide sufficient positive incentives to associate with women, and advise men stay away from all romantic relationships, because they see such relationships as inherently dangerous and exploitative, or even in some cases from women in general, whom they see as hypergamous and manipulative by nature.

Divorce statistics

Consequences of divorce

Richard Doyle wrote about the court handling of divorces and child custody processes:

"Divorce courts are frequently like slaughter-houses, with about as much compassion and talent. They function as collection agencies for lawyer fees, however outrageous, stealing children and extorting money from men in ways blatantly unconstitutional... Men are regarded as mere guests in their own homes, evictable any time at the whims of wives and judges. Men are driven from home and children against their wills; then when unable to stretch paychecks far enough to support two households are termed "runaway fathers." Contrary to all principles of justice, men are thrown into prison for inability to pay alimony and support, however unreasonable or unfair the "obligation."" (Messner (1997) [75]

MGTOW have claimed that family and divorce law discriminate against men and favored their wives.[76] MGTOW assert that men are consciously or unconsciously opting out of marriage and engaging in a "marriage strike" as a result of the lack of benefits in marriage and the emotional and financial consequences of divorce, including alimony and child custody and support.[77][25][78] MGTOW have argued that divorce and custody laws violate men's individual rights to equal protection.

Other reasons why men go their own way include:

  • Divorce statistics: high prevalence of divorce, high prevalence of female-initiated divorce.
  • Unenforced prenuptual agreements
  • Emotional sequelae of divorce: male suicide.
  • Asset division after divorce
  • Alimony
  • Child support
  • (Lack of) child custody
  • Parental alienation syndrome
  • Paternity fraud
  • Lack of reproductive rights: spermjacking, etc.
  • Violence against men: Domestic violence. Female on male rape(?). Stalking, etc.
  • False rape accusations
  • False domestic violence accusations
  • Lack of benefits in marriage (A wife has no legal obligations in marriage. No obligation to have sex. No obligation not to cheat. No obligation not to cuckold. No obligation to stay married (no-fault divorce). There is nothing a husband is legally entitled to in marriage.)
  • Sexless marriage
  • Downsides of cohabitation: encroachment on male living space ("the prospect of having your personal space rearranged, and even being driven out of your personal space (which you're paying for) and into the garage [or "man cave"] isn't very savoury"), cohabitation as common law marriage
  • palimony
  • Substitute goods and services: self-improvement, hobbies, sports, video games, porn, sex toys, sexbots, prostitutes, escorts, massage parlors, artificial wombs, etc.
  • Decreasing wages: man cession, making it more difficult to support a household, etc.
  • Personal productivity:

Research shows increased scientific and artistic productivity in men who do not marry. As Christopher Orlet observes in his New English Review article Bachelorhood and Its Discontents,

Some years ago a noted Japanese researcher analyzed the biographical data of some 280 famous mathematicians, physicists, chemists, and biologists and discovered that all peaked professionally in their twenties, at which point their careers spiraled downward. Married scientists suffered the worst decline in productivity. However, those who never married remained highly productive well into their fifties. "Scientists tend to 'desist' from scientific research upon marriage,” the researcher told an interviewer, “just like criminals desist from crime upon marriage." One theory suggests married men lack an evolutionary reason to continue working hard (i.e., to attract females). Though it likely they similarly lack the prerequisite time and solitude.[1]

Some believe that the contributions of the many celibate medieval monks (such as Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham, Desiderius Erasmus, Michael Servetus) were essential in preserving and building European culture through the medieval age and laying the foundation for the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.[2]

  • Alienation due to vilification of men in feminism and popular culture.

Criticism of MGTOW

MGTOW are sometimes dismissed as "toxic misogynists" or shamed as "a cult for lonely virgins"[52]. MGTOW have also been accused of having Peter Pan Syndrome or commitmentphobia.[79] Critics of MGTOW often state that men need to "man-up" and take on the burdens and responsibilities of having a wife and children.

In an investigative report critical of the men's rights movement, The Southern Poverty Law Center, a group dedicated to battling "hate crimes", painted a negative picture of MGTOW, presenting quotes from MGTOW that included violent metaphors.[74] It quoted MGTOW advocates as opposing marriage on the grounds that it allows the woman and the state to virtually kidnap a man's children, evict him from his home, steal his money, and enslave him for life on pain of prison. Gwendolyn Leachman writes that this sort of framing "downplays the systemic biases that women face that justify protective divorce and custody laws."[80]

BBC television personality Reggie Yates did a documentary on Britons who take part in the manosphere. He also attempted to contact MGTOW, but received serious backlash and was met with general distrust by many MGTOW members.[81]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "From carnivores to herbivores: how men are defined in Japan". japantoday.com. Feb 16, 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
  2. ^ McCurry, Justin (2009-12-27). "Japan's 'grass eaters' turn their backs on macho ways". the Guardian. Retrieved 2015-10-17.
  3. ^ Yang, Jeff (2011-03-23). "After the end of the world". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  4. ^ lifestudies.org Special Report: Herbivore Men
  5. ^ "Blurring the boundaries". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  6. ^ "Young Japanese 'decline to fall in love'". BBC News. 2012-01-11.
  7. ^ "Unmasking Japan, Episode 2 "The Last Days of Pompeii?"". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-08-20. [dead link]
  8. ^ "They need another hero". The Economist. 2009-10-29.
  9. ^ Tomikawa, Yuri (2011-01-13). "No Sex, Please, We're Young Japanese Men". The Wall Street Journal.
  10. ^ a b c Martin Daubney. "Meet the men giving up on women". The Sunday Times. These young men don't want girlfriends; they don't want children; and they don't even want to have sex. The secretive "MGTOW" movement is a fast-growing online community of disillusioned males. But are they misogynists or simply misunderstood? In interviews, Martin Daubney tracks some of them down. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ^ Will Ross. "The Sunday Times Magazine Provides Frank, Humanizing Look at the Men Going Their Own Way". Breitbart News Network.
  12. ^ [1]
  13. ^ Smith, Helen (December 18, 2013). "Meninists, Twitter and 'Going Ghost'". Dr. Helen. PJ Media. Retrieved 2015-11-28.
  14. ^ a b c Hymowitz, Kay (February 27, 2011). "Why Are Men So Angry?". The Daily Beast. The Daily Beast. Retrieved 6 April 2015. During the last few years researching this age group, I've stumbled onto a powerful underground current of male bitterness that has nothing to do with outsourcing, the Mancession, or any of the other issues we usually associate with contemporary male discontent. No, this is bitterness from guys who find the young women they might have hoped to hang out with entitled, dishonest, self-involved, slutty, manipulative, shallow, controlling—and did I mention gold-digging? Check out the websites [with] names like MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way), Nomarriage.com, or EternalBachelor [...] ("Give Modern Women the Husband They Deserve. None.")
  15. ^ a b McCarthy, James. "David Sherratt, 18, is a men's rights activist who won't have casual sex in case he is falsely accused of rape". Wales Online. Chemistry student David is part of an online community known as MGTOW – Men Going Their Own Way. According to mgtow.com, it is about "ejecting silly preconceptions and cultural definitions of what a 'man' is". It's about "looking to no-one else for social cues. Refusing to bow, serve and kneel for the opportunity to be treated like a disposable utility." And, it's about "living according to his own best interests in a world which would rather he didn't". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. ^ a b Worley-Lopez, Frank. "MGTOW: Join the Puerto Rico Independence Movement!". PanAm Post. If you've been using social media of late, it's almost impossible that you won't have come across the MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way) movement. It's a response to decades of feminist legal and social hypocrisy and what is often referred to as "gynocentrism." Within MGTOW and the men's-rights movement are plenty of former husbands and fathers who have been left hopeless and sometimes homeless by family-and-divorce court. So bad is the situation that the term "divorce rape" was created to explain what happens to men when they get divorced. The men's-rights movement has spawned a host of websites and YouTube channels like A Voice for Men, Return of Kings, MGTOW.com, and Sargon of Akkad, a YouTube channel with over 100,000 subscribers. It has also created the likes of JudgyBitch and GirlWritesWhat: women who have become famous for fighting for men's rights.
  17. ^ "About | MGTOW". www.mgtow.com. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  18. ^ Hollingworth, Barbara (February 12, 2015). "Bachelor Nation: 70% of Men Aged 20-34 Are Not Married". CNSnews. CNS News. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
  19. ^ a b "Japan's "herbivore" men shun corporate life, sex". Reuters. 2009-07-27. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
  20. ^ Smith, Helen. "Meninists, Twitter and 'Going Ghost'". Dr. Helen. PJ Media. Retrieved 2015-11-28.
  21. ^ Template:Cite article
  22. ^ a b Mack Lamoureux. "This Group of Straight Men Is Swearing Off Women". Vice Magazine. At first glance, it's easy to lump MGTOW in with typical Men's Rights Activists (MRAs) who also believe that female oppression is a myth and that it's actually males who are oppressed—but that's not the case. The two groups differ significantly in how they make sure those tricky, tricky women don't pull any of their devious tactics. While MRAs are out to fix the problem through action and activism, members of MGTOW hold self-preservation above all else, and because of this the majority of the community seems to have decided to bow out. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. ^ Teo, Alan. "Modern-Day Hermits: The Story Hikkomori in Japan and Beyond". Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  24. ^ Harney, Alexandra. "Japan panics about the rise of "herbivores"—young men who shun sex, don't spend money, and like taking walks. - Slate Magazine". Slate.com. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  25. ^ a b c d Smith, Helen (June 4, 2013). Men On Strike; Why Men are Boycotting Marriage, Fatherhood and the American Dream, and Why It Matters. Encounter Books. ASIN 1594037620. American society has become anti-male. Men are sensing the backlash and are consciously and unconsciously going "on strike." They are dropping out of college, leaving the workforce and avoiding marriage and fatherhood at alarming rates. The trend is so pronounced that a number of books have been written about this "man-child" phenomenon, concluding that men have taken a vacation from responsibility simply because they can. But why should men participate in a system that seems to be increasingly stacked against them? As Men on Strike demonstrates, men aren't dropping out because they are stuck in arrested development. They are instead acting rationally in response to the lack of incentives society offers them to be responsible fathers, husbands and providers. In addition, men are going on strike, either consciously or unconsciously, because they do not want to be injured by the myriad of laws, attitudes and hostility against them for the crime of happening to be male in the twenty-first century. Men are starting to fight back against the backlash. Men on Strike explains their battle cry. {{cite book}}: Check |asin= value (help)
  26. ^ Smith, Helen. "How should Men "Go Galt" in a female-centered society?". PJ Media. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  27. ^ The book was originally titled "The Strike" by Rand, but the title was changed on the suggestion of her husband.
  28. ^ "Youth Employment in Japan's Economic Recovery: 'Freeters' and 'NEETs'". JapanFocus. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  29. ^ W.B.Wilcox, R.I.Lerman, For richer, for poorer: how family structures economic success in America.
  30. ^ Smith, Helen. "Are Men on Strike or have they Quit?". PJ Media.
  31. ^ a b Yiannopoulos, Milo. "The Sexodus, Part 1: The Men Giving Up On Women And Checking Out Of Society". Breitbart News Network. Social commentators, journalists, academics, scientists and young men themselves have all spotted the trend: among men of about 15 to 30 years old, ever-increasing numbers are checking out of society altogether, giving up on women, sex and relationships and retreating into pornography, sexual fetishes, chemical addictions, video games and, in some cases, boorish lad culture, all of which insulate them from a hostile, debilitating social environment created, some argue, by the modern feminist movement.
  32. ^ a b Milo Yiannopoulos. "The Sexodus, Part 2: Dishonest Feminist Panics Leave Male Sexuality In Crisis". Breitbart News Network. We can be quite sure now that the sexodus is not some fringe, isolated internet movement as "Men Going Their Own Way" has sometimes been characterised. A combination of disastrous social engineering, special privileges for women, the relentless mockery of white men on the basis of their sex and skin colour and the economic and educational abandonment for boys has created one, if not two, lost generations already.
  33. ^ a b Will Ross. "The Sunday Times Magazine Provides Frank, Humanizing Look at the Men Going Their Own Way". Breitbart News Network. Though often conflated with MRAs, the Manosphere, or "The Red Pill" communities, MGTOWs are a distinct culture focused less on fighting women or feminists than on living separately, due to what they believe to be a rational assessment of the modern risks of male-female relationships. There is very little malice or combativeness to them. They don't want to fight. They just, as they say, want to go their own way..
  34. ^ Dewey, Caitlin (2014-05-27). "Inside the 'manosphere' that inspired Santa Barbara shooter Elliot Rodger". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  35. ^ Wright, Peter. MGTOW movement of 1898. Gynocentrism and its Cultural Origins. [2]
  36. ^ Wright, Peter. Early References to Men Going Their Own Way. Gynocentrism and its Cultural Origins. [3]
  37. ^ "Early History of MGTOW". The Unknown History of Misandry. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  38. ^ 『最後の恋は草食系男子が持ってくる』 (Translated: Herbivore Men Bring the Final Love) Masahiro Morioka. July 23, 2009
  39. ^ Some of the early MGTOW discussions remain preserved at [4]. A summary of these discussions can be found at [5]
  40. ^ Fedders, Rob. The History of MGTOW. NO-MA'AM. [6]
  41. ^ a b c http://standyourground.com/forums/index.php?topic=4411.msg48427#msg48427. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  42. ^ Zed the Zenpriest. "Book of Zed:  The Collected Works of Wisdom" (PDF). {{cite web}}: no-break space character in |title= at position 14 (help)
  43. ^ Zed the Zenpriest, Ignoring Women. NO-MA'AM. [7]
  44. ^ Debate between Barbarossa and Luigi Logan. [8]
  45. ^ [9]
  46. ^ Hymowitz, Kay (March 6, 2012). Manning Up: How the Rise of Women Has Turned Men into Boys. Basic Books. ASIN 0465028365. Women complain there are no good men left—that men are immature, unreliable, and adrift. No wonder. Masculine role models have become increasingly juvenile and inarticulate: think of stars like Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell, or the dudes of the popular Judd Apatow movies. There are no rules for dating and mating. Guys are unsure how to treat a woman. Most importantly, dating in the pre-adult years is no longer a means to an end—marriage—as it was in the past. Many young men today suspect they are no longer essential to family life, and without the old scripts to follow, they find themselves stuck between adolescence and "real" adulthood. In Manning Up, Kay Hymowitz sets these problems in a socioeconomic context: today's knowledge economy is female friendly, and many of the highest profile areas of that economy—communications, design, the arts, and health care—are dominated by women. Men are increasingly left on the outskirts of this new, service economy, and take much longer to find a financial foothold. With no biological clock telling them it's time to grow up, without the financial resources to settle down, and with the accepted age of marriage rising into the late 30s or even 40s, men are holding onto adolescence at the very time that women are achieving professional success and looking to find a mate to share it with. A provocative account of the modern sexual economy, Hymowitz deftly charts a gender mismatch that threatens the future of the American family and makes no one happy in the long run. {{cite book}}: Check |asin= value (help)
  47. ^ Philip Zimbardo (2012). The Demise of Guys: Why Boys Are Struggling and What We Can Do About It. celebrated psychologist Philip G. Zimbardo and Nikita Duncan say that an addiction to video games and online porn have created a generation of shy, socially awkward, emotionally removed, and risk-adverse young men who are unable (and unwilling) to navigate the complexities and risks inherent to real-life relationships, school, and employment. ... The book is based on a popular TED Talk which Zimbardo did in 2011, and includes extensive research as well as a TED-exclusive survey that drew responses from more than 20,000 men.
  48. ^ Chris Köver (September 8, 2014). "Do We Have to Worry About Someone Actually Killing or Raping a Feminist Activist?". Vice Magazine. It's what I like to call the new misogyny—basically a large amorphous internet subculture that is consumed with hating and attacking women. Some of these people call themselves men's rights activists and portray what they are doing as somehow beneficial for men. Others call themselves "men going their own way," the basic premise being that they want to live independently of women but end up talking most of the time about how terrible women are. That whole subculture is very heavily represented among gamers and on websites like Reddit. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  49. ^ Jackson-Edwards, Phoebe (18 November 2015). "'Anti-feminist' student reveals he won't party with women in case he's accused of rape – and says he may stay single forever". Daily Mail. David Sherratt, 18, is a self-proclaimed 'anti-feminist' and member of Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW), a secretive movement of straight men who avoid women altogether.
  50. ^ Lloyd, Peter (24 May 2013). "Men to blame for childless women? I don't think so - it's society that deliberately disenfranchises fathers, says Peter Lloyd". Yes, I sympathise that her many life choices never produced children, but it's not men who are to blame. For years feminism has declared that women don't need us; that we are redundant. Fine. But guess what - we don't need women either. And it's trending. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  51. ^ Nolan Brown, Elizabeth. "Why So Many Men Who Hate Women Love Limited Government". Reason Magazine. Along with standard MRA views—feminists have destroyed the rightful social order, men are the ones truly discriminated against today, etc.—the community subscribes to a four-part "Levels of MGTOW," the first and second of which involve ditching romantic, social, and sexual relationships with all women. The third step is economic disengagement, in which one "refuses to earn more money than is necessary for sustaining life" because government is "tyrannical" and one must "actively drain money from the bureaucrats." The fourth step is wide-scale societal disengagement. The founders of the MGTOW community—or "Red Pill," as it is now more commonly known—said in an early mission statement the group's goal is to instill "masculinity in men, femininity in women, and work toward limited government!" {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  52. ^ a b Daubney, Martin. "George Lawlor's story shows how universities have become hostile towards men". Daily Telegraph. For the past two months, I've immersed myself in the highly-secretive (and oft-maligned) world of the MGTOWs – the Men Going Their Own Way. To my sadness, if not surprise, I discovered a rapidly-growing, global army of men who have concluded that sex, relationships, marriage and fathering children in the modern world is simply "too risky". The MGTOWs feel the "gynocentric" system is stacked against men, so they're quietly opting out, preferring instead to retreat into their man caves to indulge in video games, porn, self-improvement through study or the gym. They're finding the comfort of male-only friends, usually online (but not for sex). Despite the fact they are usually sexual pacifists who have figured "the only way to win the game is to not play", for their viewpoints these men are variously dismissed as "toxic misogynists" or ridiculed as "a cult for lonely virgins". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  53. ^ McCarthy, James; Logan, Ross (November 22, 2015). "This teenager doesn't want a girlfriend or sex - in case he's accused of rape". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  54. ^ Kamouni, Sara (November 19, 2015). "Meet the student who fears he'll be accused of rape if he gets a girlfriend". Sun. Retrieved 2015-12-05.
  55. ^ Ali, Aftab. "Cardiff University student David Sherratt speaks about why he's anti-feminist, opposes sex consent classes and wants to remain single". The Independent. MGTOW is described as a movement which centres on a 'statement of self-ownership' whereby its members aim to steer clear of the social expectations of women and society in the belief that both have become 'hostile' against masculinity. According to Sherratt, though, MGTOW's message is about staying away from the opposite sex, and not doing 'what's expected' of a man by remaining single and having no children. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  56. ^ Ruth Dudley Edwards. "Deluded feminists divide us and imperil basic freedoms". The Irish Independent. On campuses, with war being waged on "lad-ism" and wild allegations being made about rape-culture, men are becoming frightened of challenging women, lest they are accused of harassment, discrimination, sexism or God knows what. A Cardiff student called David Sherratt explained last week why he is part of MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way): "I'm genuinely too scared to go near a woman, just in case. At university, I'm made to feel like a rapist all the time." And in the workplace, men are nervous that saying the wrong thing might lead to a complaint or a lawsuit. Listen, you social-justice warriors, you need to get a sense of perspective and (trigger warning) man up. The West is now in a war against Islamists - violent fundamentalists who would enslave all women and murder all those they consider deviants. Men, women and the transgendered should all be standing up to this terrible threat together: for most of us, our main weapon to challenge this toxic ideology is through the freedom of speech they hate. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  57. ^ Smith, Jed. "A Group of Men Has Come Up With a Pretty Extreme Response to Combat Feminism". Independent Journal Review. The group, called Men Going Their Own Way, has been building steam for a while now, but its recent coverage in the media is garnering it a lot more attention- and criticism. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  58. ^ Morrigan, Leah. "The Fear of Being Alone Has Ruined Modern Dating". Huffington Post. Then there is Men Going Their Own Way, or MGTOW, an online men's community that supports "a statement of self-ownership, where the modern man preserves and protects his own sovereignty above all else." I was delighted to find this site until I read further and found that what began as masculine empowerment quickly turned vile. [...] Sandman, sits safely behind his computer screen and proclaims his bitter, indiscriminate hate towards women, according to his videos I've watched. Sandman says that all women are manipulative whores and liars; he slut-shames, fat-shames, and age-shames women, and ironically complains about being single. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  59. ^ Weber Ph.D., Jill P. (October 30, 2015). "Reader Comments to '5 Signs You Might Be Dating a Man-Child'". The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
  60. ^ Paul Joseph Watson. "Sexodus: Why are young men giving up on women?". InfoWars. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  61. ^ Paul Joseph Watson. "Radical Feminism is Destroying Young Men". InfoWars. Why are more and more young men giving up on women and checking out of society? They're calling it The Sexodus – an entire generation of boys abandoning female company, relinquishing relationships and retreating into a virtual reality world of pornography, video games, lad culture and chemical addictions." {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  62. ^ Willis, Amy. "Student won't party with women in case he is accused of rape". Metro. The student, a self-proclaimed 'anti-feminist', is part of a new movement of straight men who are avoiding any kind of contact with women, known as the Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW) club. Speaking to student newspaper The Tab, he said: 'I wouldn't say I don't plan to have a girlfriend, ever. I'd make the exception for maybe one person at some point. 'But I don't see anything on the horizon at the moment, you have to be really really careful. Going out and having one night stands is too risky. Girls could falsely accuse you of rape.' {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  63. ^ a b Nicholson, M.S.W., Ph.D., Dr. Jeremy (April 3, 2012). "Why Are Men Frustrated With Dating? Is dating a punishing situation for men?". Psychology Today. The Attraction Doctor. Sussex Publishers, LLC. Retrieved April 6, 2015. finally, some men choose opting out as the best option for them. This is sometimes known as the "men going their own way" (MGTOW) movement. Essentially, these are the guys who have been frustrated and punished to the point that they see no further incentive to relate. Rather than spending their efforts on material success to attract a partner, they focus on making themselves happy. Although these guys are often socially-shamed as "not growing up", in fact, they are arguably just reacting to the lack of outside motivation...and taking care of themselves.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  64. ^ Reggie Yates' Extreme UK. Episode 2: "Men at War", BBC3 , December 15, 2015, retrieved 2015-12-15
  65. ^ Mercer, Mara (June 12, 2013). "It Happened To Me: My Online Dating Profile Inspired A Whole Forum Thread Dedicated To What A Whore I Am". xoJane. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  66. ^ Love, Dylan (September 15, 2013). "Inside Red Pill, The Weird New Cult For Men Who Don't Understand Women". Business Insider. Retrieved 2015-12-10. "MGTOW" is short for "men going their own way." This is a school of thought similar to Red Pill that's all about being a man who "will not surrender [his] will to the social expectations of women and society, because both have become hostile against masculinity." A fully-realized MGTOW (there are levels to it) is someone who shuns all relationships with women, short-term, long-term, romantic, and otherwise. He eventually shuns society as a whole: "For all intents and purposes, he does not exist. A urbanite might keep to his own apartment, while someone further out may simply head into the wilderness and go off-grid."
  67. ^ Gyngell, Kathy (April 21, 2015). "Sexodus anger needs to be channelled before it explodes". The Conservative Woman. Retrieved 2015-12-13. {{cite web}}: no-break space character in |title= at position 37 (help)
  68. ^ Perrins, Laura (December 12, 2014). "They call it the 'sexodus'.  Men retreat from women". The Conservative Woman. Retrieved 2015-12-13. {{cite web}}: no-break space character in |title= at position 17 (help)
  69. ^ Brown, Belinda (May 1, 2015). "A century of feminism has failed us. Women have betrayed men's trust". The Conservative Woman. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  70. ^ "Reader's Comment of the Day: Facebook corrodes the bond between men and women". The Conservative Woman. September 6, 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  71. ^ Roux, Adam. "Sexodus: Are men retreating from society?". Women24. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  72. ^ "MGTOW : El hombre del Siglo XXI". eldiario.es. Retrieved 2015-12-22.
  73. ^ Lewis, Patrice (June 12, 2015). "Men giving up on women (and women who hate them)". WorldNetDaily. WorldNetDaily. Retrieved 2015-12-23. Thus was born a movement called "Men Going Their Own Way," or MGTOW. I had never heard about it before last fall, but once brought to my attention, I've seen related stories cropping up all over the place. Many men, it seems, have decided women aren't worth the trouble. They are eager to participate in one-night stands, but that's about the extent of their willingness to commit. This in not just a case of "Why buy the cow when the milk is free?" Instead, for many men it seems the cost of the cow is simply too high.
  74. ^ a b Goldwag, Arthur (Spring 2012). "Leader's Suicide Brings Attention to Men's Rights Movement". Intelligence Report (145). Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 6 April 2015. Other movement adherents have forsworn sex altogether, or at least romantic relationships and marriage; the acronym they use for themselves is MGTOW, for "Men Going Their Own Way." "If you are willing to marry a woman — any woman — in the West then you must also be willing to become the next murder-suicide story when she threatens to file for divorce, steal your kids out of your life and extort you for every current and future dollar you will ever earn," wrote one commenter at The Spearhead. "If a man kidnapped your children, stole your home, your wallet and your bank account, you'd be more than willing to kill him in self defense. Why is it any different when ex-wives do it with the full force of the law behind them?"
  75. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=nG8MGcopgWQC&pg=PA41#v=onepage&q&f=false 41–48
  76. ^ Ashe 2007, p. 57.
  77. ^ Glenn Sacks; Dianna Thompson (2002-07-05). "Have Anti-Father Family Court Policies Led to a Men's Marriage Strike?". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  78. ^ Wendy McElroy (2003-08-12). "The Marriage Strike". Fox News – Opinion. Retrieved 2013-07-15.
  79. ^ Hymowitz, Kay S. (2008). "Child-Man in the Promised Land". www.city-journal.org. City Journal. Retrieved 2015-12-21.
  80. ^ Leachman, G (2013). "Legal Framing". Studies in Law, Politics, and Society. Studies in Law, Politics and Society. 61: 25–59. doi:10.1108/S1059-4337(2013)0000061005. ISBN 9781781906200. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  81. ^ "Men at War". Reggie Yates' Extreme UK. Season 1. Episode 2. January 12, 2016. 22 minutes in. BBC. BBC Three.


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