Have you heard of a “Red Pill Guy?” This is a type of man that women are being warned to stay away from: men who see women in a relationship as inherently their inferior partner who must submit to their will.
In recent decades, a new wave of men’s rights activism, often termed the “manosphere,” has gained prominence. This loosely knit, misogynistic online movement, particularly appealing to young men, is underpinned by the Red Pill ideology. This neoconservative perspective embraces essentialist gender and sexuality notions, selectively utilizing evolutionary psychology to justify male dominance. While the manosphere’s discourse has been studied, understanding the factors influencing young men’s entry and exit from such misogynistic groups remains limited.
The term “red pill” comes from the 1999 movie The Matrix, where the protagonist, Neo, is offered a choice between a red pill and a blue pill. The red pill represents the choice to see the truth of the world, while the blue pill represents the choice to remain in a comfortable but false reality.
In the context of the manosphere, the term “red pill” is used to describe a set of beliefs about gender roles and relationships. Red pillers believe that women are inherently manipulative and that men are victims of a system designed to keep them down. They often advocate for traditional gender roles and view feminism as a threat to men’s rights.
There is no single person who can be considered the red pill guy.
So, how can you spot a red pill guy?
Well, such men express traits seen in narcissists and psychopaths. They use methods to control their partners such as “love bombing” and “guilt tripping” their partners, making them thing that any problems in the relationship are their fault. This is also known as the “Dark Triad.”
A study published in the journal Personal Relationships explained the Dark Triad (DT) is a set of personality traits consisting of subclinical psychopathy, narcissism, and Machiavellianism. Separately, The Red Pill (TRP) is a seduction community part of an online men’s movement that advocates incorporating DT traits and behaviors in romantic or sexual relationships with women.
The study found that TRP men consistently display self-interest and willingness to use manipulation to meet their needs, portraying themselves to their partners and the world as successful while callously disregarding partners’ emotions in their pursuit of sex or social desirability.
