The Manosphere Doesn’t Solve the Masculinity Crisis

“I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.”

If one were to create an exaggerated stereotype of a Gen-Z male, it would look something like an 18-22-year-old male with disheveled hair, donning athleisure clothing, and spending his existence drifting from one screen-induced coma to the next. This hypothetical male has no marketable skills, no career prospects, and no dreams. What’s more is that he’s likely addicted to pornography or drugs, has no genuine friends or accomplishments he is proud of, and has no interest in marriage or family life.

This is perhaps an unnecessarily dark picture of Gen-Z males. Certainly, the majority of men transcend this exaggerated stereotype. Yet, many do not. This stereotype is closer to reality than is comfortable. There are men out there whose existence continues day after day in this kind of dystopian hellscape. It is an ugly picture, and we as a society need to reckon with it.

After all, our generation spends an average of seven-plus hours per day consuming video content; and the average American spends north of 90 percent of their life inside. Considering that the Congressional Budget Office is already projecting a further decrease in the total fertility rate by 2034 (from 1.75 to 1.70 births per woman), it is clear that our generation is not marrying or reproducing in a natural way. 

In recent years, the realization that an entire generation of men are languishing away in isolation has given rise to the manosphere. Characterized by cold showers, six-pack abs, and stylish clothes, the manosphere attempts to reach young men through a call to develop character by lifting weights and other physically strenuous activities. They encourage men to be dominant leaders, to pursue women and wealth, and to be excellent at their chosen craft.

With its rise in popularity, the manosphere has become divided on political lines. The Left decries every aspect of the attempt to call men to higher standards and shuns the entire project as misogynistic, hateful, and deplorable. Meanwhile, many on the political right praise the likes of Andrew and Tristan Tate for their willingness to speak out against feminism and for helping men find meaning in their lives. Their stoic “do hard things” mantra resonates with men who have been disillusioned by the leftist agenda that despises all things masculine.

Conservatives often lament that men these days are too emotional and soft. They label those traits as the cause of our societal ills. Yet, in reality the exact opposite is the problem. Returning to our stereotypical modern male, the lonely existence spent in a dark bedroom lit only by the light of electronic machines is not one that boasts an excess of emotion. The heart that finds no pleasure in anything other than flickering images on screens is not a heart that is too soft. The mind and body that finds solace only in narcotics and alcohol is not one that is too tender to the realities of the world. Rather, the hearts of modern men are hearts of stone that are hardened to the beauty and wonder of human life.  Conservatives often lament that men these days are too emotional and soft. They label those traits as the cause of our societal ills. Yet, in reality the exact opposite is the problem.Tweet This

The modern world is vehemently against the things that move the souls of men. Healthy masculinity is not stoic in the sense that the red-pilled manosphere promotes. Love for one’s wife, family, nation, and God ought to be causes of great joy and emotion in the hearts of men. Yes, men should strive to be physically strong and capable, but not for the purpose of being an alpha male. Rather, the entire purpose of masculinity is outward action motivated by love. Without external objects of love, men turn inward and fill the void with Bugattis and Malibu mansions. 

The crisis of masculinity is not that men have ceased to do strenuous things. Rather, the crisis is the fact that men have been told there is nothing worth doing strenuous things for. Men have been told that the beaconing beauty of great art shouldn’t touch their souls. The smile of a beautiful woman isn’t worth sacrificing for in our pornographic society. Men are told their desire to reproduce and lead forth the next generation is shameful. Why would a young man be motivated to lay down his life for a nation that is built on oppression that he is culpable for?

God promised the Israelites that He would “remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh.” If we want to recover masculinity, we must not only recover the outward exercises of masculine strength. We must recover hearts of flesh. C.S. Lewis addresses this in his book The Abolition of Man.

In a sort of ghastly simplicity we remove the organ and demand the function. We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst. We castrate and bid the geldings be fruitful.

We have removed the organ of attachment and love that calls men to greatness—and we are baffled that an entire generation of men are drifting about with meaninglessness. The manosphere doesn’t solve this problem, it perpetuates it. A life of masculinity for masculinity’s sake will leave men no happier than the empty existence the rest of the modern world offers.

Our technological age allows men to be “unmoved movers.” Tangible skills are not required to make a living, and our technology can summon any cuisine to our doorstep at any hour of day or night. We can communicate with anyone on the globe from the comfort of our couch. This existence as unmoved movers is the exact opposite of the life that the Christian faith calls us to. Our Lord, Emmanuel, is the most moved of all movers. He became one of us in a certain time and in a certain place, and He comes to us every day in the Eucharist. Not only does He move from eternity into time, He was moved by love to die in our stead.

In order to revive masculinity, men need not only burdens to bear but objects to love. Without love of God, fellow man, family, and nation, attempts to rescue masculinity further harden the hearts of men. However, God, in His mercy, has imbued the world with things that shatter men’s hearts of stone: stories of heroism, beautiful works of art, the love between men and women, flags that wave in the midst of war, and, ultimately, Christ and His Kingdom.