Touch not the Red Pill, for it is unclean.  Unclean, I say! UNCLEAN!!!

Readership: All, especially Christians
Theme: Problems with The Red Pill / Sectarianism / Socio-Political Misappropriation
Length: 2,000 words
Reading Time: 11 minutes

Intro

In this post, I’ll cover the second perspective of The Red Pill (TRP) [R-]: Christians and/or Conservatives who view the Red Pill as questionable and/or shameful, due to its connotative or historical association with sexual immorality, hook-up culture, PUA’s, inconvenient / ugly truths, etc.

A list of other perspectives is given here.

I’ll return to the important topics brought up in the last two posts in a future theme.

Case Studies

There are many influencers who espouse Red Pill truths, but with a disdaining or distancing attitude towards TRP.  Here are a few I’ve noticed.

• Conor Beaton – Red Pilled and doesn’t know it.
• Rob Henderson – Happy to accept the positives, avoidant and/or critical of the negatives.
• Jordan Peterson – Has his own unique approach with a hat tip to meaning and morality.
• Aaron Renn – Observer Status.  Used to be mesmerized by TRP, but has since tempered his approach with clinical objectivism.
• Adam Lane Smith – Scared spineless of being pigeonholed as Red Pilled.
• Bnonn Tennant and Michael Foster – Recognize the value of TRP in terms of cultural awareness, personal growth, and practical ministry, but also view it as a peripheral metacognition, warn of its idolatry, and are defensive about being associated with the label.
• Matt Walsh —  Has his head stuck on TradCon monologues which he regularly prefers over RP concepts.
• Chris Williamson – Likes the taste, but won’t bite it off and swallow it down.
• Pastor Doug Wilson – Persnickety and skeptical (in the past, but not so much anymore).

A Reserved Stance Towards The Red Pill

Even though they might often refer to or summarize Red Pill principles in polite language, they’ll shy away from naming their RP sources and/or being identified as Red Pill.

When cornered or pushed, these individuals will admit to specific Red Pill postulates as being correct or true, but then they’ll do a rhetorical dance because they don’t have the stones to own it.

Some typical attitudes and statements that are representative of this stance are as follows.

• “Red Pill voices are not speaking encouraging words, by and large.” (Moralizing)
• “Yes, there are bad exploitative women out there, but there are also bad exploitative men too!” (Evasion)
• “The way Red Pill men talk about women is just as bad as the way the media talks about men.” (Blaming men)
• “The Red Pill is the male equivalent of Feminism.  Both are bad and just as morally corrupt.” (False comparison)
• “We need to protect people from lies, but also from harsh unloving truths that could break their spirit.  We need a ‘balance’.” (False compassion)
• When confronted with a Red Pill truth: “You have a good point, but taking that route or that way of thinking is more harmful than helpful.” (Deflection)
• “If someone is so inept and irresponsible with one’s life that they wound up taking The Red Pill, then how can The Red Pill ever give them the strength needed to conquer their problems?” (Blaming the victim)
• They’ll regard Red Pill lore as a cautionary tale, but nothing more.
• They’ll regard social issues as wicked problems with no solution, and The Red Pill only adds to these problems.
• They’ll critique and question Red Pill tenets, not with the intent of learning and understanding, but only to contrast them against their own ‘correct view’, dismiss them, and/or hold them at arm’s length.

Burn the Message or Sh00t the Messenger?

This general perspective [R-] comes in three flavors.

Some guys (e.g. Beaton, A. L. Smith, Tennant, Foster) like the message, but they don’t like the messenger; they like the truths therein, but they don’t like the packaging.  For example, they’ll nitpick about ethical implications until they’re completely stymied, or they’ll associate TRP with the worst of the worst Red Pill degenerates, e.g. Adam22, Andrew T@te, Destiny, et al.  Then they’ll refer to the Red Pill condescendingly, with the attitude of “That’s for low-lifes.  I’m better than that.”  (This is like rejecting Christianity because Joel Osteen is fake.)

Others (e.g. Henderson, Walsh, Williamson) receive the messenger, but they won’t read the entire message; they like the packaging, but they won’t open it up.  For example, they’ll adopt Red Pill buzzwords and basic talking points, but then it is revealed that it’s done mainly to appear trendy and/or to attract clicks and views, and they don’t even understand much of what they’re talking about.  Or they’ll review some Red Pill content, make a social commentary, and leave it at that; they won’t dig into the cause-and-effect, the motivations, and the whys and wherefores of what’s behind it.

Then there’s the Jordan Peterson approach. Accept both message and messenger, but remain insulated behind the Fifth Wall of philosophical objectivity. (Of these three, this is the most appealing to younger crowds, i.e. Zoomers.)

But for all these types, there’s something about The Red Pill that gives them the heebie jeebies, something they just cannot accept, so its reception is always buffered and tempered with comparisons, explanations, evasions, justifications, narratives, reinterpretations, and the like.

But what is it that they cannot accept?

The Truth is FUgly

Generally speaking, it appears that they cannot accept the odious reality that the truth is not always beautiful, ‘clean’, and pleasant, and at times, it is offensive and ugly.  Concerning these men who are Christians, it is as though they are taking Ephesians 5:1-21 quite seriously, and for this they are to be rightly commended.

However, they are emphasizing the passages which say,

³ But sexual immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints; ⁴ and there must be no filthiness or foolish talk, or vulgar joking, which are not fitting…  ⁵ For this you know with certainty, that no sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, which amounts to an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

^6b …for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.  ⁷ Therefore do not become partners with them;

^11a Do not participate in the useless deeds of darkness, […] ¹² for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.

¹⁵ So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise…

But they have glossed over the passages that say,

⁹ (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth)

¹¹ Do not participate in the useless deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;

¹³ But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

Yes, the truth is sometimes ugly, but we must not omit the detestable aspects of the truth simply because it is unbecoming. Courage, discernment, love, and wisdom are needed for this.

Wh!te Washed Red Pill

So you see, to truly understand this type of perspective [R-], we must recognize that these individuals are acutely aware that The Red Pill is ‘unclean’ — and it truly is. In fact, we might think of The Red Pill as a revealing emphasis on the dirty uncomfortable truths that everyone prefers to ignore but which must necessarily be addressed, made clear, and understood — much like a kid who must learn to eat broccoli and brussel sprouts to be healthy.

BUT… they also perceive TRP as being defiled — and also defiling — like a kid who vomits at the sight of vegetables.  (Reader’s Note: Something that is ‘unclean‘ produces a languoring visceral disgust. Something that is ‘defiling‘ degrades one’s identity. Click on links for more.)

This peculiar awareness manifests in many forms.

• They are overly conscious of guilt by association or maybe by identification in some cases (e.g. bringing up memories of past traumatic experiences).
• They may mistake The Red Pill as being the same as, or the moral equivalent of, the dark side of human nature and the rotten social ills that The Red Pill directly addresses.
• They may believe these human behaviors and social problems are only exacerbated by any attempts to struggle with them, and therefore view any involvement with The Red Pill as an exercise in futility.
• They may assume that any association with or mere contact with TRP can lead to one becoming inextricably involved and thereby becoming ‘sullied’ or ‘tainted’ as a consequence, similar to what might occur if one were directly involved with the worst problems that TRP addresses.
• Some of these individuals may recognize that The Red Pill creates an unfavorable reactance (a psychological phenomenon in which a person has a negative emotional reaction to being persuaded, and thus chooses the option which is being advocated against), but they fail to realize that they themselves are reactant to The Red Pill itself.  The fact that reactance is a behavior characteristic of those who are immature or rebellious is telling.
• It is likely that they may have an inner voice telling them they’ll be cursed or jinxed if they dive in too deep and taste of the sufferings therein, as if fearful of Friedrich Nietzsche’s warning,

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”

Stalling Out

IMHO, if God has given one the ability to articulate the truth (i.e. the gifts of exhortation or teaching) then along with that comes the responsibility to share that truth with others, and as much as is humanly possible, to make sure they get it right. It is not right to avoid the dirtier aspects of the truth in an effort to evade the responsibilities involved, but rather, only when it is neither fitting nor helpful (1 Corinthians 6:12; 1 Corinthians 10:23). Again, courage, discernment, love, and wisdom are needed for this.

Thus, another motivation of those who wash their hands of all things Red Pill may be to avoid this responsibility, including the task of keeping their consciences and reputations clean and of not having any possible negative influence on others.

The problem with the [R-] approach is that it subjects their audiences to a subtle manipulation of opinion that (1) entertains the notion that there is a strong likelihood of failure (possibly by association or identification), (2) dwells on the end goal / results without addressing how to get there nor the probability of success, (3) alludes to or overemphasizes the worst possible outcome, and thereby (4) generates anxiety and a self-protective mode of responding, and (5) instills a fear of involvement or taking action.

Readers can avoid falling prey to such manipulation and the resulting analysis paralysis by (1) staying focused on one’s own sphere of influence, (2) maintaining their own frame, (3) breaking personal issues into smaller, more manageable goals, (4) developing more realistic steps that will eventually lead to success, and (5) finding encouragement through Bible study, fellowship, and prayer.

Conclusions

In summary of The Dirty Red Pill perspective [R-], in general, these men are circumspect, discerning, maintaining integrity, and sensitive to conscience, but they are also lacking confidence and depth of conviction. They are afraid or hesitant to use the salty cutting edge of the Sword of Truth. Perhaps they are also displaying a fear of partaking in the sufferings of others and/or succumbing to guilt or shame by association / identification.

Granted, it is not an easy task to undertake the truths surrounding fallen human nature, sexual immorality, impurity, moral filth, and sin without being disgraceful, lewd, ‘unclean’, nor vulgar. It is also not easy to speak of Red Pill truths without being associated with those Red Pilled men who participate in the deeds of darkness.

Related

• Σ Frame: What does it mean to be Unclean? (2018/12/2)
• Σ Frame: What does it mean to be Defiled? (2018/12/9)
• Σ Frame: The Red Pill and Blue Pill as Paradigms of Sanctification and Defilement (with a mathematical analogy) (2020/11/15)
• Σ Frame: Uncovering Nakedness (2023/12/16)
• Σ Frame: Christian Detachment is a Boundary (2024/1/16)
• Σ Frame: A Failure of Imagination (2024/5/20)
• Σ Frame: The Challenge of Transcending the Abyss (2024/6/5)
• Σ Frame: Red Pill Rehab (2024/6/19)