The homoerotic overtones of his actions are unmistakable. He's not doing this to atract women but for an audience of incel men. Some very complicated and interesting stuff happening here.
I wonder if part of the motivation (not just for Clavicular but this malaise in general) is driven by uncertainty. You said it yourself, “there is no future.”
If you can’t trust your political leadership to lead you (not based enough or not progressive enough), your parents to guide you (outdated perspectives, uncool, or just representative of a life you don’t feel applicable to you or achievable by you), society to care for you (oligarchy oppressing you, immigrants replacing you), your friends to be there for you (not based or redpilled, or at capacity and wondering if there’s someone else you can talk to), your employer to keep you fed and with health insurance - how can you feel secure in your place in the world and your resources and safety/livelihood?
Higher (felt) status buys some psychological felt sense of safety, certainty. And in an environment where the more abstract things like institutions, rules, social contracts, feel distant or uncertain, it seems rational (as in incentive, not as in reasonable) to revert to a more “basic, animalistic” behavior to pursue that status.
That is definitely my perspective on the matter. A dependable concept of the future is a thing of the past. We have so little control. At least we can buy fat dissolvers off the Internet, and maybe the world will be kinder to us because we’re more beautiful from it.
Reminds me of bodybuilding, where lifting weights goes beyond any of the traditional benefits and becomes a self-contained competitive endeavor. As bizarre as this looksmaxxing stuff is, at least these guys have some sort of project to work on—that's more than a lot of guys can say. Really just shows you how far we've fallen. Something is clearly wrong when a guy in his 20s has no interest in sex. There used to be a theory that sex was the entire underlying reason why men were ambitious to succeed in other areas.
"There is no coherent meaning to pull from the narratives of living that we have relied upon, and so men like Clavicular have returned to something far more basic and animalistic, yet through an entirely digitally-mediated filter."
Exactly, except the "basic and animalistic" impulse is not only digitally-mediated, but completely digitally borne! We were never supposed to be in competition with our fellow beings in this way!!
While I can understand the satisfaction that comes with simply “knowing” you can have sex with someone, calling the act a waste of time sounds like plain old insecurity. Assuming someone just wants you for your beauty, fame, looks, etc. is the tragedy of every celebrity and beautiful person. We’re reaching peak internet where everyone feels like a celebrity except the transaction is seamless. No cushion of industry, entourage, or privacy available.
The best part about it is there's no actual risk. Once you've convinced yourself you could have her, mission accomplished, end of story. No chance you'll make your move, say something stupid, and wind up rejected anyway despite her initial attraction (if there ever was). No chance she'll decide she doesn't like you after she gets to know you, meanwhile you've developed feelings. No chance of heartbreak, aka living.
I mean, he's doing something aesthetic for it's own sake. If he was making anything other than his own image I think people would see it as worthwhile or interesting.
The homoerotic overtones of his actions are unmistakable. He's not doing this to atract women but for an audience of incel men. Some very complicated and interesting stuff happening here.
I wonder if part of the motivation (not just for Clavicular but this malaise in general) is driven by uncertainty. You said it yourself, “there is no future.”
If you can’t trust your political leadership to lead you (not based enough or not progressive enough), your parents to guide you (outdated perspectives, uncool, or just representative of a life you don’t feel applicable to you or achievable by you), society to care for you (oligarchy oppressing you, immigrants replacing you), your friends to be there for you (not based or redpilled, or at capacity and wondering if there’s someone else you can talk to), your employer to keep you fed and with health insurance - how can you feel secure in your place in the world and your resources and safety/livelihood?
Higher (felt) status buys some psychological felt sense of safety, certainty. And in an environment where the more abstract things like institutions, rules, social contracts, feel distant or uncertain, it seems rational (as in incentive, not as in reasonable) to revert to a more “basic, animalistic” behavior to pursue that status.
That is definitely my perspective on the matter. A dependable concept of the future is a thing of the past. We have so little control. At least we can buy fat dissolvers off the Internet, and maybe the world will be kinder to us because we’re more beautiful from it.
Yeah, looksmaxxing is something he can control. The success of it can be measured. That makes it easier to deal with than relationships, career, etc.
Reminds me of bodybuilding, where lifting weights goes beyond any of the traditional benefits and becomes a self-contained competitive endeavor. As bizarre as this looksmaxxing stuff is, at least these guys have some sort of project to work on—that's more than a lot of guys can say. Really just shows you how far we've fallen. Something is clearly wrong when a guy in his 20s has no interest in sex. There used to be a theory that sex was the entire underlying reason why men were ambitious to succeed in other areas.
"There is no coherent meaning to pull from the narratives of living that we have relied upon, and so men like Clavicular have returned to something far more basic and animalistic, yet through an entirely digitally-mediated filter."
Exactly, except the "basic and animalistic" impulse is not only digitally-mediated, but completely digitally borne! We were never supposed to be in competition with our fellow beings in this way!!
While I can understand the satisfaction that comes with simply “knowing” you can have sex with someone, calling the act a waste of time sounds like plain old insecurity. Assuming someone just wants you for your beauty, fame, looks, etc. is the tragedy of every celebrity and beautiful person. We’re reaching peak internet where everyone feels like a celebrity except the transaction is seamless. No cushion of industry, entourage, or privacy available.
The best part about it is there's no actual risk. Once you've convinced yourself you could have her, mission accomplished, end of story. No chance you'll make your move, say something stupid, and wind up rejected anyway despite her initial attraction (if there ever was). No chance she'll decide she doesn't like you after she gets to know you, meanwhile you've developed feelings. No chance of heartbreak, aka living.
I mean, he's doing something aesthetic for it's own sake. If he was making anything other than his own image I think people would see it as worthwhile or interesting.