Incels debate whether punching themselves in the face will make them more attractive

Stop hitting yourself! (Seriously, don’t hit yourself.)

By David Futrelle

Over on Incels.is — the successor site to Incels.me, which recently found itself tossed off the internet — the regulars are discussing what they evidently feel is one of the central issues of our time: Can dudes make themselves more appealing to women by punching themselves in the face?

Take it away, dude-who-calls-himself-rahultmnt:

Naturally, Incels.is being the malignant shitsite that it is, some of the regulars piped right up to tell him to GO FOR IT.

A few of the regulars objected to rahulmnt’s plan, but he was unconvinced.

Nor was he swayed by the testimony of a fellow incel who claimed to have tried this unique “looksmaxing” strategy himself.

Yeah, I don’t think that’s how it works. You can’t punch yourself handsome. (And, seriously, if you’re honestly contemplating physical self-harm, for any reason, please reach out to a person or an organization that can help.)

A few other commenters, also less than enthusiastic about the punching-yourself-in-the-face strategy, suggested assorted alternatives, ranging from “tough chewy mastic gum” (to strengthen the jaw muscles) to Human Growth Hormone.

Sure, working your jaw muscles will indeed strengthen them. And you’re not likely to hurt yourself chewing gum. But Human Growth Hormone could be as bad for you as punching yourself in the face. 

Even more to the point: continuing to obsess over the precise structure of your face isn’t going to help you find your way to a better life. It’ll make you more depressed, more bitter, and in the end less attractive — not only to the women you’re interested in, but to pretty much everyone else on planet earth.

It’s not a few millimeters of bone, as the incel trope has it, that separates self-described “involuntary celibates” from the guys women are genuinely attracted to — it’s the kind of person you are. And the weird mixture of self-pity and narcissistic entitlement that the incel movement encourages makes even conventionally good-looking incels deeply unattractive to women.

Seriously, guys, just fucking stop this shit.

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