We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

Samizdata quote of the day

“The only corner of the world that you can control is yourself.”

– Richard Cooper, of the “Entrepreneurs and Cars” show he does (he’s one of the “manosphere” chaps out there), talking about the shit-show going on lockdowns, identity politics nonsense.

I don’t buy into all of his views – I am not a big evolutionary psychology fan – but he is on the mark here in this brief broadcast. He looks like a guy on the edge a bit, in a state of despair. I suspect there are an awful of lot of others like him out there now.

7 comments to Samizdata quote of the day

  • bobby b

    Just as a sidenote – I read this and was curious how Wikipedia defined “manosphere.”

    They never fail to amuse:

    “The manosphere is a term used to describe a collection of predominantly web-based misogynist ideologies associated with the far-right and alt-right. Movements within the manosphere include the men’s rights movement, incels (involuntary celibates), Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW), pick-up artistry (PUA), and fathers’ rights groups. The manosphere has been associated with online harassment as well as some mass shootings and other real-world acts of violence, and has been implicated in radicalizing men into committing violence against women.”

  • the other rob

    I see that they use the same copywriters as Gillette.

  • Stonyground

    Oh yes Gillette, I’d forgotten all about that. I’ve just had a shave with my Harry’s razor which I am only using due to that particular ad campaign.

  • Johnathan Pearce

    I read this and was curious how Wikipedia defined “manosphere.”

    The Wikipedia entry is so obviously hostile that it demonstrates why I rarely use W. as a source for anything remotely controversial these days. Some of these groups are obviously very angry and quite nutty, but some people are very rational – such as this Richard Cooper – who spends a lot of his time talking about self-improvement, business, cars, etc, as well as some of the traits to avoid when dating women, getting into long-term relationships, etc. They address the issues of why so many men get into a mess over women, get hammered by the divorce machine, the problems of treating boys as full of “toxic” masculinity, and all the rest of it. Given the state of the world, the rational chaps such as Cooper deserve an audience.

  • Mr Ed

    Isn’t this a re-write Jordan Peterson’s ‘Clean your room’ slogan?

  • Johnathan Pearce

    Isn’t this a re-write Jordan Peterson’s ‘Clean your room’ slogan?

    To some degree. He also cites JP in this video clip. I think some of these guys don’t share Peterson’s tragic sense of life and enthusiasm for Carl Jung.

  • Paul Marks

    To control yourself you must defeat those who seek to control you.

    Some of the Stoic of the Roman Stoics argued that a slave could be a free man – if his reason controlled his passions.

    But that freedom is not enough – not if you have a master, or masters, who can you do anything they like.

    for then you are slave to their passions.