I don't think being a virgin should count you in as an incel, and I don't like the way that the term incel has kind of devoured all ranges of loneliness and sexlessness.
I don't think that sort of conflation is helpful, and overall I feel that the way culture -- particularly online -- has handled the phenomenon of inceldom has largely just made things worse, because of this shift in language that reinforces a lot of the attitudes towards sex and worth (of men specifically) that make people hate women as a means of coping with self-hatred.
I completely agree. I think that "incel" has become a catch-all from anywhere from violent misogynists to normal virgins. It's a nasty term that should just be replaced with misogynist when applicable.
I don't think being a virgin should count you in as an incel, and I don't like the way that the term incel has kind of devoured all ranges of loneliness and sexlessness.
I don't think that sort of conflation is helpful, and overall I feel that the way culture -- particularly online -- has handled the phenomenon of inceldom has largely just made things worse, because of this shift in language that reinforces a lot of the attitudes towards sex and worth (of men specifically) that make people hate women as a means of coping with self-hatred.
I completely agree. I think that "incel" has become a catch-all from anywhere from violent misogynists to normal virgins. It's a nasty term that should just be replaced with misogynist when applicable.