The Incel, 4B Movements and Social Decay, By Mrs. Vera West

The incel (involuntary celibate) and 4B movements, though distinct in their origins and goals, are often cited as phenomena that, in their own ways, contribute to tensions within Western civilization. I'll explore each movement, their characteristics, and how they might be seen as undermining traditional societal structures.

The incel movement primarily consists of young, heterosexual men who define themselves as unable to find romantic or sexual partners despite desiring them. What began in the 1990s as an online space for lonely individuals of all genders to connect—created by a Canadian woman named Alana, has since morphed into a darker subculture, especially in the 2000s and 2010s. Forums on platforms like 4chan, Reddit, and later dedicated incel websites became breeding grounds for frustration, misogyny, and, in extreme cases, violence.

Incel ideology often revolves around a few key beliefs: that women (and society) owe them relationships, that physical appearance and social status dictate romantic success (the "blackpill" philosophy), and that "Chads" (attractive, successful men) and "Stacys" (desirable women) monopolise the dating pool, leaving "betas" or "omegas" behind. This worldview has fuelled resentment, with some members glorifying figures like Elliot Rodger, who killed six people in 2014, as martyrs of an "incel rebellion." High-profile attacks, like Alek Minassian's 2018 Toronto van attack, which killed 10, have cemented the movement's association with extremism, though most incels don't resort to violence.

Critics argue the incel movement contributes to Western civilisation's decline by rejecting traditional masculine roles—provider, husband, father—in favour of isolation and nihilism. Instead of adapting to modern dating dynamics or seeking self-improvement, many incels retreat into echo chambers that amplify despair and blame, eroding social cohesion. The refusal to form families or engage constructively with society could, over time, shrink the "producer class" (those who build and sustain communities), especially if birth rates drop as a result. Some also see it as a symptom of broader cultural issues: individualism run amok, the commodification of relationships via dating apps, and a loss of shared values.

The 4B movement, originating in South Korea around the mid-2010s, is a feminist response to supposed systemic misogyny, gender violence, and rigid societal expectations. Its name comes from four Korean terms starting with "bi" (meaning "no"): bihon (no marriage), bichulsan (no childbirth), biyeonae (no dating), and bisekseu (no sex with men). It's a radical opt-out from traditional roles for women, rejecting the idea that their worth lies in partnering with men or reproducing.

In South Korea, 4B emerged amid stark gender inequality, workplace discrimination, high rates of spycam porn, and cultural pressure to marry and bear children despite economic instability. It's less an organised movement and more a grassroots ethos, spread via social media and small communities. Some women shave their heads or adopt minimalist lifestyles to signal their rejection of beauty standards tied to male approval. While it's most prominent in South Korea, echoes of 4B have appeared in Western feminist discourse, often overlapping with ideas of autonomy and anti-patriarchy.

Critics of 4B in the context of Western civilisation argue it accelerates demographic collapse and undermines family structures. By refusing marriage and childbirth, adherents could contribute to already-declining birth rates in Western nations (e.g., Europe's aging population or the U.S.'s below-replacement fertility). This threatens the continuity of cultural traditions and economic stability, as fewer young people support aging societies. Detractors also claim it fosters gender antagonism, driving a wedge between men and women at a time when cooperation is needed to address shared challenges.

Both movements, though ideologically opposed, share a rejection of traditional gender roles and relationships—hallmarks of Western societies for centuries. Incels lament their exclusion from these norms but don't work to uphold them, often retreating into bitterness or fantasy. 4B actively dismantles them, prioritising individual liberation over collective continuity. Together, they reflect a broader unravelling: the erosion of mutual reliance between men and women, a cornerstone of family-centric cultures.

This dual withdrawal could hasten demographic decline, already a concern in the West. Fewer marriages and babies mean shrinking populations, straining welfare systems and cultural identity. Economic productivity might falter without a robust working-age cohort, while social fragmentation grows as trust between genders erodes. Some view this as a self-inflicted wound, Western liberalism's emphasis on individual freedom taken to extremes, where personal grievances or empowerment trump communal survival.

Yet, it's worth questioning the narrative of "destruction." Incels are a small, albeit vocal, minority, and most don't translate online rants into real-world action. 4B, while impactful in South Korea, remains niche in the West, with many women still choosing partnership and parenthood. Broader factors, capitalism, technology, secularism, likely outweigh these movements in reshaping society. Still, their existence signals a deeper malaise: a civilisation wrestling with loneliness, inequality, and the meaning of connection in a hyper-individualistic age. Whether they're causes or symptoms, they highlight cracks that won't easily mend without addressing root discontent.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2025/03/why_incel_and_4b_culture_matter.html

"If you wanted to destroy American culture, where might you start? If time scales were not your primary concern and you were patient, convincing Americans not to have babies would do the job quite nicely. At the same time, import a few million foreigners (actually 20+ million) and let them start having babies at twice the native rate, all while subsidizing them, including giving them free phones so they can call home and say, "Get the heck over here while the getting's good!" Oh, wait, thanks to the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, that door just slammed shut. But what about that birthrate issue?

Last year was the first year in our history when our population would have declined were it not for an influx of illegal immigrants. Birthrates for whites are now at 50 per 1,000 women. That compares to Hispanic at 56, black at 52, and Asian at 50. The birthrate of illegal immigrants includes 400,000 birthright babies, accounting for 22% of all births in the US for the last year for which information is available.

Excluding aliens, America's birthrate, particularly white births, is resulting in a declining white population. One need not be a racist to be concerned that the traditional producer class is dying off. Many non-political factors contribute to this decline, including reduced fertility rates, choice, financial ability to have children, etc. But what if there were other reasons to help explain the demise of white births that are much more nefarious or unexplained?

I watched the Netflix movie series Adolescence the other night. My wife and I were not sure what we were watching at first, as this British series was of the 'you are there' variety, and you only slowly began to understand the plot. This well-worth-watching mini-series introduced us to the term Incel, a portmanteau word for "involuntary celibate."

I had never heard the term Incel previously. Still, a close friend, known sometimes to inhabit fringe thinking spaces, was well-informed, telling me this began in Europe some time ago. Not coincidentally, with its millions of foreign aliens, mainly Middle Eastern, Europe is in much worse shape than we are.

According to Wikipedia, "incels" encompass a primarily online subculture of young men, who define themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one, and who may blame, objectify and denigrate women and girls as a result. While the majority of Incels are non-violent, the community has gained attention due to a small number of individuals committing violent acts inspired by extremist ideologies. Studies suggest that Incel communities are predominantly young, heterosexual men, often grappling with feelings of rejection and isolation.

We see a lot of men who subscribe to the premise that 80% of women are attracted to just 20% of men. Many men believe they cannot achieve a historically normal lifestyle and family.

The Incel culture, to the extent there is one, seems to be primarily a social media phenomenon, which makes sense, given that its adherents have mostly abandoned real relationships. Despite the damage it's causing to huge cohorts of young men who are encouraged to disengage from society, few people seem to be doing anything about this phenomenon.

If we were talking about bullying, sexting, or any one of the other dangerous or destructive social media trends, it would be different. All garner a lot of attention. Not so with a trend that, given time, will destroy the most productive social class the world has ever known. Europe is already there; we seem to be next. Have you noticed all the young men are no longer on the path to buying a home, marrying, or having children, especially within wedlock?

A universal truism is that life seeks equilibrium; it does that to ensure the survival of the species. Nature abhors radicalism and breeds out genetic features and variants at odds with the species' survival. We've talked about men, but we've largely not tied women into the equation. Enter the 4b Movement. Never heard of it before? Neither had I until another mini-series, The Recruit, introduced me to the term. Here's what this genuinely terrifying group states:

4B or "Four Nos" is a radical feminist movement that originated in South Korea. The name refers to its defining four tenets, starting with the Korean-language term bi (Korean: 비; Hanja: 非), roughly meaning "no." Its adherents do not date men, marry men, have sex with men, or have children with men. The movement emerged between 2017 and 2019 on Twitter and on the website WOMAD. It has since spread internationally to the United States after the 2024 presidential election.

Hatred of men … is pushed by Democrats (toxic masculinity, anyone), and an incredible number of young men and women are now swearing off the essence of what a thriving culture must do to survive. Due to space constraints, I can't name all the variations of reflexive hatred that have found a home in Europe and the US, and now even in formally 'traditional' countries like Korea.

It's difficult to believe that entire generations of young people refusing to procreate is a natural phenomenon. The very thought of men and women hating each other at a base level is frightening in its implications. Its unnaturalness leads any thinking individual to conclude that some outside force is exerting control on young, impressionable minds, leading to the ultimate self-destructive behavior.

I bet that a small cadre of leftist progressives who hate Western Civilization has opened up yet another front in the war against conservative thinking. How diabolical when you think about it, have your enemy destroy themselves by not reproducing. Sun Tzu would be proud."