incel 29 - copium

guy hooked up to artifical respirator (iron lung) with tank labelled “copium”

The incel wants to indulge in the amenities of the modern world, but he doesn’t want to spend money, so therefore he should plan not to consume product. Only when his desire to consume product and the value that product would bring into his life outweigh the physical cost will he consider consuming product. Any other thought process outside of the one outlined is very likely to be a waste of time, and probably some form of self-pity in disguise. He could also perhaps convince himself that he never wanted to consume product in the first place (sour grapes), but a lie like this is guaranteed not to last for long. He could also consider coming to terms with not consuming product and facing the problem head on. He could also put himself in positions where he doesn’t have to think about consuming product. Finally, he could remind himself of the opportunity cost of consuming product and have something to show for his invested time and effort (education, skills, creations, friendships).

Now the magic trick - replace every instance of the word “product” in the last paragraph with the word “relationship”. Facts are facts. The incel can’t convince himself that he doesn’t want a relationship; it’s hardcoded in his DNA. He can, though, come to terms with being single. He can’t quite escape the narrative to be happy in a relationship (well, he probably could, but he’d have to go cold turkey on the escapism of all pop culture) but he can remind himself of all the free time and energy he save from not dealing with something as fickle as another human being, and also have something to show for all the time he saved.

Something to show, huh. To… whom exactly? That’s an issue for another day.