Review article
Incels, the blackpill and the glorious evolution: an evolutionary psychological perspective
Iva Gojanović
; Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
The modern age of the Internet has been marked by a rise in misogynistic cybergroups spreading extremist ideologies, most popular of which are incels (involuntary celibates). Incels are a subgroup of the manosphere, characterized by their lack of sexual experience and the desire to achieve sexual relations, alongside their misogynistic and radical tendencies. Research papers about incels have grown exponentially in recent years, especially in an attempt to apply evolutionary principles to their knowledge of incel ideology and behavior. Incels are an elusive subject because of their anonymity and social exclusion, which makes them difficult to study empirically or directly. This paper aims to apply core concepts of evolutionary psychology, analyze known research of incel behavior and posit new insights. Firstly, it explores the concept of inceldom. In addition, this paper attempts to resolve the debate around the actuality of incel violence. Lastly, it analyses known evolutionary explanations of incel behavior and posits a new one–envy as a key factor in incel behavior and ideology.
Keywords
envy; evolution; evolutionary psychology; incel violence; incels; involuntary celibate
Hrčak ID:
339471
URI
Publication date:
30.11.2025.
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